Research and moral debate. (Featured Reviews).

Jones, S. L., &Yarhouse, M. A. (2000).

Homosexuality: The use of scientific research in the church's moral debate. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. Paper. 183 pp. S 12.99. ISBN 0-8308-1567-8.

Stanton L. Jones, PhD, is Provost of Wheaton College and coauthor of Modern Psychotherapies.

Mark A. Yarhouse, PsyD, is Assistant Professor of Psychology at Regent University, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Jones and Yarhouse based this work on a number of professional presentations that they had done previously in the hope of making the material more accessible to those interested in how scientific research is being used in the moral debate regarding same-sex attraction and sexual behaviors. Their stated desire is to offer support for the Church's historical understanding of homosexual behavior as immoral. Although they admit that current scientific research is providing new perspectives on sexual orientation and behavior, the findings fail to produce evidence that would influence the Christian to alter his or her moral position.

The authors begin their text by presenting the philosophical assumptions that underlie both science and religious thought and how those assumptions influence, not only how one interprets the data, but also what questions might be answered by the data. Without swaying from their confession of solid belief in biblical teachings, Jones and Yarhouse offer their interpretation of who (philosophically and culturally speaking) is determining the direction of current research as well as the moral and social implications of its findings. In presenting the various relationships that science and religion have with one another, they identify basic scientific assumptions and how they vary from traditional biblical perspective. Three positions preclude dialogue between the two disciplines. Perspectivism is the position that the two disciplines are complementary ways of knowing that come from distinctly different vantage points, imperialism sees the two disciplines in competition with one another for supremacy, and postmod ern relativism makes no allowance for absolute truth, allowing only for a multiplicity of truths that are idiosyncratic to person and time. Conversely, Jones and Yarhouse define themselves as critical realists. They believe there is an objective and knowable reality; however, their presuppositions and philosophical assumptions determine their ability to know reality.

The first chapter is concluded with arguments presented by both science and religion that are intended to persuade one to take precedence over the other, including arguments regarding the authority and accuracy of the Bible in determining what is moral and what is not. Issues related to research on homosexuality include consideration of individual differences, nonrandom sampling, and lack of replication, as well as the fact that the majority of research on homosexuality is limited to the male gender. Another major concern is the current debate between essentialists and constructionists viewpoints. Generally speaking, essentialists assert that homosexuality is part of a person's identity as a human being, whereas constructionists contend that the terms homosexual and heterosexual are merely social constructions, on the same level of the terms Democrat and Republican.

With these details in mind, Jones and Yarhouse state their major concerns in the assessment and application of scientific research. Their first is the tendency "to make inaccurate and improper generalizations about the primary research literature" and "the logic by which the supposed findings of science are brought to bear on the moral issue" (p. 29). Each of the following five chapters ends with a conclusion on its particular topic as well as a section entitled "Formal Relevance of Research to the Moral Debate," in which they present the "often illogical or tortured" logic used to conclude how recent findings "prove" that homosexual behavior cannot be considered immoral.

Jones and Yarhouse do a meticulous job of reviewing research on the prevalence, etiology, and level of pathology (if any) involved in homosexuality, as well as the efficacy of programs designed to change sexual orientation. They provide charts and tables that condense the material, but if one does not have an affinity for research and its findings, these details may become rather tedious. Nevertheless, the authors do an exemplary job of summarizing the data, and much can be learned from their conclusions, summaries, and discussions.

The final chapter, "Toward a Christian Sexual Ethic," reiterates the authors' conservative Christian perspective on sexual behavior and summarizes the conclusions drawn from the previous five chapters. Throughout the book, Jones and Yarhouse hold to the biblical view that homosexual behavior is immoral and, through their critical examination of scientific research and exploration of the logic used in interpreting its findings, conclude that no evidence prevails in swaying them from their moral stance.

My greatest personal gain from reading this book was a better understanding of the philosophical assumptions and logic frequently employed by reporters of research. After open-minded consideration of the material presented in this book, it is difficult to imagine how the reader could arrive at the conclusion that homosexuality is merely a variation of normal human personhood. Although their opponents are not likely to place much value on the authors' loyalty to their own clearly stated presuppositions, Jones and Yarhouse deserve respect for their capacity for critical assessment of current studies on homosexuality, as well as serious consideration of their concerns regarding the logic used to make generalizations about the findings.

SMITH, DEBORAH L., MA, is a doctoral candidate at Rosemead School of Psychology, a staff therapist at the Biola University Counseling Center, and an adjunct faculty member of the Undergraduate Psychology Department at Azusa Pacific University. She has been a member of the Editorial Committee of the Journal of Psychology and Theology since 1997 and currently serves as the Book Review Editor.