Overview

The contemporary church's debate on the inclusion of same-sex individuals and their relationships has devolved into diametrically opposed positions. Rather than resolving the argument, the conversation between the two sides reflects the impasse that is taking place in denominations across the West. It is clear that the dispute cannot be resolved while couched in these terms. In this timely work, Steven Schafer invites the reader to move beyond the terms of the current debate toward the underlying doctrinal concerns so often glossed over by that discussion. This book is a work of hermeneutics that engages the contemporary discussion on the legitimacy of same-sex relationships with the grand theological narrative handed down by the church. By placing four contemporary revisionists in dialogue with the work of Augustine, the book provides language and theological avenues to reframe the debate and contributes to the church's ongoing discernment.

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9781532671821

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Reviews

As my denomination has struggled with questions about inclusivity, traditionalists have often claimed that inclusion is not a theological argument. Meanwhile their opponents often implicitly grant this claim, refusing to draw on Christian doctrine at all--it's the problem, after all. Schafer's book shows otherwise. Four theologians within the Augustinian tradition, with different appetites along a spectrum from fidelity to revision of that tradition, are presented here without pontification or even pronouncing a 'winner.' This book would be extremely helpful in a classroom, a Sunday school, or around a family dinner table as we wrestle with Christ's commands to love all, enemies especially, even ourselves. --Jason Byassee, Vancouver School of Theology A thoughtful and irenic intervention in a troubled debate, lifting our sights through the turmoil to the wisdom of St. Augustine, whose discernment of the essence of these matters has been so influential in western thought. Schafer is a trustworthy guide through four contemporary theologians who wrestle with the unprecedented challenges to this tradition, provoking the church to discern anew what its faithful witness to the gospel is to be. --Susan Parsons, Editor, Studies in Christian Ethics

As my denomination has struggled with questions about inclusivity, traditionalists have often claimed that inclusion is not a theological argument. Meanwhile their opponents often implicitly grant this claim, refusing to draw on Christian doctrine at all--it's the problem, after all. Schafer's book shows otherwise. Four theologians within the Augustinian tradition, with different appetites along a spectrum from fidelity to revision of that tradition, are presented here without pontification or even pronouncing a 'winner.' This book would be extremely helpful in a classroom, a Sunday school, or around a family dinner table as we wrestle with Christ's commands to love all, enemies especially, even ourselves. --Jason Byassee, Vancouver School of Theology A thoughtful and irenic intervention in a troubled debate, lifting our sights through the turmoil to the wisdom of St. Augustine, whose discernment of the essence of these matters has been so influential in western thought. Schafer is a trustworthy guide through four contemporary theologians who wrestle with the unprecedented challenges to this tradition, provoking the church to discern anew what its faithful witness to the gospel is to be. --Susan Parsons, Editor, Studies in Christian Ethics

Author Information

Steven Schafer holds a PhD and MTh in Theological Ethics from the University of Aberdeen and an MDiv from George W. Truett Theological Seminary.

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