Customer Reviews

Gifted by Otherness: Gay and Lesbian Christians in the Church

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"Gifted by Otherness" is one of those books that can truly change your life. It certainly did for me! In fact, I'm so impressed with it that I've given at least five copies away to friends.

Countryman, a gay Episcopalian pastor, has also written two other excellent books: "Dirt, Greed and Sex: Sexual Ethics in the New Testament and their Implications for Today," and "Biblical Authority or Biblical Tyranny?" These three books will truly help gay people understand just what those six "killer verses" in the Bible REALLY mean. Don't let a fundamentalist Christian keep you from having a meaningful relationship with God. What you read in the English Bible isn't necessarily what was in the original Greek/Hebrew/Aramaic, etc. There's a fascinating progression of translations involved in today's Bible, and those "killer verses" need to be put in context with Jewish history at the time of their writing. This is an extremely complex subject, and Countryman does a superb job explaining it.

See also several of the books by John Shelby Spong, a retired Episcopalian Bishop, especially "Sins of Scripture", "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamenalism" and "Living in Sin? A Bishop Rethinks Human Sexuality."

If you're a straight fundamentalist Christian, don't bother reading any of these books. You probably won't change your mind anyway. But if you're gay and want to truly understand how there is absolutely no conflict between being gay and being Christian, ALL of these books are "must reads" for you. These books, especially "Gifted by Otherness," will take a huge burden off your shoulders. Take back your life from those people that want to demonize you, and get the facts.

As a gay Christian, I have experienced the phenomena Dr. Countryman and M.R. explore where much of the religious community is hesitant and skeptical of the LGBT community, if not outright condemning...and the LGBT Community in turn is skeptical of Christians and want nothing to do with us. Since the publication of this book, much has been done to bridge that gap, thanks to books like this one. Countryman and Ritley present a much needed glimpse of an inclusive faith!

Justin R. Cannon
Editor, Sanctified: An Anthology of Poetry by LGBT Christians
Author, The Bible, Christianity, & Homosexuality

The book was a good and easy read. It showed how gay and lesbians can have a productive spiritual life.

I had to buy this book for my "Homosexuality in the World Religions" course at Hunter College. Otherwise, I would have never read it.... It is an amazing book! I am not Christian nor religious, but I really love what the writers have to say. This is a must read for LGBT's or anyone who has ever felt different.