James V. Brownson

A highly academic, scholarly glimpse at biblical morality and the ethics of marriage. Brownson does not explain away what the Bible says, but rather challenges us to consider how we interpret what it says. There are clear moral reasons, grounded in biblical principle, for contemporary society and Christian faiths to embrace loving, committed same-sex marriages, and Brownson makes an excellent case for it.

If you do not affirm same-sex marriages but are curious about why others such as I do, I would recommend you prayerfully read this book. It's been several years since I affirmed same-sex civil rights and marriage as both a U.S. citizen AND a Christian, and Brownson brings up several terrific points in the ethics of Christianity that speak to some frustrating or potentially hypocritical readings of the Bible that I had never considered.… (mehr)

Gay marriage, as a civil institution, seems to be moving toward a tipping point across the United States. Just yesterday a Republican senator, Rob Portman, of Ohio, changed from a position of opposition to gay marriage to one of now being in public support of it. The driving factor, for him, was a wrestling with the fact that his son is homosexual.

In matters concerning human sexuality it could be said that the church is similarly at the same crossroads, although the reality is a bit different. Many denominations have embraced same-sex relationships is some form, such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the United Church of Christ (UCC). Other groups are strongly leaning in that direction, such as the United Methodist Church (UMC). And on the other hand there are a number of branches of Christianity so far away from giving approval to same-sex relationships that it seems virtually certain that they never will. These include the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and all other various Baptist churches, and the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). There are relatively few Christian groups that are in the middle, treading water, so to speak, unsure of which shore they will finally plant their feet upon.

It is out of this middle group, containing the Reformed Church in America (RCA), that James V. Brownson comes from and to whom he primarily writes in Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church’s Debate on Same-Sex Relationships (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2013). Brownson purpose is to take a fresh look at what the Bible says about human sexuality, in general, and same-sex relationships, in particular, to resolve the impasse between those holding either traditional or revisionist understandings of what the Bible teaches on these issues. He attempts to find a way to reconcile these two separate perspectives by thoroughly studying what the Bible has to say about sexuality, with a particular focus on the underlying moral logic of the text, both as understood when it was written and also when read today. It is a task in which I believe he fails.

Before proceeding further I want to disclose that I know Dr. Brownson personally, having taken several courses that he taught while I attended Western Theological Seminary, Holland, MI. We are both members of the RCA. I know him to be a gracious man and a thoughtful scholar and teacher.

Brownson has written one of the most challenging books I have ever read. It is well-organized and thorough, to a point, in its analysis. He begins by laying out his rationale for undertaking this project. It is partly due to the fact that our denomination has been struggling internally with its position on sexuality for many years. And it is also driven by an experience similar to Sen. Portman, i.e. learning that one of his children was struggling with issues of sexual identity.

The introductory section of the book includes chapters that outline both the traditionalist and revisionist viewpoints, including strengths and weaknesses of each. He follows this with a section that explores Christian sexual ethics in terms of Patriarchy, the union of One Flesh, Procreation, and Celibacy. The third main section of the book is an in-depth exploration of human sexuality in the terms of what is considered “boundary language.” He addresses Lust and Desire, Purity and Impurity, Honor and Shame, and Nature. The book ends with his Conclusions, including suggestions as to how and where the church may possibly go in regard to human sexuality.

I applaud him for the intellectual integrity to deal with the Bible’s strongest teaching on human sexuality head-on, i.e. Romans 1:24-27, which was the focal point for the entire third section of his book. But his continual attempts to bridge what he considered to be primarily differences in culture across time were not compelling. Consequently one thing I gained was a greater understanding of my own place as a traditionalist in terms of human sexuality. I also have a better understanding of the revisionist perspective and why I believe it fails as a biblically-formed position.

My copy of this book is filled with highlighting and margin notes. While I wanted to have an open mind to understand what a good teacher was trying to illumine, this just wasn’t possible. Time and again I found his position weak and the direction he was pointing to be wrong. There is a place for nuanced understanding of scripture but I found that his suggested landing places were soft, particularly in comparison with the firm ground from which the church has historically understood and preached these passages. As I considered Brownson’s claims I compared them to the work on Romans 1:24 27 done by John Chrysostom (online), John Calvin (online), Murray (1959), Boice (1991), Fitzmyer (1993) and Kruse (2012). None of these students of scripture drew out the conclusions from Romans that Brownson suggests are possible.

At the heart of Brownson’s book is understanding of the underlying moral logic of scripture, particularly in the writing of Paul to the Romans, believing that the traditional understanding of these verses may no longer be true. Writing of changes and challenges to traditional morality within a secular framework C. S. Lewis said this in The Abolition of Man, “But wherever any precept of traditional morality is simply challenged to produce its credential, as though the burden of proof lay on it, we have taken the wrong position.” (60).

So here then are my two concluding thoughts on this book. The first is that the traditional understanding of the Bible on human sexuality in general, and same-sex sexuality in particular, is correct simply because God says so in His word. At times we may not like it, but the teaching isn’t about us. It is about God. This holds true with all of what scripture teaches. There are often things we don’t agree with but which we need to submit to because if we believe God then we have to believe that His ways are the best for us. We believe that what He says must be true regardless of what our emotions, desires or our culture may say to the contrary. We live in a broken world, a world in which Satan is always trying to lead us astray. This is dimension of the argument which Brownson does not give deep consideration to.

Secondly, as Christians, our behaviors, our internal leanings and the orientation of our hearts, our relationships, neither these nor anything else, are really about us and our happiness and wholeness. We are created in God’s image for a very particular purpose, which is to give glory to God. This is the end to which, ultimately, all of our lives should be directed towards. And it is an end that we can’t be pursuing if we are shaping the path that God has clearly laid out in a direction we happen to think is better.

And lastly, a pastoral thought. Brownson does consider the challenges in ministering faithfully to those holding same-sex desires when the church teaches that those desires are contrary to God’s purposes. This is a serious matter and not one to be casually disregarded. People holding same-sex desires are real people with real struggles. We live in a culture today that increasingly gives consent to what the church teaches as wrong. Their emotional pain is real and deep. But the Good News in Christ has power over every thing that could enslave us. Every thing. A pastor, indeed all Christians, are called to walk with humility, compassion and faith, helping every struggling sinner to find comfort in the only Savior.… (mehr)