What is so welcoming about "welcoming but not affirming"? (Featured Reviews).

Grenz, S.J. (1998).

Welcoming but not affirming: An Evangelical response to homosexuality. Louisville, KY: West-minister John Knox Press. Paperback. (xii + 210 pp.). ISBN 0-644-25776-3.

Reviewed by Erica S. N. Tan

Stanley J. Grenz is Pioneer McDonald Professor of Theology and Ethics at Carey/Regent College, Vancouver, and affiliate professor at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, Illinois.

Stanley Grenz provides a fairly thorough and non-laborious resource in his book, which addresses welcoming individuals who struggle with same-sex attraction, but not affirming their claim to sexual orientation or sexual behavior. In his introduction, Grenz outlines his approach to this discussion of the Church's response to homosexuality. He writes:

At the heart of the current controversy is a basically ethical question: Should the church continue to condemn homosexual behavior, or has the time come for it to affirm gays and lesbians in its midst? My goal is to indicate that the mandate we have received from our Lord calls the church to welcome homosexual persons on the same basis that all persons are to be welcomed. But this same mandate prohibits the church from condoning same-sex sexual behavior as well as same-sex sexual unions. (p. 1)

From the outset, the reader is informed of Grenz's stance on this issue. However, what is noteworthy is that he maintains a fairly objective presentation of the facts concerning the arguments on both sides--those who welcome but do not affirm (i.e., thc traditional or prophetic viewpoint) and those who welcome and affirm (i.e., the proponents of change away from the Christian sexual ethic). The language and constructs used in this discussion are based on current literature, and the tone avoids the emotionalism that sometimes accompanies this discussion. After discussing how both sides define sexual orientation and homosexuality, Grenz reveals his position on the matter, stating that his concern is "with the ethical aspects of the phenomenon of homosexuality understood in the sense of persons being homoerotic and then acting out these impulses" (pp. 6-7). The reader may be concerned that Grenz had narrowed the definition a little too much. What about the psychospiritual and emotional aspects of same-sex attra ction? However, if Grenz had included that viewpoint in his discussion of the Church's stance on homosexuality, this would be a much bigger book. He is concerned with two questions he deems central to this debate. He is interested in the "ethical stance of the homosexual preference" (p. 7) as a human condition. In addition, he is concerned with the "ethical question of behavior," which is an individual's response to homoerotic desires.

The first chapter is a summary of multiple contemporary views of homosexuality. Grenz provides a fairly thorough overview and discussion of the history of how psychology has assessed homosexuality: Freud's displacement of homosexuality from the moral realm to the scientific domain by referring to it as a "sickness" instead of a sin; Elizabeth Moberly's and Irving Bieber's theories of arrested development; Tripp's learning theory of sexual orientation; and biological factors or predispositions. Without positing an opinion, Grenz touches on the possibility of changing homosexual orientation with a scant review of the literature. Given that Grenz leans more strongly to the Church's traditional viewpoint on homosexuality, the reader may be surprised that this issue did not receive more attention. However, such a focus would have diverged from the ecclesiastical dimension of the debate. Furthermore, change of orientation may have little, if any, relevance to the Church's moral debate. Grenz concludes this chapter by asserting that the core issue of this debate is not merely about sexual practice and behaviors, but an understanding of what it means to be human and how it relates to the essence of sexuality.

The second chapter provides an excellent clarification of the exegetical debate and the texts that are referenced. Grenz examines biblical texts cited by proponents on both sides of the debate to determine whether homosexuality is sinful. He presents various conjectures from proponents who surmise biblical events and Scripture that condemn homosexuality as mere incidental cultural faux pas, neglecting the moral deficits of such practices. In response, Grenz thoroughly and clearly refutes these points of view with scriptural evidence. Issues discussed include the reason for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, prohibitions in the Holiness Code (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13), Paul's critique of pagan society (Romans 1:26-27), Paul's rejection of same-sex acts (1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Timothy 1:10), and the silent texts.

Grenz opens discussion in the third chapter with specific goals: "... to determine the extent to which the church has consistently rejected homosexual behavior as sinful, as well as to consider the significance of that rejection" (p. 64). He examines church tradition from the Patristic Era to the Post-Reformation Era. However, the heart of this chapter is not a historical summary, but an examination of contemporary discussions (e.g., the focus on male-to-male sexual activity vs. female-to-female sexual activity). It could be easy to get lost in the details of these contemporary viewpoints that magnify posited sociological and cultural factors influencing homosexual behavior. However, Grenz grounds the reader with simple, logical explanations that help maintain focus on the issue of the debate in its entirety.

The fourth chapter examines the applicability of the Bible to this topic for churches today. Should the Bible be a source of authority on this issue? Grenz examines four theories of the Bible's influence and the relevance of each to the contemporary debate: (a) total biblical silence, (b) partial biblical silence, (c) biblical incorrectness, and (d) biblical normativity. He also addresses the themes of covenant, love, justice, and liberation as hermeneutical keys in many of these discussions. The most developed discussion in this section is that of love as a sexual ethic; he examines the implication that homosexual and heterosexual relations are equalized if it is conceptualized as such. This chapter--similar to the others in this book--are fraught with questions that lead the reader to pose some of his or her own, especially since the scope of this book is so refined. Each question Grenz asks leads to more questions that bring the reader back to using the "lens" of ethics to examine the debate at hand, with out being carried away by emotions.

The Christian ethical response to homosexuality is the most compelling chapter because Grenz reflects upon marriage as an illustration of our relationship with God through Christ, and then juxtaposes it against same-sex activity. Grenz provides a thorough explanation of the sacredness and exclusivity of sexual activity within a marital relationship by elucidating its meaning as a symbolic bond between partners, a mutual celebration of the relationship, and a gift of procreation. In this, Grenz avoids any references to purported psychologically and physically damaging effects of homosexual behaviors. The strength of his position against same-sex sexual activity resides in his elucidation of the beauty and purpose of sexual relations within a marriage as a reflection of our relationship with God in Christ.

The last chapter examines the Church's understanding of the Christian sexual ethic and its application to practical issues in blessing same-sex unions, ordaining homosexual pastors, and gay rights. Much of this chapter centers on themes developed in the previous chapter. The most important theme in this section is a discussion of welcoming individuals who struggle with same-sex attraction as members of a local congregation and reasons for doing so:

By standing with them during the difficult periods of the process, Christians who extend unqualified, noncondemnatory support, coupled with the assurance of divine assistance, can provide the boost needed for such persons to gain full liberation from the behaviors and relationships that now bind them. (p. 136)

It is easy to detect the compassion Grenz has for individuals who have been excluded because of these struggles.

Grenz concludes with ways the Church can be welcoming, but not affirming to those who struggle with same sex-attraction and ways to minister to these individuals. As daunting as this debate may seem, Grenz presents hope in the possibility of reconciliation:

At the same time, it is a moment of great opportunity. The current debate offers us an opportunity to think through the Christian sexual ethic clearly and carefully. More importantly, it calls us back once again to God's bountiful grace. (p. 157)

TAN, ERICA S. N., BA, is currently in her 3rd year of study in the doctoral program in clinical psychology at Regent University, Virginia Beach, Virginia.