Reframing a biblical case for same-sex marriage from an academic standpoint

After spending years hearing people glibly declare, “It’s Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!” or slinging around certain key “proof” texts from the Bible, I was longing for a book that would delve into the Bible’s complexity and actual ambiguity regarding LGBT individuals and relationships. The Bible study I undertook for myself in 2012 showed me that my own understanding of the Bible is steeped in assumptions about language, history, and context, and some of that has shifted since the original text was written. This is not to say that I cannot or should not view the Bible as an authoritative text in my life, but rather to ask how and why I read it a certain way and what sorts of assumptions I do make that lead to certain interpretations. James V. Brownson has certainly written such a book. It is rich, engaging, and thoroughly exhaustive in its research, and it is a terrific academic glimpse into the LGBT Christian debate. I explain why in my full review, which can be found on my blog.