Free Pastoral Paper: A Biblical Conversation About Transgender Identities
The following is a preview of our 12th Pastoral Paper, available now as a free download from the Center. This paper has a narrow aim: to understand what the Bible says about the categories of male and female as they relate to questions about transgender (and non-binary) identities. I’ve titled the paper a “Biblical Conversation” […]
What Do We Actually Know about Sexual Orientation? Part 2
In the previous post, we saw that measuring sexual orientation is much more complicated than people realize. Sexual orientation is, in the words of Rebecca Jordan-Young, a “great example of a commonsense’ concept that seems fairly transparent, but turns out to be complicated and slippery when you try to pin it down.”[i] We now know […]
What Do We Actually Know about Sexual Orientation? Part 1
The short answer is: a lot less than we think we do. I often hear people use terms like gay, straight, or bisexual as if these categories are neatly defined. Or I’ll hear people say things like, since some people are born gay, then it’s wrong to say they shouldn’t be who they are. […]
A Celibate Lesbian’s Cold Hard Look at Sexual Immorality in the Church
By Bridget Eileen What I’m saying in this post regarding sexual desire is pretty simple, but it’s difficult for people to swallow. I’m saying that sexual fulfillment does not come through a sexual relationship but instead through sublimation to Christ. It’s astonishing to me that this needs to be said, but it does. Christians will accept the […]
Why I Support the Revoice Conference
By Preston Sprinkle There’s been a lot of talk over the last few weeks about the upcoming Revoice conference. Revoice is a conference and community for LGBT+/SSA Christians—Christians who experience same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria—who are committed to a historically Christian sexual ethic. Every person presenting at Revoice believes that marriage is between a man […]
Taking the Family of God Seriously
The following is a guest post by Bridget Eileen, a celibate lesbian who writes about Christian sexuality and LGBT+ issues in the church. Read more about her thoughts on life as a celibate, gay Christian at www.meditationsofatravelingnun.com. Original post can be found here. Re-posted by permission. Celibate gay Christians are frustrated. And not for the reasons you […]
What Pronouns Should Christians Use For Transgender People?
Gregory Coles is on the Collaborative Team for The Center. His academic research on rhetorics of marginality (how language works in society for disadvantaged groups) has appeared in or is forthcoming from College English, Rhetorica, and Cambridge University Press. You can read his whole bio by clicking here. As Christians, what pronouns should we use when we […]
Why Christians Need to Think about Polyamory
By Preston Sprinkle I often get asked, “what’s the next discussion that Christians need to have about sexuality and gender?” My immediate answer is: “polyamory,” though the morality of sex with robots is a close second. Polyamory is often confused with polygamy, but they are actually quite different. For one, polygamy is a type of […]
What is Marriage?
By Preston Sprinkle When Christians dialogue or debate the ethics of same-sex relationships, they typically start by talking about the so-called “prohibition passages” like Leviticus 18:22 or Romans 1:26-27. The discussion usually focuses on whether these passages apply to modern day, consensual, adult marriages. Or some people argue that the biblical writers didn’t know about […]
Partner Spotlight: EQUIP
The following blog is written by Pieter Valk. Pieter is a member of our Collaborative Team, and is the executive director of EQUIP, a Nashville based organization that helps the church to love sexual minorities. We at EQUIP are a team of missionary consultants sent to equip the Church with the understanding and skills to better love […]