Homosexuality and the Bible

Below is a compilation of some of the best resources on the Bible and Homosexuality for people who are asking these questions for the first time, or revisiting the issue.

It starts with the most user-friendly and accessible, including items you can watch or read online, and works up to more in depth research.

Each entry has a link you can click to. Most of the resources are free to be accessed online, except for the books which have a link to a store where you can purchase and receive a physical copy or download.

Video Summary

If you don’t prefer reading, the perfect place to start is Matthew Vines’ video:

Brief Introduction

For those that prefer reading, Mel White’s Homosexuality and the Bible is a classic, brief introduction to the subject by a trusted and loved Christian leader.

Short Articles

These are by pastors and theologians, and represent a variety of theological perspectives. Different ones will appeal and be useful to different people:

• Taking God at His Word: The Bible and Homosexuality by John Shore
• The Bible and Homosexuality by Rev. Dr. Mona West
• Homosexuality: Not a Sin, Not a Sickness by Don Eastman
• Our Story Too: Reading the Bible with New Eyes by Rev. Dr. Nancy Wilson
• What the Bible Says — And Doesn’t Say — About Homosexuality by Rev. Dr. Mel White
• What the Science Says — And Doesn’t Say — About Homosexuality by Jeff Lutes, MS, LPC

Personal Reflections

Short, powerful reflections from the parents of LGBTQ individuals:

• To Christian Parents of Gay Children by Susan Cottrell
• Just Because He Beathes: Learning to Love Our Gay Son by Linda Robertson

Movies

• For the Bible Tells Me So (2008) – Can the love between two people ever be an abomination? Is the chasm separating homosexuals and Christianity too wide to cross? How can the Bible be used  to justify hate? These are the questions at the heart of Daniel Karslake’s “For the Bible Tells Me So.” Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families – including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson – we discover how people of faith handle, or sometimes tragically fail to handle, having a gay child. Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard’s Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, “For the Bible Tells Me So” offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the cross-hairs of scripture and sexual identity. Watch Trailer. Website. Rent on iTunes. Watch on YouTube free.

• Fish Out of Water (2009) – a spirited documentary that explores the seven Bible passages notoriously used to condemn homosexuality and justify marriage discrimination. This genre-bending intellectually condensed analysis of the homophobic religious arguments is a mixture of animation, LGBTQ community interviews and expert analysis from theologians across the country, who argue both sides of the interpretations of the passages. With the help of a cartoon narrator, animated recollections of Bible passages and witty illustrations, “Fish Out of Water” makes the polarizing subject accessible and non-threatening, and clearly can be seen by all audiences. Watch Trailer. Website. Facebook. Rent on iTunes.

Books