Customer Reviews

A Time to Embrace: Same-Gender Relationships in Religion, Law, and Politics

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

Theologian William Stacy Johnson is a compassionate and committed Christian whose argument for legitimation and consecration of gay and lesbian unions is not only creative and convincing. It is based on thoughtful, careful and extensive research encompassing every aspect of society from Scripture to social and political activity. Johnson sets the stage for his reader by drawing on past cultural trends to demonstrate that opposition to gay unions rests on a fragile religious and political basis. He presents various positions on this subject while providing the reader with compelling logical arguments concerning the pros and cons of each of these positions.

In discussion of what the Bible does and does not say about same gender commitments,Johnson quotes pivotal biblical passages and creatively advances his argument. "Learning the reason for an ancient rule helps us reformulate what that rule might mean in a new day with a new set of moral issues."

And as it concerns the Law, Johnson is equally as competent, creative and convincing. In addition to the author's expertise, because of the way in which it combines religion, law and politics, this book is certain to become a definitive work dealing with a most controversial topic of our time.

carolyn h. manosevitz, mfa
visiting lecturer, Austin Presbyterian T heological sSeminary/ Wesley Theological Seminary

I teach at a Christian university which takes an official position that marriage is only between a man and a woman. All in our university community do not agree with that position, and debate continues.



This book fleshes out all the different positions that are taken within the Christian community. Johnson, as a Princeton Theological seminary professor, takes seriously the biblical passages cited against homosexual relationships and provides thoughtful exegesis of those passages, concluding that they cannot be used to oppose homosexual relationships.



Drawing upon his background as a lawyer, he then analyzes the legal basis for same-sex marriage, and ends with a thought-provoking discussion of what it means to live in a "welcoming democracy", drawing upon the work of political scientist Amy Guttman (president of the University of Pennsylvania) and Harvard philosophy professor, Dennis Thompson, who have written about deliberative democracy.



Christians who swear by Robert Gagnon's The Bible and Homosexual Practice should balance it with Johnson's book. Although Johnson's exegesis of the biblical passages is not necessarily new, the connection of it with a discussion of what it means to live in a democracy is unique.



The selected bibliography is extensive and the footnotes are extremely detailed.

It's clear that the place of lesbian and gay persons in church and society is one of the hottest topics of our time - stories appear in the news practically every day on one or another aspect of the controversy. It's not clear that most folks who express opinions have reached their position after careful consideration of the facts about sexual orientation, what the Bible really says (as opposed to what they've heard or assumed), and the realities of the lives of gay and lesbian persons and their families.

William Stacy Johnson does nuance! As opposed to the common assumption that there are two faith-based positions on homosexuality - for or against - he identifies and sympathetically explores seven basic positions held by religious people, locating each within the theological concepts of creation, reconciliation, and redemption. (Of course, individuals may hold perspectives from more than one of the seven.)

A lawyer as well as a theologian, Johnson also discusses the civil rights of individuals and same-sex couples in law and politics. People who are familiar with biblical teaching will learn more, and be exposed to thinking in the civil sphere; those more versed in secular matters will learn more, and be exposed to the ins and outs of the religious discussion.

Shall we move toward the inclusion of committed same-sex relationships within the institution of marriage? If you want to be faithful both to biblical and to fundamental American principles, read this book and come to your own conclusions!

As a pastor who currently has 47 books in my library on sexual ethics, sexuality, and the like (yep, I counted them!), this book will now be the one that I will recommend to others who are interested in a thorough, theologically sound and accessible study of the various issues that arise when we discuss same-gender relationships.

The first reason is that it passes the "fairness" test. William Stacy Johnson examines critically all of the various ways that people of faith might approach homosexuality. We tend to think in bi-polar ways about gays and lesbians...either we are for or against ordination; or we see it as an abomination or celebration; yet Professor Johnson examines seven different possible viewpoints, and he is fair to all of them. Though he makes a very effective case for his stance, (one which I have come to agree with after a lifetime of questioning, changing, and hopefully growing) he views all of them critically, pointing out the biblical and theological basis for each, but opens each one up to thoughtful critiques.

The second uniqueness to this book, and another reason why it is so valuable, is that it contains not only the religious aspects of same-gender relationships, but also puts forth in a very clear manner the legal and political implications that the judiciary and legislative branches of government have established, including the very latest in court cases. As a non-legal type, I found Dr. Johnson's analysis quite helpful. (He is uniquely qualified to write on both aspects, as a lawyer and seminary professor.)

Finally, I found this book accessible to those who are genuinely interested in discerning where the church might be led in these issues. This is a book written for the religious and the legal community. Academia will certainly profit from it; but the author's style and skill in writing is a particular gift to the church.

I feel that this book is destined to be a classic. I see it being used in the foreseeable future as a foundation upon which to begin an honest search for meaning and purpose in these areas for anyone whose faith is grounded in grace. It is not for the close-minded on any particular side, but is for all of those who seek to combine head and heart in the journey to a deeper faith in which we are to love God and love one another, all the while forming a more beloved community.

From my vantage point, as a Ph.D. in Church History and on the farthest heterosexual side of Kinsey's spectrum, I regard Johnson's book as far and away the best book yet on the subject. As the sub-title says, he deals with homosexuality from the sides of religion, law, and politics--as a respected theologian on a top-notch theological seminary faculty and also with a degree in law.
He rightly gives most space to the opening section of religion, since here is, and always has been, where the most controversy has been. Respected biblical scholars have always said we must deal with puzzling passages in the context of the rest of the Bible--and yet, with that approach--have wound up on opposite conclusions. Where Johnson outshines all others is that he also studies the much-used biblical texts in the wider context of the cultural surroundings of the biblical authors--their Sitz im Leben. This is especially where he differs so critically from the widely-read work of Gagnon--and accordingly comes out on the opposite side.
The book's succeeding sections on law and politics are equally thoroughly handled, though at less length.
Granted, I had already moved, slowly through decades of study, to come out on Johnson's side of affirmation--although as a very hetero youth I hated the very thought of homosexuality, since I had been molested by a homosexual teacher. But as a church historian I have written a short treatise surveying twelve highly controversial issues through twenty centuries of church history in which the Christian church has changed its mind, showing that the trajectory indicates that homosexuality is the thirteenth big issue on which the Church is now in process of changing its mind. The wheels of church history change slowly--but they do change!
Johnson's book should add to and hasten this sorely-needed change.

Stacy Johnson is a good man and a deep thinker; the church is indebted to him for this book. He avoids polemic on either side of his discussion of the issues of homosexuality in the church.

Stacy's first career was as an attorney, and his closely reasoned examination of the biblical imperatives surrounding these issues speaks to his capacitiy for logical and disciplined research and reasoning.

This book is a gift to all of us who would rather focus on what unites us in the church (Christ's sacrifice for us, the Biblical mandate to feed the hungry, comfort the grieving, bind up wounds and work for justice) than what divides us.

I puzzle over all those who think that this is the one, central issue on which our salvation hinges. Perhaps Stacy's voice can be one that helps the church move beyond these issues to the central call of the Gospel: To Love God with all that we are, and our neighbors as ourselves.

In the grace of God may it be so.

As a layperson in a church that is struggling with this issue, I started reading this book to get a better idea of the concerns. What I discovered from Mr. Johnson was that the 'issue' is broader in scope and deeper in meaning than most people realize. As a heterosoxual woman, it's easy to believe that this is not my concern...as a Christian in a church that considers itself to be 'open and welcoming', I will make sure that everyone who crosses my path knows how important this book is. Any religious leader who is considering the many layers of questions in dealing with the GLBT population should be required to read this book first.
Mr. Johnson looks at same-gender adult attraction from theological, political and legal viewpoints. In all three, he is spot-on in his evaluations and perceptions. His common-sense approach to such a politically charged and legally tangled issue is much better than anything else I've read on the same or similar subjects.

While I have read other books making a case for Gay/Lesbian marriage, this was the first that really convinced me. Facing head on many if not all of the Scriptural passages used by opponents of homosexuality to condemn it, the author helps the reader see these passages in a new light amd argues from the whole thrust of the Bible that it should be acceptable and even blessed. He then goes on to point out the severe legal penalties same sex couples face when denied the right to marry and argues for allowing it.

This is the most scholarly and well researched book on the topic of same gender relationships that I have ever read.