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Although the first two chapters are helpful in their own right, the final three represent the real meat of the book. The new expanded edition is even better than the first edition and is a must for any Christian seeking to think through how they should approach this topic. He posits that “being gay” means finding identity in a sexual orientation while “same sex attraction” means having desires that do not define identity. In doing so, Allberry transitions to talk about homosexuality in relation to a believer, to the church, and to the unbelieving world.
In short, it's a scriptural perversion to cite the destruction of Sodom as proof that God condemns homosexuality. out of 5 stars for Critical Conversations: A Christian Parents' Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens. There is simply no room in Allberry’s interpretation and ideology for the existence of positive or healthy queer expression, let alone physical “oneness” in marriage.Sam Allberry discusses the issues he himself encountered, and offers a way to stay faithful to the Bible while not denying his essential identity. Denying yourself does not mean tweaking your behavior here and there… It is saying ‘no’ to your deepest sense of who you are, for the sake of Christ. Allberry covers topics like what to do when a gay couple visits your church, as well as specific and practical suggestions that pastors and church leaders would do well to implement as they seek to be proactive in supporting saints in their congregations with SSA. He advocates love and truth as our main approaches, but this book empowers the reader to know what Christianity really does teach on this subject and gives guidance on how to help people who come across our path.
Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH). A church leader who teaches that even certain kinds of homosexual activity are OK is actually sending people to destruction.This identity factor is of utmost importance, because someone who identifies as “being gay” cannot reconcile that identity from a biblical worldview. Sam Allberry seeks to re-centre the conversation to what the Bible actually says rather than on what we want it to say. I found the book to be very informative and has been helpful for me to be mindful of how I understand SSE and how I best respond to those who may be struggling in this way. Even for those not confronting this issue in their own life but simply wishing to understand better and to feel confident in discussing it as a Christian without either bigotry or compromise, this is a superb book. It's absolutely acknowledged, but since it's not addressed in detail, that will make it more difficult for people opposed to his message to hear him out.
It has also been expanded so that it looks, first and foremost, at the extraordinary claims and promises of Jesus, before examining his teaching on sexuality and the costs and rewards of following him. Someone with an opposing view can walk away with a better understanding of what the Christian sexual ethic means in context and why so many Christians believe in it, but this is mainly for people who already share the author's convictions.This book will primarily appeal to Christians who want to better understand their beliefs, and to Side B Christians who experience same-sex attraction and hold to a traditional ethic themselves. Update: My original review was written after reading a revised and expanded edition of the original 2015 published book. I definitely recommend this book, and I appreciate Sam’s willingness to make himself vulnerable before the Christian community for our own good. Allberry blatantly ignores public health epidemics among LGBTQ+ individuals globally, describing serious mental health concerns for queer Christians within the Church as, “struggles” that are easily remedied with reliance on God and greater involvement with a church community (28).
I would gladly summarise much of the book in this review, but to do that would mean fewer people would read it. The picture below shows how many pages I turned over, which is a mark of how on-point this relatively short (only 81 pages! Sam comes from Sevenoaks in Kent, but studied theology at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford, and has since worked at St Ebbe's Church, Oxford, and now serves at a church in Maidenhead.In this short, simple book, Sam Allberry wants to help confused Christians understand what God has said about these questions in the scriptures, and offers a positive and liberating way forward through the debate. The author also points out that although society tends to label us by our sexuality that "hetero" or "homo" are not our identity - the whole person is much bigger that our attraction.
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