Christlike Acceptance Across Deep Difference

NEW anthology on sexuality that I co-edited launches today!

A few years ago, my friend Dr. Ron Pierce, professor emeritus at Talbot School of Theology (Biola University) reached out to me, asking if I would be willing to collaborate with him on a new project. Would I co-edit a volume that included both traditionalist and reformist contributors on the topic of sexuality and gender? Thus, a seed was planted for Christlike Acceptance Across Deep Difference: Constructive Conversations on Sexuality and Gender, a new anthology with 21 contributors that released today from Baker Academic. Here’s what some people are saying, and what you can expect from the 18 chapters in the book.

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What People Are Saying . . .

"This is a hopeful and a helpful book. It retains moral and theological seriousness while modeling and fostering the warmth, generosity, and hospitality that are much needed in this long-standing debate. This is the way forward for the church as we build a common life around our common object of love, Jesus Christ." - Fellipe do Vale, tutor in doctrine, Trinity College, Bristol

"In an era when conversations about sexuality so often feel stale and repetitive, this dialogic collection is a breath of fresh air. As I read, I found myself wishing to join the discussion, to ask questions and push back, to cheer and shout 'amen!' May many more of our Christian disagreements be as gracious and thought-provoking as this one." - Gregory Coles, author of Single, Gay, Christian and No Longer Strangers

"I read Christlike Acceptance across Deep Difference in one sitting, like a ravenous woman in a wilderness. I have held my convictions around gender and sexuality for many years now, but I have struggled with how to engage this topic with those in my context with whom I disagree. I have served in evangelical churches for over twenty years, locally and abroad. I have seen more conflict, church splits, and dissension over debates around sexuality than any other issue. This book offers a solution to these problems and one that is deeply rooted in Christ. Christlike Acceptance across Deep Difference is a must-read for anyone looking to responsibly engage the topic of human sexuality from both a pastoral and a theological perspective. Offering comprehensive guidance, the contributors to this volume provide everything you need from scholarship to practical theology to personal testimonies that inspire and instruct all believers to accept one another as Christ has accepted us. This book will live on my shelf, and I will reach for it often." - Kelly Edmiston, lead pastor, Vineyard Church of Stafford

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What’s In the Book?

Introduction: Healing Our Divisions Ronald W. Pierce and Karen R. Keen

Part 1: Biblical Wisdom beyond the Debate
1. Christlike Acceptance and Queer Christians: Romans 14:1-15:13 Ronald W. Pierce
2. Genesis, Discernment, and God's Will Karen R. Keen
3. From Eunuchs to LGBTQ Christians: Navigating Theodicy, Inclusion, and Holiness David Bennett
4. The Good News of Romans 1 J. R. Daniel Kirk
5. Excluded from God's Kingdom? (1 Cor. 6:9-10): How to Think about the Threat of Divine Judgment Wesley Hill

Part 2: Successfully Navigating Divides
6. Navigating Conflict in Community Tim Otto
7. Speaking Truth in Love: Preparing the Heart to Engage Tim Muehlhoff
8. Grace across the Divide: Tips for Christ-Honoring Dialogue Justin Lee
9. Loving through Difference: Navigating Side A/B Friendship Steven Lympus and Taylor Telford
10. Is There Space at the Table in a Non-Affirming Church? Brad Harper

Part 3: Ministry with LGBTQ People, Families, and Friends
11. A Shared Pilgrimage Eve Tushnet
12. Courage Is Ministry Sally Gary
13. What We Learned from Listening to Sexual and Gender Minorities Mark A. Yarhouse, Stephen P. Stratton, and Janet B. Dean
14. Evangelism and the LGBTQ Community Elizabeth Delgado Black
15. Black LGBTQ Ministry Candace E. Hardnett
16. Cultivating a Shepherd's Heart for the Transgender Community Amie Scott
17. Supporting Parents of LGBTQ Children Staci Frenes
18. Christlike Acceptance in Practice: Moving from Enmity to Integrity Marcus George Halley

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My Hopes for the Book

I hope that we will begin to see each other as friends across divides, rather than enemies. I hope that we will learn to love each other across differences. Love should not require us to agree on everything. Church history, let alone world history, has shown we will never all agree on everything. But that does not have to be the liability that we think it is.

As I mention in my chapter, “Genesis, Discernment, and God’s Will” (ch. 2), when different sides come together, we can reach a greater place of truth than we can in isolation. For “one of the most important yet often overlooked, biblical principles is found in Proverbs 18:17: ‘The first person to make his case in a dispute seems right (tsadiq), until another person comes to thoroughly examine (haqar) him’” (p. 29). We can help each other see our blind spots.

Being the imago Dei (image of God) comes with unique agency (Gen 1:26). Indeed, “God gives human beings unique power to make consequential decisions” (p. 22). That means discernment is a crucial aspect of stewarding the earth. The ability to discern requires looking at something from a variety of angles. Unfortunately, some church traditions have taught us to suppress information, believing it will lead us astray. But we need not fear different perspectives if we are truly seeking truth. The chaff will be revealed for what it is when shown in the light.

Significantly, our goal as Christians is not primarily about being right. Even if we possess the truth, truth alone is meaningless without love. As Paul said, even if we have all knowledge, it means nothing if we do not love one another (1 Cor 13:2). As I conclude my chapter, “While we may not always know the right answer, because we discern through a glass darkly, we can be assured that ‘love never fails’ (1 Cor. 13:8). Love is always right.” Love—how we treat one another—is how God is made known (1 John 4:12).

This anthology is a rich trove of essays that will provide great conversation for any Bible study group or classroom. Most of all, I hope it will help us to exemplify the kind of love across differences that the world longs to see and experience. There’s a better way than all our divisions.