William Stacy Johnson is an attorney-at-law, an ordained Presbyterian minister, and professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. This book evidences his clear and dispassionate legal analysis, his deep concern for the church, and his insightful theological thought.
The first half of the book is devoted to religion and the second half to law and politics. His expertise and broad reading in all three areas blends these issues into one sustained and persuasive argument. I continually found gems of information cropping up in all three areas.
Johnson outlines seven different ways of viewing same-gender relationships theologically from prohibition to consecration. He is careful to describe the merits and weaknesses of each argument before presenting any conclusions. Johnson believes that the way to resolve the present conflict over same-gender relationships is to be welcoming, affirming, and also ordering of those relationships.
He sets the whole of his position in the context of a three-part exposition of the Christian story of creation, reconciliation, and redemption. He develops a biblical position on marriage that shows it to be a nurturing context for companionship, commitment, and community. He believes that gay and lesbian couples can embody all three of these purposes of marriage. In the process he deals in detail with texts of Scripture used to prohibit same-sex relationships, carefully examining the original languages and their historical context. In the end he finds: "The immorality, debauchery, and licentiousness about which Paul complains bears no resemblance to the exclusively committed same-gender relationships we are being asked to assess today" (p. 154).
In the section on law and politics he patiently works through all of the major court cases bearing on same-gender relationships, even describing the various arguments of Supreme Court justices. He concludes: "The truth is that there are no cogent legal arguments of a secular nature for refusing to grant some form of relationship rights to gay couples" (p. 189). Finally, he reflects on the kind of society in which all of us would like to live. He develops a picture of a welcoming, deliberative democracy "in which all citizens -- those with religious convictions as well as those who spurn religion -- participate as equals" (p. 220).
Johnson concludes that the Bible teaches that sexuality should be ordered within a committed, covenantal framework. Affirming that gay and lesbian couples can flourish within that framework "is not a violation of long-standing moral and religious convictions but a deepening of them" (p. 226). In addition, he points to formidable constitutional arguments that would allow people of the same gender to enjoy the rights and privileges of marriage.
This book rewards thoughtful and patient reading. The language is clear even though the concepts are often complex. An extensive bibliography and table of legal cases plus seventy-four pages of notes conclude the work. Johnson's work will become a principal resource for people genuinely seeking an understanding of the present, often confusing, debates over same-gender relationships.
