Homosexuality: A New Christian Ethic [Paperback]

Elizabeth R Moberly (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0227678508 | ISBN-13: 978-0227678503 | Publication Date: April 1, 1997

In debate about homosexuality two fundamentally incompatible positions continue to be held tenaciously. One asserts that homosexual acts are legitimate, the other that they are not, Homosexuality: A New Christian Ethic presents a psychoanalytic interpretation that shifts the focus of the debate from the legitimacy of sexual expression to the underlying needs. This new and controversial argument is contained in this much needed reassessment and restatement of the traditional Christian distinction between the homosexual condition and its expression in homosexual activity.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Moberly is known as the originator of gender-affirmative therapy for homosexuals.

Product Details

• Paperback: 56 pages
• Publisher: James Clarke Lutterworth (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0227678508
• ISBN-13: 978-0227678503
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #249,366 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING, October 15, 2004

By 

a reader (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Homosexuality: A New Christian Ethic (Paperback)

I am a Christian who has formerly had a homosexual relationship after years of struggling with homosexual desires (as a Christian). The question I wrestled with and every one who has struggled with homosexuality wrestles with is "Why do I have these feelings?" Elizabeth Moberly's book answers this question. The most healing thing in this book is that she says that the homosexual drive is a legitimate drive and is one that a man or woman does not choose for him or herself, but it is a desire that stems from dysfunction in child-parent relationships. This desire to be properly loved and raised by the same sex parent is absent or lacking; consequently, this legitimate need, if it is not met, becomes sexualized in same sex attractions for some people. I can only speak for myself, but in my case, this is exactly what happened to me. (Again, I was a born-again Christian when I was struggling with homosexuality, and my parents were also evangelical Christians -clergy even). Granted, my general sin nature and exposure to living in a pro-gay culture didn't help either, but it was only when I came to understand the child-parent connection to my homosexual drive and allowed God to meet these legitimate needs for love that I have been freed from these desires. There is freedom. There is healing. Don't believe the lie that there isn't. But it isn't easy. It doesn't happen in one day. It takes time - and failure. It requires great courage and the willingness to trust God to meet your needs. It may be the hardest thing you ever do, for like any sin, if we do not depend on God, we can always fall back into the sin in the same way a former alcoholic can go back to the bottle or someone who has repented of an extra-marital affair can be tempted to engage in another. For those of you who are parents: get this book. I do not condemn my parents; instead, I have learned to forgive them and to understand their own needs and issues. We are all in this together. Finally, I trust that as I pray for a Christian spouse, God will provide. Don't give up on the God who made man and woman to be "one" Don't give up on what you know to be true. This book will help you on your journey.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This was the book that screwed me up!, May 27, 2011

By 

Origen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Homosexuality: A New Christian Ethic (Paperback)

This booklet was stock reading in the late eighties and early nineties. Me and my ex-gay friends lapped it up eagerly as we discovered the reasons for our sinful desires. I began to hate my father for the things he had supposedly done, or not done, to me. I also had a series of extremely harmful close-friendships with male christian friends in an attempt to 'top-up' my masculinity and make me straight. This resulted in a serious break-down which still affects me years later. I first started to 'see the light' when my best friend from university told me that he had had a bad relationship with his father but that hadn't made him gay.

This woman needs exposing as a charlatan. She has messed with the heads of many serious christian men and women and seriously screwed us up. As far as I'm aware she only has a doctorate in theology and so her attempts in the psychological world are not informed by any foundations in psychology. Apparently she has gone into cancer research now, presumably expounding the belief that cancer is caused by having a bad relationship with the family pet in childhood and can be healed by buying a dog in adult life!

Just take a bit of advice from an old-timer: If you don't want to be gay, just be celibate. Pop-psychology like this will screw your mind up more than you can imagine.

21 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A HOPEFUL book which revolutionized how I saw my struggle and helped point me toward what I was really needing!, May 15, 2006

By 

Sharon T. (Paradise, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Homosexuality: A New Christian Ethic (Paperback)

This was a book that was out of print for a while so it is nice to hear that now it is available once again. We used this book in my homosexual support group to help us understand more of the roots of what my struggle really was- my cry for the safe emotional connection of the same sex (in my case, my mom) needs that I missed and craved so much especially as I lost my mother in a car accident with a drunk truck driver when I was 5 years old and then later came to have memories of some inappropriate sexual contact stuff that my father had with me- it just tore up my "world" inside and I went "searching" for a woman's comfort and love.

This book helped me to begin to understand what it was I was really craving and that it was not as much a sexual need as it was an emotional one and that I was meeting what God made as a very legitimate need (the comfort, love, security, and bonding from one's same sex parent) into an illegitimate need (lust and sex with women). Those were very difficult times for me and I am glad and thankful that the Lord gave me HOPE and revelation that proved to be true through books like this. It has been about over 15 years now I began really struggling in my early 20's and I want to ask you to hang in there too. There was hope for me and you know what?- God has hope that can really transform you too- I am so thankful for all that He has done in my life.

This book is a good start looking into what your cry for the same gender attraction is really about and you know what?- it isn't really about sexual intercourse and lust and stuff- its about our need for someone who represents my father or my mother who will take care of me in a safe way and love me and comfort me and be there for me and connect with me. With Jesus, there is hope, and you know what?- He DOES make a way and He has never left me to handle it on my own especially as I have cried out to Him for His help- He comes running. Do it and see. Watch what Jesus does. He has a way and when we stay honest with Him (it's taken going through a lot of tears for me though I don't know what He's got for another person, but all that crying when I remembered the things that hurt really helped) and He did provide different people and He continues to provide people and I find that these non-sexual, purer relationships sure have a lot more depth to them than the sexual one that I had or any of the lust-filled flirtatious ones had. I hope this helps someone. I know I sure needed a lot of help, but Jesus is soooooooooo good, my friend. He astounds me. He touches my heart and changes all that anger and all that rage and all that pain and all that coldness that I've had and takes it onto Himself and man, He starts to transform me when I think there's no way out and I don't know of how to get myself out. Jesus replied, "What is impossible with man is possible with God." (Luke 18:27) Take care, my fellow traveler and Jesus' very best to you in your journey.