CLGS

A wide range of books and other resources on marriage and family, both scholarly and for
general audiences, have been produced over the last ten years. The following is a short list
of those resources, beginning with curricular materials followed by books. CLGS will be
adding new resources to this list on a regular basis – write to us and let us know what
you’ve found helpful!

Curricular and Group Study Materials

God is Still Speaking About Marriage (UCC)

This is an excellent resource for congregational study and education, available at the
United Church of Christ website.

Claiming the Blessing (Episcopal Church)

This theological analysis and statement was developed for conversations and legislative
action in the Episcopal Church. Its usefulness, however, extends well beyond the
particularities of Episcopal debates. An excellent conversation starter and
theological/biblical study guide

Living Lovingly: Talking about Marriage Equality from a Faith Perspective

This resource guide was developed through the California Council of Churches and
provides an excellent course of study, especially for congregations that want to support
full marriage equality but don’t quite know how to talk about it from an explicitly faith
perspective. Go here...

The Institute for Welcoming Resources

This project, recently incorporated into the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, offers a
wealth of resources, including links to other sites (books, materials, etc.). Go here...

Books

Gray Temple, “Gay Unions in the Light of Scripture, Tradition, and Reason”

Temple is an Episcopal priest in the charismatic tradition. He changed his mind about
lesbian and gay relationships, in part, because of his relationships with lesbian and gay
couples but also because of his careful reading of the Bible. This short and accessible
book would be ideal for congregational study.

Jack Rogers, “Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church”

Rogers, a former moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA), changed his mind about
lesbian and gay people (much like Gray Temple) by attending to the lesbian and gay
relationships in his life and also be attending to issues of biblical interpretation. A recently
revised and updated edition of this book has been issued. It would work very well for
congregational study.

John McNeill, “Sex as God Intended”

McNeill is a pioneering figure in gay and lesbian liberation movements in the church and
society. Writing from both a Roman Catholic and psychological perspective, McNeill in
this book makes a compelling case for the God-given purpose of sex (hint: it’s not just for
procreation). He also includes an important section in this book on the “providential role
of” same-gender marriage.

William Stacy Johnson, “A Time to Embrace: Same-Gender Relationships in Religion,
Law, and Politics”

This may well qualify as the most thorough treatment to date of the various biblical and
theological models for assessing same-gender relationships, as well as the implications for
civil society for affirming or denying the right to marry for same-gender couples.

Steven Greenberg, “Wrestling with God and Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish
Tradition”

Christians only rarely turn to Jewish scholars, rabbis, and communities for insights into
the Hebrew Scriptures shared by both traditions. Greenberg’s book offers illuminating
approaches to familiar biblical passages, which makes this book an excellent resource for
both Jewish and Christian audiences. He also includes sections on marriage, concerning
both ancient and contemporary perspectives.

Marvin Ellison, “Same-Sex Marriage: A Christian Ethical Analysis”

Ellison makes a compelling argument for marriage equality from the perspective of ethical
traditions around justice. He also includes an analysis of economics in his approach, as
well as cautions (from a Christian perspective) about privileging just one type of
committed relationship.

Rosemary Radford Ruether, “Christianity and the Making of the Modern Family”

This book offers a theological history of marriage and family in relation to both social and
church factors. This is an indispensable resource for understanding the varied fortunes of
“marriage” in Christian history and for realizing that what many people in the North
Atlantic today understand as “family” is a relatively new cultural invention.

Mark D. Jordan, “Blessing Same-Sex Unions: The Perils of Queer Romance and the
Confusions of Christian Marriage”

Jordan’s erudition might put off the general reader, but his careful analysis of the
historical, theological, and social factors contributing to the marriage debate today is well
worth reading. He demonstrates well that “marriage” is an institution in search of a
coherent Christian theology (which has been mostly lacking in much of Christian history).

Lisa Isherwood, “The Power of Erotic Celibacy”

As a feminist scholar and theologian, Isherwood calls into question the social privileging
of marriage from cultural and economic, as well as theological, perspectives. The choice
not to marry needs to be given as much theological attention, she argues, as the struggle
for marriage equality.

Stephanie Coontz, “Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage”

Coontz writes from a sociological rather than a theological perspective, but this book is
very useful for faith communities as a way to understand the rather convoluted social
history of what we call “marriage,” especially its modern forms.