Customer Reviews

Same-Sex Partnerships?: A Christian Perspective

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Stott addresses an issue that is in much need of clarification. In this text he first addresses three affirmations. First we are all human beings created in the image of God. Second we are all sexual beings and as sexual beings we all have a particular sexual inclination. Third we are all sinners. Stott also states that he writes that those who are probably reading this book are Christians. The book then deals with the texts which cover same-sex relationships in a sound exegetical fashion. Stott is more concerned with a proper biblical interpretation then being accepted by a certain group. He also addresses a balanced understanding of marriage and how it is involved in this discussion. There is also a discussion on the contemporary issues and how they are to be understood in regards to the Bible. Overall I believe the book to be an excellent work that is biblically based. Stott is concerned not so much with being politically correct, but being biblically accurate.

of Stott's treatment of the troublesome issue of homosexual behavior within the context of orthodox Christianity. Stott's interest is not in bringing ringing condemnations of proscribed behavior, but in compassionately and clearly setting out the biblical and traditional boundaries of sexual behavior within authentic Christian community. Books that will take the reader further include STRAIGHT AND NARROW (which nicely deals with the misinterpretations and faulty exegesis of scholars like Mollenkott, Boswell, etc.); HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE POLITICS OF TRUTH, and the fine volume edited by Christopher Wolfe on Homosexuality and American Public Life.

I just read Stott's work on same sex unions. In the middle of all of the foggy vocabulary and doctrine that is being created these days around this issue, Stott has done a wonderful job of cutting through that fog like a powerful lighthouse, showing the way for individuals and churches so that they will not crash upon the rocks of falsehood. It is important to remember that heresy sounds wise, otherwise no one would succumb to it (2 Cor. 11:13-15; 1 Tim. 4:1-2; Eph. 4:14-15; Col. 2:23). Stott has truely done his work as a Pastor and a teacher in the wider body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-16). I highly recommend this book to anyone, whether they are struggling with this issue, know someone who is, or are just in need of a short, but solid Biblical exposition on the subject. It would be great supplimental reading for a Bible college or seminary class in contemporary issues.

This is obviously a sensitive topic and judging by the types of reviews, a difficult one to understand from a biblical perspective. John does a decent job of trying to gain common ground between homosexuals and heterosexuals. What may be the cause for concern is really just each readers interpretation of the Bible or lack there of. Romans is very explicit about the issue. Along with God's grace comes repentance and sanctification. A process that the Bible calls all sinners to strive for. Homosexuality, bisexuality and promiscuous heterosexuality are sins like alcoholism, infidelity, murder, addictions, and any other thing that heterosexuals do as well. In fact, we're all sinners. Welcome to the club. Grace and forgiveness is a gift from God and John does remind us of God's grace and what results from his grace. Yes, even for the homosexual as well as the heterosexual and bisexual. It may be difficult to recommend this book to anyone bereft of God's grace or word. Although I would recommend the Bible over this book as a more complete source of how God feels about homosexual behavior, I would say that overall, John has tried to reach out and bridge a gap often filled with rhetoric, from believers to non-believers and all those in between. Tolerance is not a virtue. Tolerance seems to be the "new" answer for all religions and beliefs except Christianity. No one seems to be very tolerant of Christianity. Outdated? Hardly. Revealing is more to the point and no one likes to be shown their depravity. Not even heterosexuals. I would argue that John has tried to focus us to God's word so we see that tolerance doesn't solve our problem, it merely amplifies the sin on both camps and perpetuates our depravity.

First of all, this books is a chapter 16 from Decisive Issues Facing Christians Today ( The newer and updated version of this book is this -> Issues Facing Christians Today).
This little book covers 4 passages from the Bible and how they are related to the created order in Genesis. Stott connects the model of human monogamous relationship introduced in Genesis to other passages where homosexuality is mentioned.
He also addresses pro-homosexual arguments like:
- "I am gay because God made me that way".
- The argument about quality of relationship.
- The argument about justice and rights.
- The argument about acceptance and the Gospel.

Stott concludes with appeal to Christians to be accepting of homosexuals as fellow humans, while standing firm on God's morality regarding condemnation of sexual sin, either heterosexual or homosexual.

This is a short, but very good book concerning the debate about homosexuality and Christianity. Stott gives a very clear and concise overview of important issues and arguments in this debate. He offers some new insights into this issue as well as tackling the usual arguments. I would recommend this book as a good starting point and introduction for learning and thinking about homosexuality and Christianity.

Stott's book is an excellent introduction to the conservative view of homosexuality and the Bible. In this area, however, he fails to acknowledge the fact that homosexual sexual behavior as spoken of in the Bible is consistently abusive behavior involving aberrations from what was then considered the heterosexual norm. The Bible shows no understanding of mutually loving homosexual relationships on the part of those for whom such orientation is a given and natural part of their makeup (other than, perhaps, David and Jonathan, in whose relationship, however, no genital sexual contact is mentioned), but Stott dismisses that as a humanistic fallacy. (Yet the biblical authors thought the sun revolved around the earth, but such limited understanding is not critiqued by Stott.) In addressing the issue of the possibility of faithfulness among homosexual couples, he quotes statistics taken from gay researchers, but he fails to critique such data regarding the degree to which it reflects only the gay population who are "out", thus ignoring the (probably) much larger number of homosexual persons--let alone homosexual Christians seeking to be faithful to Christ and their life partners--whose lifestyles would not reflected in such data. To balance Stott's views, I commend the chapter "Gayness and Homosexuality" in James Nelson's Embodiment and Letha Dawson Scanzoni's and Virginia Ramey Mollenkott's Is the Homosexual My Neighbor? A Positive Christian Response to those seriously interested in getting a variety of views on the issue before coming to a conclusion. Those who want to adhere to the "Christianly correct" line (there is a "political correctness" enforced among and by Christians, too, you know!) need read no further than Stott.

John Stott is one of my favorite authors. He is a respected theologan and commentator. John Stott's book The Cross of Christ is a classic book.

Unfortunately, this book falls far short of the theological rigor one expects of John Stott. He takes a complex theological and scriptural issue and treats it in simplistic terms, without giving adequate coverage of the issue.

This book is a sad disappointment. It is hardly worth reading and is definitely not worth purchasing.

John Stott is one of my favorite authors. He is a respected theologan and commentator. John Stott's book The Cross of Christ is a classic book.

Unfortunately, this book falls far short of the theological rigor one expects of John Stott. He takes a complex theological and scriptural issue and treats it in simplistic terms, without giving adequate coverage of the issue.

This book is a sad disappointment. It is hardly worth reading and is definitely not worth purchasing.

A simplistic piece of Biblical propaganda. Ignores the reality of long, committed, and rewarding homosexual relationships. As a psychotherapist (already suspect to the Christian Right) this serves as continued avoidance of the question "did God create homosexuals?" This topic is simply to confusing for the rigid "black and white thinking fundamentalist Christian" I hope people interested in the subject will also research more scientific based literature for balance. I am the person who treats your children after their suicide attempts. For their sake, I hope the reader will broaden their scope.