Beyond Gay [Paperback]

David Morrison (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation)

Product Details

• Paperback: 287 pages
• Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879736909
• ISBN-13: 978-0879736903
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #594,186 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprise! It's not just for gays, January 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Beyond Gay (Paperback)

I'm a married heterosexual who read David's book because I'm an orthodox Catholic interested in the agonizing debates over sexual matters within Christianity. I was quite surprised by how much "Beyond Gay" had to say to me, a straight man, about the theology of the body. David challenged me to think a lot more deeply about the way *all* of us consider our bodies, and the use of our sexuality. "Beyond Gay" cuts through so much cant and jargon to tell an *honest* story from a compassionate survivor of the sexual revolution. It is indispensable for priests, pastors and lay persons who seek to understand gay folks in charity, while leading them to fidelity to Biblical teaching. And it has almost as much to teach straights about the proper use of their own sexuality. What an unusual, wise book. It should be on the bookshelf of every culturally engaged Christian -- Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox.

37 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lesson for All Christians, November 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Beyond Gay (Paperback)

Morrison has written a loving, compassionate, yet unequivocal portrait of "gays", and shows how wrong many Christians are in their approaches to same-sex attracted people. His recommendations on how to deal with youth who question their sexual identities are particularly important for parents. I am sorry that Morrison will (inevitably) experience attacks from extremists on both sides of this issue. Truth is harsh as well as holy, and courage is required to seek and accept it. Thank you, David, for expressing Paul's "more excellent way" in this wonderful book.

63 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Book on the Subject, June 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Beyond Gay (Paperback)

This is a good book. Most books dealing with Christianity and homosexuality tend to fall into two groups: ones that try to harmonize the two and others that push re-orientation. This book steers a middle course: it doesn't try to justify gay sex biblically, and it doesn't take the position that inside every homosexual is a heterosexual yearning to burst out. A gay Christian doesn't have to choose between Exodus and the Metropolitan Community Church, but it is a rare treatment of the subject that ackowledges that.

This volume is written from a Catholic perspective, which is likely of more interest to Catholics, but is not completely lost on others (like me). I didn't focus too much on the specific catechism references, and skimmed quickly over the chapter on sacrements. The point is that it's not something you have to be a Catholic to be able to read.

The Catholic leadership appears to have a lot better attitude about gays in the church than those in some Protestant denominations. The "Always Our Children" statement, given in an appendix, is very sensitive and touching, without being compromising.

Much of the book is autobiographical in nature. However, it provides information and advice that will be of use to anyone who's gay but who looks at the Bible and realizes that gay sex is sinful (no matter how reluctant that realization may be). It also has a lot of information that is beneficial for non-gays.