Biblical Interpretation

All in God's Family: Creating Allies for Our LGBT Families

All in God's Family: Creating Allies for Our LGBT Families

Giving you opportunities to gather with other members of your congregation to pray, to learn, to share, and to work together to transform your lives, your congregation, and your world into a loving place in which God's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender families can thrive.

AVAILABLE NOW!

Inclusive Bible Translations
The Inclusive Bible

Priests for Equality, The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Translation, [Plymouth, UK: Sheed & Ward/Rowman & Littlefield, 2007; 799 pp., ISBN-13: 978-1-58051-214-5].

While this new Bible is certainly an inclusive-language translation, it is much more: it is a re-imagining of the scriptures and our relationship to them. Not merely replacing male pronouns, the translators have rethought what kind of language has built barriers between the text and its readers. Seeking to be faithful to the original languages, they have sought new and non-sexist ways to express the same ancient truths. The Inclusive Bible is a fresh, dynamic translation into modern English, carefully crafted to let the power and poetry of the language shine forth - particularly when read aloud - giving it an immediacy and intimacy rarely found in traditional translations of the Bible. Priests for Equality is a movement of women and men throughout the world - laity, religious and clergy - who work for the full participation of women and men in church and society. A project of the Quixote Center in Brentwood, Maryland, Priests for Equality is a grass-roots organization committed to creating a culture where sexism and exclusion are left behind and equality and full participation are the order of the day.

These translations...are as poetic as they are inclusive, as lyrical as they are faithful. - WATERwheel

 print Bess Howard H. Pastor, I Am Gay pastorimgay.jpg Palmer, Alaska Palmer Publishing Company 1995 221 pp. 0964412306 Pastor, I Am Gay is written from the perspective of an every day working pastor. Bible scholars, theologians, sociologists, anthropologists, psychologists and politicians have filled our book shelves with books about gay persons and their place in society and church. Pastor, I am Gay is unique and stands alone. Pastor Howard Bess remembers very well that he has been given the ministry of reconciliation and has been denied the option of condemnation or rejection. The story-telling style of the book makes for good reading. The reader meets a great array of real life people with whom Pastor Bess worked, once the first parishioner came to him and simply said “Pastor, I am gay.” The book becomes a guide for church folk, who are looking for answers that are Biblical, thoughtful and compassionate. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0964412306/qid=1132164289/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&s=books _blank print Bettendorf Craig A Biblical Defense Guide for Gays, Lesbians and Those Who Love Them biblicaldefense.jpg Victoria, BC Trafford Publishing 2006 102 pp. 1412068258 Oftentimes cultural prohibitions thrive unchecked by the general populace eventually entering the world of "known understanding". "It is this way because it has always been this way" becomes the reflexive response to change for the dominant culture. This was certainly the case while institutional approval of human slavery existed. It was also the case when Women sought to exert their independence grasping for equality in a male-dominated world. Throughout the past three decades, members of the Gay and Lesbian community have sought freedom from hate as well as religious and societal tolerance gaining some small degree of success. A Biblical Defense Guide was researched and ultimately authored to be used as a tool for mutual understanding. Those who seek a clear understanding of the societal prohibition and oppression of cultural minorities will be well served in seeking answers outside of the known cultural understanding of "It is this way because it has always been this way". A Biblical Defense Guide will offer interesting insights to all those who seek to understand the historical, cultural, and societal prohibitions that are at work in the world today. http://www.amazon.com/Biblical-Defense-Guide-Lesbians-Those/dp/1412068258/sr=8-1/qid=1160075374/ref=sr_1_1/102-6697786-2234544?ie=UTF8&s=books _blank print Borg Marcus Reading the Bible Again For the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously But Not Literally Reprint readingthebible.jpg San Francisco HarperSanFrancisco 2002 336 pp. 0060609192 One of the vital challenges facing thoughtful people today is how to read the Bible faithfully without abandoning our sense of truth and history. Reading the Bible Again for the First Time provides a much-needed solution to the problem of how to have a fully authentic yet contemporary understanding of the scriptures. Many mistakenly believe there are no choices other than fundamentalism or simply rejecting the Bible as something that can bring meaning to our lives. Answering this modern dilemma, acclaimed author Marcus Borg reveals how it is possible to reconcile the Bible with both a scientific and critical way of thinking and our deepest spiritual needs, leading to a contemporary yet grounded experience of the sacred texts. http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060609192 _blank print Brawley Robert L. editor Biblical Ethics & Homosexuality: Listening to Scripture biblicalethics.gif Louisville Westminster John Knox Press 1996 162 pp. 0664256384 What are the most important texts for modern Christians to read in order to arrive at responsible decisions regarding the ethics of human sexual behavior? How should the Bible be used in this enterprise? How should those texts be translated for today's reader? Contributors to this book, all notable biblical scholars, confront these questions as they deal with issues surrounding the ethics of sexual behavior, in general, and the divisive issue of gay/lesbian ordination, in particular. They provide an amazing amount of information about biblical ideas of sexuality as they put forth a deeper understanding of the Bible, its intentions, and its variety. https://www.ppcbooks.com/Details.asp?BookID=0664256384 _blank print Countryman L. William Dirt, Greed and Sex: Sexual Ethics in the New Testament and Their Implications for Today WCDirtGreed.jpg Minneapolis Augsburg Fortress Press 1990 290 pp. 0800624769 Countryman here reassesses some familiar and significant texts of the New Testament, texts which are the keys to understanding its ethics of sex; all these texts involve the principles of purity and property. He proceeds to reevaluate these texts themselves, in the tradition of biblical theology, and thereby to clarify the foundations of theological-ethical discourse in the New Testament itself. This procedure requires Countryman to concentrate on the ways in which the New Testament authors, in their ancient Jewish context, responded to and developed the themes of sexual ethics that we find witnessed in the Scriptures of Israel. The book includes footnotes, bibliography, and an index of cited ancient writings. http://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/item.asp?clsid=125730&isbn=0800624769 _blank print Edwards George R. Gay/Lesbian Liberation: A Biblical Perspective Cleveland Pilgrim Press 1984 153 pp. 082980725X http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/082980725X/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance _blank print Frontain Raymond-Jean editor Reclaiming the Sacred: The Bible in Gay and Lesbian Culture 2nd reclaiming.jpg Binghamton, NY Harrington Park Press 2003 282 pp. 1560233540 The second edition of Reclaiming the Sacred continues the groundbreaking work of the original, exploring the territory between gay/lesbian studies, literary criticism, and religious studies. This much-anticipated follow-up examines the appropriation and/or subversion of the authority of the Judeo-Christian Bible by gay and lesbian writers. The book highlights two prevalent trends in gay and lesbian literature-a transgressive approach that challenges the authority of the Bible when used as an instrument of oppression, and an appropriative technique that explores how the Bible contributes to defining gay and lesbian spirituality. http://www.haworthpress.com/store/product.asp?sid=CVTD119991HP8LX1DQ4GN7Q9NEUSATN0&sku=4699&AuthType=4 _blank print Gomes Peter J. editors The Good Book: Reading the Bible with Mind and Heart GomesGoodBk.jpg San Francisco HarperSanFrancisco 2002 400 pp. 0060088303 Why is the Bible so often used as a tool for division and exclusion? And why are so many intelligent and compassionate people embarrassed to say they find wisdom and comfort in the Bible? In this groundbreaking book, the man Time magazine called one of the seven best preachers in America provides answers to these questions and shows what the Bible says about topics that concern us all, including joy, suffering, evil, and goodness. With compassion, humor, and insight, he gives readers the tools and understanding they need to make the ancient wisdom of the Bible a dynamic part of their modern lives. http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060088303 _blank print Goss Robert E. Mona West editors Take Back the Word: A Queer Reading of the Bible Cleveland Pilgrim Press 2000 239 pp. 0829813977 “Perhaps the most revolutionary contribution of this volume is in its presentation of new and resistant practices of reading the Bible that challenge some of the prevailing "authorized" patterns of reading that allow the Bible to "clobber" oppressed people… If lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgendered, and seeking people are to take back this word for themselves, they must take it back in a new way.” - from the forward by Mary Ann Tolbert http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0829813977/qid=1133898642/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-2047862-5702422?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Helminiak Daniel A. John Shelby Spong What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality whatbiblereallysays.jpg San Antonio, TX Alamo Square Press 2000 148 pp. 1-886360-09-X Top scholars-like John Boswell, Daniel Boyarin, Bernadette Brooten, L. William Countryman, Victor P. Furnish, Saul M. Olyan and Robin Scroggs-show that those who perceive Bible passages as condemning homosexuality are being misled by faulty translation and poor interpretation. Helminiak, respected theologian and Roman Catholic priest, explains in a clear fashion the fascinating new insights of these scholars. The Bible has been used to justify slavery, inquisitions, apartheid and the subjugation of women. Now read what the Bible really says about homosexuality.

Also available in Spanish: Lo que la Biblia realmente dice sobre la homosexualidad. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/188636009X/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance _blank print Jennings Theodore W., Jr. The Man Jesus Loved: Homoerotic Narratives from the New Testament manjesusloved.jpg Cleveland Pilgrim Press 2003 246 pp. 0-8298-1535-X In The Man Jesus Loved, Jennings proposes a gay affirmative reading of the Bible in the hope of respecting the integrity of these texts and making them more clear as well as more persuasive. This reading suggests that the exclusion of persons on the basis of their sexual orientation or same-sex practices fundamentally distorts the Bible generally and the traditions concerning Jesus in particular. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/082981535X/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance _blank print Kader Samuel Openly Gay, Openly Christian: How the Bible Really Is Gay Friendly openlygay.jpg San Francisco Leyland Publications 1999 192 pp. 0943595789 In this well-researched and carefully phrased study, he challenges homophobic readings of the Bible and uses his knowledge of scripture to show the Bible as "gay-friendly." He also uses his experiences to show the results of homophobia within the church and the questionable value of "ex-gay" ministries. This is one of the best books of its kind! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0943595789/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance _blank print Nissinen Martti Homoeroticism in the Biblical World: A Historical Perspective Minneapolis Augsburg Fortress Press 1998 208 pp. 080062985X Nissinen's award-winning book surveys attitudes in the ancient world toward homoeroticism, that is, erotic same-sex relations. Focusing on the Bible and its cultural environment - Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Israel - Nissinen concisely and readably introduces the relevant sources and their historical contexts in a readable way. Homoeroticism is examined as a part of gender identity, i.e., the interplay of sexual orientation, gender identification, gender roles, and sexual practice. In the patriarchal cultures of the biblical world, Nissinen shows, homoerotic practices were regarded as a role construction between the active and passive partners rather than as expressions of an orientation moderns call "homosexuality." Nissinen shows how this applies to the limited acceptance of homoerotic relationships in Greek and Roman culture, as well as to Israel's and the early church's condemnation of any same-sex erotic activity. http://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/item.asp?clsid=112209&=0800636457 _blank print Rogers Jack Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church Revised and Expanded jesusthebible2.jpg Louisville Westminster John Knox Press 2009 208 pp. 066423397X In this revised and expanded best seller, Rogers argues for equal rights in both the church and society for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered people. He describes how he moved away from opposition to that support, charts the church’s history of using biblical passages to oppress marginalized groups, argues for a Christ-centered reading of Scripture, debunks stereotypes about gays and lesbians, and explores texts used most frequently against homosexuals and gay ordination. In this newly revised edition, he maps the recent progress of major U.S. denominations toward full equality for LGBT persons, adds a new chapter that examines how Scripture is best interpreted by Jesus’ redemptive life and ministry, and updates his own efforts and experiences. The book also includes a guide for group study or personal reflection. Jack Rogers is Professor of Theology Emeritus at San Francisco Theological Seminary and Moderator of the 213th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Bible-Homosexuality-Revised-Expanded/dp/066423397X _blank print Scroggs Robin The New Testament and Homosexuality: Contextual Background for Contemporary Debate ScroggsNTH.jpg Minneapolis Augsburg Fortress Press 1983 158 pp. 0800618548 Just what is a proper use of the Bible, especially the New Testament, in Christian debates about acceptance of homosexuals? In addition to bringing clarity and honesty to issues of the relevance of the Bible, this work brings a little more light and a little less heat to the discussion, a little more acceptance of all persons on the "other side," and maybe even an awareness that in Christ there is really no "other side" at all. http://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/item.asp?ISBN=0800618548&CLSID=111282&PRODUCTGROUPID=-1 _blank print Smith Ted A. editor Frequently Asked Questions about Sexuality, the Bible, and the Church: Plain Talk about Tough Issues faqs.jpg San Francisco Covenant Network of Presbyterians 2006 Twenty-six scholars from nineteen seminaries and colleges offer short, accessible essays to inform discussion about the appropriate participation of gay and lesbian Presbyterians in church life and leadership. Intended for lay readers, the essays address core biblical and theological questions with clear thinking, lively faith, and deep concern for the church. http://covenantnetwork.org/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CNOP&Product_Code=pfaq-single&Category_Code=P _blank print Spong John Shelby The Sins of Scripture: Uncovering the God of Love Beneath the Bible's Texts of Terror San Francisco HarperSanFrancisco 2005 315 pp. 0-06-076205-5 The Bible contains many passages that believers and nonbelievers alike would reject as appalling theology. Whether these texts are used to discriminate, oppress, or condemn, they distort the truth of Christianity and the love of God. Now, legendary Episcopal bishop and advocate for liberal Christianity John Shelby Spong addresses these passages, shattering our misconceptions and delivering a new vision of how Christians can use the Bible today. http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060762055 _blank print Spong John S. Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism: A Bishop Rethinks the Meaning of Scripture JSSpongResc.jpg San Francisco HarperSanFrancisco 1991 267 pp. 0060675187 In this provocative best-seller, the out-spoken and controversial Bishop Spong reveals how literal interpretations of Scripture have been used to justify slavery, ban textbooks, deny the rights of gays and lesbians, subordinate women, and justify war and revenge. Spong combines current biblical scholarship, modern science, and most of all, his deep love and respect for Scripture, to lift the Bible out of the prejudices and cultural biases of bygone eras. Eloquent, forthright, and compassionate, Spong liberates the Bible's message of hope for all people. http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060675187 _blank print Stone Kenneth Practicing Safer Texts: Food, Sex and Bible in Queer Perspective practicingsafer.gif New York Sheffield 2005 176 pp. 0567081729 This book uses the ubiquitous comparison between food and sex as a framework for examining a number of texts from the Hebrew Bible, as well as later readings of those texts and interpretive issues raised by the texts. A range of biblical texts in which both food and sex appear are analyzed in an interdisciplinary fashion with the help of both traditional tools of biblical scholarship and less traditional tools such as Queer studies and cultural anthropology. By utilizing a reading lens that relates food and sex to one another intentionally, rather than treating them separately, the book will among other things question the tendency of readers of the Bible to overstress the gravity of sexual matters in relation to other matters of potential ethical, theological, exegetical and cultural concern, such as food. At the same time, as the title Practicing Safer Texts indicates, the book also proposes a pragmatic approach to biblical interpretation that uses strategies of "safer sex" as a sort of loose model. Such an approach assesses texts and readings of the Bible not in a universalizing fashion but rather in terms of their likely effects, for good or ill, on particular readers in particular contexts and situations (just as notions of "safer sex" ask us to assess sexual acts not in a moralizing fashion but, rather, in terms of their likely effects on particular persons). http://www.continuumbooks.com/Books/detail.aspx?ReturnURL=/Search/default.aspx&CountryID=2&ImprintID=2&BookID=119246 _blank print Stone Kenneth Queer Commentary and the Hebrew Bible queercomm.jpg New York Sheffield 2001 256 pp. 184127237X Essays exploring and explaining how 'queer' reading makes a difference to biblical exegesis. As with feminism, theoretical questions arise such as whether such readings are characterized by certain questions or can only legitimately be done by gay or lesbian readers. The contributors are drawn from a range of backgrounds and a variety of interests-Jewish, Christian, agnostic, male, female, heterosexual, gay and lesbian-and mostly concentrate on individual passages and books. But the volume also contains some theoretical reflections, and it ends with three critical responses from scholars with interdisciplinary interests on the place of queer reading of the Bible in broader contexts. A book for anyone interested in contemporary issues of bible interpretation or in queer theory generally. http://www.continuumbooks.com/Books/detail.aspx?ReturnURL=/Search/default.aspx&CountryID=2&ImprintID=2&BookID=116875 _blank print Sundby E. T. Calling the Rainbow Nation Home: A Story of Acceptance and Affirmation rainbownation.jpg Lincoln, Nebraska iUniverse, Inc 2005 216 pp. 0595336299 Calling the Rainbow Nation Home profiles one woman's spiritual journey to acceptance and affirmation and helps gay Christians around the world find strength and assurance in their own spiritual pilgrimages. The book is a mixture of personal journey and Biblical study, dealing of the key issues gay and lesbian Christians face when coming to terms with their sexual orientation. Issues such as; am I saved (salvation), is homosexuality a sin, and should I be celibate, are explored. The book includes a simple to read, but in-depth review of the "clobber" passages some use against homosexuals. In addition, the role the Holy Spirit played in this journey of truth and discovery are discussed thoroughly. The book finishes by looking at the similarity between what the Gentiles faced 2,000 years ago and what gays and lesbians are going through today. The book is easy to read using stories and personal experiences to illustrate important ideas. Every point is solidly backed and supported by Scripture. http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?isbn=0-595-33629-9 _blank print Truluck Rembert Steps to Recovery From Bible Abuse bibleabuse.jpg Gaithersberg, MD Chi Rho Press 2000 551 pp. 1-888493-16-x Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse contains information and encouragement to equip gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people and all others who have been abused and oppressed by religion to learn the truth and to rejoice and grow in their God-given worth as individuals. http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevStepsToRecovery.html _blank print Wilson Nancy L. Our Tribe: Queer Folks, God, Jesus, and the Bible New York HarperCollins 1995 292 pp. 0060693967 Wilson, moderator of the GLBT-oriented Metropolitan Community Church, exudes pithy humor and hard-nosed boldness. With this wide-ranging mixture of anecdotal autobiography and piercing deconstruction of passages in the Old and New Testaments that buttress homophobia (she calls them "texts of terror"), she charges into the next millennium filled with sharp criticism for the determined insistence of Catholics, mainline Protestants and evangelical fundamentalists that "queer" believers be kept at arm's length (or even farther) from the reconciling embrace Jesus taught. Herself a savvy survivor of the MCC's struggle to gain admission to the National Council of Churches, Wilson recalls an NCC official's 1992 statement about homosexuality as "the most divisive issue in the church since slavery," and finds that it remains true in 1995. Still, she finds hope in the fact that the church's almost monolithic resistance may be beginning to crack from the critical mass of books by such pro-gay religious apostles as John Shelby Spong, Virginia Ramey Mollenkott and John Boswell, and in the burgeoning Christian commitment of many gays and lesbians themselves. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060693967/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&sv=glance _blank online White Rev. Mel editors What the Bible Says - and Doesn't Say - About Homosexuality By Rev. Mel White http://www.soulforce.org/article/homosexuality-bible-gay-christian _blank online Articles of Faith: Biblical Values for American Families (May 16, 2005) ngltf051605.htm _self online editors The Bible, Christianity, and Homosexuality http://www.truthsetsfree.net/ _blank online editors Homosexuality and the Bible (verse by verse analysis) http://www.ambs.edu/LJohns/Homosexuality.htm _blank online Wink Dr. Walter editors Homosexuality and the Bible by Dr. Walter Wink http://www.bridges-across.org/ba/wink.htm _blank online editors Reconsidering Homosexuality and the Bible http://glsengreensboro.org/jonathan_walker.htm _blank online editors What about the Bible? Homosexuality and Scripture http://glsengreensboro.org/julie_peeples.htm _blank online editors Homosexuality and Scripture http://www.apostolicrestorationmission.4t.com/id27.htm _blank online editors The Bible is an Empty Closet: Rethinking the Clobber Passages http://www.ecinc.org/Scriptures/clbrpg.htm _blank online editors Homosexuality and the Bible http://epistle.us/homobible.html _blank online editors Out In Scripture - An Honest Encounter Between Our Lives and the Bible Whether you're a minister who has felt called to preach sermons faithful to the Bible and the authentic lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, or you're looking for a devotional resource that will deepen your spiritual practice and honor GLBT lives, you'll want to get this resource. Guided by the Revised Common Lectionary, a listing of Bible passages for the church year, Out In Scripture features thoughtful commentaries written and reviewed by some of the most respected scholars from around the country and across the variety of Christian denominations. http://www.hrc.org/scripture _blank online editors Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse http://www.truluck.com/ _blank online editors The Bible and Homosexuality (highlights) http://www.truluck.com/html/the_bible_and_homosexuality.html _blank online editors The Bible, Christianity and Homosexuality http://members.aol.com/gunnyding/christ.htm _blank online editors What the Bible says about Homosexuality http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_bibl.htm _blank online editors More Light Presbyterian Resource List on Biblical Interpretation http://www.mlp.org/resources/bible.html _blank online editors UFMCC Resources on the Bible http://www.mccchurch.org/bible.htm _blank online editors Welcoming and Affirming Churches Resource List for Bible Study http://www.wabaptists.org/bible.htm _blank online editors Other Sheep Resources on Scripture http://www.othersheep.org/texts.html _blank online Cannon Justin R. editors The Bible, Christianity, & Homosexuality Bible study by Justin R. Cannon http://www.truthsetsfree.net/study.html _blank online Palmer Timothy Rev. Debra W. Haffner Time to Seek: Study Guide on Sexual and Gender Diversity Norwalk, CT The Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice and Healing 2007 48 A concise review of current sociological, public health and scientific data regarding sexual orientation and gender. It also considers key Scriptural passages in light of contemporary understandings of sexual and gender diversity.

A Time to Seek summarizes the scientific research into the origins of sexual orientation and gender identity, and provides a glossary of relevant terminology. The study guide also provides data on the prevalence of sexual and gender diversity, demographics on same-sex couples and their families, and the status of marriage equality in the U.S. It also explores the psychological and social challenges faced by LGBT persons, particularly youth, and their families. pdf http://www.religiousinstitute.org/documents/TimetoSeekFinal.pdf _blank print Scanzoni Letha Virginia Ramey Mollenkott Is the Homosexual My Neighbor? Another Christian View revised San Francisco HarperSanFrancisco 1994 256 pp. 0060670789 This classic work was seminal in prodding Christians to re-examine their traditional prejudice and rejection of gay and lesbian people; examines social stigma, Biblical issues, science and homophobia. http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060670789 _blank multimedia Karslake Daniel For the Bible Tells Me So forthebibletellsmeso.jpg First Run Features 2007 97 min Can the love between two people ever be an abomination? Is the chasm separating gays and lesbians and Christianity too wide to cross? Is the Bible an excuse to hate?

Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival, Dan Karslake's provocative, entertaining documentary brilliantly reconciles homosexuality and Biblical scripture, and in the process reveals that Church-sanctioned anti-gay bias is based almost solely upon a significant (and often malicious) misinterpretation of the Bible. As the film notes, most Christians live their lives today without feeling obliged to kill anyone who works on the Sabbath or eats shrimp (as a literal reading of scripture dictates).

Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families -- including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson -- we discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard's Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity.

Now available on DVD! Purchase at 25% off through the Human Rights Campaign's Religion and Faith Program

The much anticipated For the Bible Tells Me So: A Study Guide and Advocacy Training Curriculum by Rev. Chris Glaser is now available through HRC's Religion and Faith Program online and free of charge.

 DVD http://forthebibletellsmeso.org _blank print Priests for Equality The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Translation inclusivebible.jpg Plymouth, UK Sheed & Ward/Rowman & Littlefield 2007 799 pp. 978-1-58051-214-5

While this new Bible is certainly an inclusive-language translation, it is much more: it is a re-imagining of the scriptures and our relationship to them. Not merely replacing male pronouns, the translators have rethought what kind of language has built barriers between the text and its readers. Seeking to be faithful to the original languages, they have sought new and non-sexist ways to express the same ancient truths. The Inclusive Bible is a fresh, dynamic translation into modern English, carefully crafted to let the power and poetry of the language shine forth - particularly when read aloud - giving it an immediacy and intimacy rarely found in traditional translations of the Bible. Priests for Equality is a movement of women and men throughout the world - laity, religious and clergy - who work for the full participation of women and men in church and society. A project of the Quixote Center in Brentwood, Maryland, Priests for Equality is a grass-roots organization committed to creating a culture where sexism and exclusion are left behind and equality and full participation are the order of the day.

These translations...are as poetic as they are inclusive, as lyrical as they are faithful. - WATERwheel

 http://www.rowmanlittlefield.com/Catalog/SingleBook.shtml?command=Search&db=^DB/CATALOG.db&eqSKUdata=1580512143 _blank print Miner Jeff John Tyler Connoley The Children Are Free: Reexamining the Biblical Evidence on Same-Sex Relationships childrenarefree.jpg Indianapolis Jesus Metropolitan Community Church 2002 112 pp. 0971929602 “Can two people of the same sex live in committed, loving relationship with the blessing of God?” That's the question The Children Are Free brings to Scripture. This book is a comprehensive yet easy-to-read examination of the biblical evidence regarding loving same-sex relationships and God's attitude toward them. This book speaks the language of conservatives while thoughtfully weighing the Biblical evidence in favor of welcoming lgbt people. http://jesusmcc.org/resource/free.html _blank multimedia Hospitality Plus Committee editors Testimony Time: A Positive Perspective on Homosexuality testimonytime.gif Gethsemene Lutheran Church

Join Pastor Lowell O. Erdahl as he presents "Testimony Time! Sharing My Present Convictions Concerning a Positive Perspective on Homosexuality." Rev. Erdahl has been a strong advocate for LGBT people and their families for many years, and he brings his years of experience to this video. Also included is an introduction by Pastor Anita Hill of St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church (St. Paul, Minnesota). Great for congregational adult forums. Rev. Erdahl is Bishop Emeritus of the St. Paul Area Synod of the ELCA, having also served 20 years as a parish pastor and 5 years on the faculty of Luther Seminary. He also is the author and co-author of several books on love, marriage, and relationships, including Sexual Fulfillment for Single and Married, Straight and Gay, Young and Old (with Rev. Herb Chilstrom).

 DVD http://infox.lcna.org/ _blank online editors Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentary on the Hebrew Bible Welcome to Torah Queeries, offering creative and incisive "queer" takes on the weekly Torah portion or Jewish holiday since spring 2006. Read this week's essay, browse the archives, or check back each week for a new essay, brought to you by some of the Jewish world's most dynamic scholars, rabbis, activists and lay leaders. http://www.jewishmosaic.org/torah/show_torah _blank multimedia United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries editors The Bible and Human Sexuality: A Theological Journey through Covenant and Scripture bibleandsexuality.jpg Cleveland United Church of Christ 2011 Designed to create a safe environment to discuss how the Bible addresses the issues of sexuality. The richness of Scripture fills our lives, challenges us and makes us whole. Today, not only in the United Church of Christ but across this land, some of the critical issues of our day revolve around human sexuality; and before we take our stand on this issue, before we fall into the trap of erroneous preconceived notions that so often devastate and continue to impact our communities, we need to know our sources. In September 2005 the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries invited African American UCC Pastors from across the Church to gather in conversation about how we view human sexuality in our communities. The DVD you will see is the pastor’s meeting with approximately 150 in attendance. DVD and Study Guide http://www.ucc.org/justice/advocacy_resources/pdfs/human-sexuality/The-Bible-and-Human-Sexuality-Flyer-NEW.pdf _blank print Michaelson Jay God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality GodvsGay.jpg Boston Beacon Press 2011 232 pages 978-080700159-2 The myth that the Bible forbids homosexuality—the myth of “God versus Gay”—is behind some of the most divisive and painful conflicts of our day. In this provocative, passionately argued, and game-changing book, scholar and activist Jay Michaelson shows that not only does the Bible not prohibit same-sex intimacy, but the vast majority of its teachings support the full equality and dignity of gay and lesbian people, from the first flaw it finds in creation (“It is not good for a person to be alone”) to the way religious communities grow through reflection and conscience. In short, Michaelson observes, religious people should support equality for gays and lesbians—not despite their religion, but because of it.

With close readings of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, the latest data on the science of sexual orientation, and a sympathetic, accessible, and ecumenical approach to religious faith, Michaelson makes the case that sexual diversity is part of the beauty of nature and that the recognition of same-sex families will strengthen, not threaten, the values religious people hold dear. This is an important book for anyone who has wrestled with questions of religion and homosexuality: parents and pastors, believers and skeptics, advocates of “gay rights” and opponents of them. Whatever your views on religion and sexual diversity, God vs. Gay is a plea for a more compassionate, informed conversation—and a first step toward creating one. http://www.beacon.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=2222 _blank print Address Richard F Joel L. Kushner, and Geoffrey Mitelman editors Kulanu: All of Us: A Program and Resource Guide for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Inclusion Revised and Expanded kulanu.jpg New York URJ Press 2007 388 pages 978-0-8074-0612-0 In the years since the original Kulanu was published, there has been great progress in the way the Jewish community in general and the synagogue community in particular have welcomed gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Jews. It is to the credit of the Reform Movement, its congregations, clergy, and leaders that this not always quiet revolution has emerged. The revised and expanded edition of Kulanu reflects much of the change that has taken place. It includes personal reflections, insightful essays, blessings and texts, Reform resolutions and responsa, three classroom lessons, an extensive bibliography and glossary, and much more, much like the original Kulanu did ten years ago, this edition will help pave the way for GLBT inclusion in our synagogue community for years to come. http://urjbooksandmusic.com/product.php?productid=971&cat=0&page=1 _blank