Changing Our Mind: Definitive 3rd Edition of the Landmark Call for Inclusion of LGBTQ Christians with Response to Critics

by David P. Gushee

Overview

Changing Our Mind has helped thousands of families and congregations carefully and compassionately rethink traditional religious teachings about full LGBTQ inclusion.

Christian denominations and churches everywhere struggle with the issue of LGBTQ inclusion. With growing scientific evidence, our wider society has taken big steps, but too many religious families and communities have not kept up. As much as ever, many people still experience deep condemnation by evangelical and other churches, getting kicked out or altogether leaving. Dr. David Gushee offers a powerful, inspiring message of hope and healing by helping Christians to return to Bible study, prayer, and reflection in a way that creates a vision for a more inclusive church.

Arguably America's leading Christian ethicist, Gushee has written many helpful books for churches, discussion groups, and individuals. He is the author of the "Evangelical Declaration Against Torture" and drafted the "Evangelical Climate Initiative." His Kingdom Ethics is on pastors' bookshelves nationwide. Now, in what he describes as the most important book of his career as a Christian teacher, Gushee gives us this encouraging discussion on how he changed his mind.

From his own careful Bible study, research, and prayer, Gushee takes us along an conversational theological journey. In one book, he concisely marks out every single component of historic Christian sexual morality. He covers all of the relevant biblical passages and all the theological positions, including the key argument of creation. With a careful study of context and biblical language, he walks us through a principled discussion that is respectful of traditionalists while calling for inclusion and the end of contempt. This definitive third edition also includes Gushee's response to critics and a study guide for small group discussion.

Author Brian McLaren calls Changing Our Mind "deep, thoughtful and brilliant . . . [and] refreshingly clear and understandable." It is an eminently useful handbook for any individual or organization that wants to better contextualize traditional church teachings, which have been and must continue to change.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781942011842
Publisher:	Front Edge Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	05/19/2017
Edition description:	Definitive 3rd Edition of the Landmark Call for Inclusion of LGBTQ Christians with Response to Criti
Pages:	248
Sales rank:	146,745
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

David P. Gushee is the Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics and Director of the Center for Theology and Public Life at Mercer University. Raised in Virginia, he earned his Bachelor of Arts at the College of William and Mary (1984), Master of Divinity at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (1987) and both the Master of Philosophy (1990) and Doctor of Philosophy (1993) in Christian Ethics at Union Theological Seminary in New York. He has taught for twenty years in fulltime and guest capacities and lectured widely in the United States and Canada as well as in Great Britain, Europe, Australia and South America.

Table of Contents

Also David P. Gushee viii

Author Introduction to Third Edition (June 2017) xi

Author Introduction to Second Edition (February 2015) xvii

Foreword Brian D. McLaren xviii

Preface Phyllis Tickle xxi

Introduction Matthew Vines xxiv

Chapter 1 Live From New York 1

Chapter 2 Our Moment: A Church With a Problem 8

Chapter 3 Starting a Conversation 20

Chapter 4 What Exactly Is the Issue? 25

Chapter 5 Change We Can All Support 29

Chapter 6 Gay Christians Exist 34

Chapter 7 Six Options for the Churches 38

Chapter 8 If This Is Where You Get Off the Bus 44

Chapter 9 Biblical Inspiration, Human Interpretation 49

Chapter 10 How Traditionalists Connect the Biblical Dots 55

Chapter 11 The Sins of Sodom (and Gibeah) 59

Chapter 12 Leviticus, Abomination and Jesus 65

Chapter 13 Two Odd Little Words 74

Chapter 14 God Made Them Male and Female 80

Chapter 15 Creation, Sexual Orientation and God's Will 90

Chapter 16 Toward Covenant 98

Chapter 17 Transformative Encounters and Paradigm Leaps 105

Chapter 18 A Dual-Narrative Tour 111

Chapter 19 Howl Got Here 116

Chapter 20 Ending the Teaching of Contempt 125

References 146

Response to Critics (for Third Edition) 151

Major Reviews of Changing Our Mind 178

Study Guide by Rev. Robert Cornwall 181

Advance Praise For Changing Our Mind 210

From Reviews of Changing Our Mind 216

Editorial Reviews

“For decades now, David Gushee has earned the reputation as America's leading evangelical ethicist. In this book, he admits that he has been wrong on the LGBT issue. He explains why he has changed his mind and heart. Not only is David Gushee's work deep, thoughtful and brilliant; and not only is David philosophically and theologically careful and astute; he is also refreshingly clear and understandable by ‘common people’ who know neither philosophical nor theological mumbo jumbo.”

Brian D. McLaren Author, activist and theologian

“It’s hard to name a more rapidly evolving religious issue than attitudes toward homosexuality.” David Gushee offers “an alternative kind of spirit and vision for Christian readers.”

Publisher’s Weekly

“This book “will be a challenge to some, an inspiration to others, but a gift to all who find themselves at some point on this journey.”

Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, evangelical leader and author

“I have been longing for just this book for many years and I can't recommend it more highly. “

Sharon Groves, Vice-President for Partner Engagement at Auburn Seminary

“David Gushee addresses one of the most controverted issues in our time, and does so with wisdom and grace.”

James V. Brownson, author of Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church's Debate on Same-Sex Relationships

From the Publisher