How do we deal with the issue of same-sex marriage? Should the Church bless same-sex union as marriage? How do we deal with the growing divide between those who support and those who do not? These issues continue to split the Church all over the world. Do we take each Bible verse on the topic and start espousing how right we are and how wrong the other view is? Do we use such passages to hammer down the other party into submission? How is it possible for both sides to say that they are biblical and yet arrive at different conclusions of the same matter? With regard to same-sex union, the debate continues to rage. Feeling the tensions in his own Church as well, author and Professor Darrin W Snyder Belousek re-examines the common approaches done so far and proposes three key thrusts in dealing with these questions. First, he ties the issue of sexuality with marriage. How one deals with the topic of marriage will directly affect our interpretation of same-sex, and vice-versa. He brings in the examples of how Jesus deals with questions about divorce and the "three-faceted reality of marriage." Positively, the Bible sees marriage as likened to Christ as groom and the Church as the bride. Negatively, infidelity destroys such a nuptial union. The author also asserts that all three major branches of Christian tradition: Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant have always taught marriage as man-woman monogamy. He pits the teachings of the patristics and the forefathers of the faith against modern scholars like David Gushee, Dale Martin, Robert Son, James Brownson, Mark Achtemeier, and so on. He brings in arguments for both sides before presenting theological conclusions.

Second, he opts for a more positive terminology. Instead of labels such as "conservative vs liberal," "inclusive vs exclusive," or "biblical vs liberal," he chooses to use "traditionalists vs innovationists." This makes this book more charitable than some of the other books on this topic. In doing so, he invites readers to participate and to learn to see not from his point of view but to understand as best as possible the perspective of Scripture. Often, we put the heart of passion before the horse of the Word. In this sense, I applaud the author for taking the initiative to apply positive labels for all. Third, instead of simply spouting textbook answers on all the rights of one view and all the wrongs of the other, he puts forth four starting assumptions and criteria for anyone discerning from any position.

1) "Primacy and Relevance of Scripture" to be the foremost authority on such issues.
2) "Responsibility of Justification" or the burden of proof falls on those who want to re-interpret Scripture according to their newly acquired positions.
3) "Consistency and Charity in Interpretation" to apply to all sides, that the same standards and requirements are to be consistent whichever position one might adopt.
4) "Relevance and Insufficiency of Experience" meaning that personal experience no matter how passionate cannot supplant matters of doctrine.

My Thoughts
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Another book on sex and sexuality? What makes this book different from the rest? Is this book another attempt to dumb down views that are innovationists? Not so fast. One needs to read the book in order to see the meticulous research and strained desire to honour the institution of marriage, as advocated by the Scriptures and Jesus Himself. Belousek compares and contrasts Scripture with the positions of the innovationists, arguing that their interpretations are essentially alteration of the Scriptures. He does not stop at same-sex matters. He extends the coverage to include "open marriage," "altered fidelity," "no-fault divorce," and others, saying that those who try to use the Scriptures to justify these are basically doing the work of alteration. Both have ethical and theological complications which the author lists rationally. The work is robust and respectful, which makes this book a good avenue for any critical assessment of any position. For he also challenges traditionalists to justify their stance each time they interpret a position different from the historical tradition, for example, choosing childlessness in marriage. In his evaluation, Belousek attempts to give us an eschatological perspective that the end goal is neither heterosexual nor homosexual, but union with God.

I like the author's consistent emphasis on Scripture and the frequent borrowing of wisdom from the patristics. He deals with the tricky topic of Jesus being used as a champion for inclusivism by arguing that we need to be careful not to make Jesus parrot our views or perspectives of inclusivity. In other words, don't put words into Jesus' mouth just to make our interpretations more appealing. Hospitality arguments tend to be emboldened by modern culture rather than by the Bible. Like what Wesley Hill had attested, this book is one of the most "careful, judicious, and cogent defenses" of the traditional Christian view of marriage and sexuality. Hill himself is gay and celibate!

Following Christ is not easy. Let us not make it any harder for anybody to follow Jesus. Perhaps, even if we don't agree with the conclusions of this author, we could still learn the graciousness and scholarship he has done in arriving at his findings.

Darrin W. Snyder Belousek (PhD, University of Notre Dame) teaches philosophy and religion at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio, and has taught at various church-related colleges. He has served the church through the Mennonite Mission Network and is the author of several books, including Atonement, Justice, and Peace and Good News: The Advent of Salvation in the Gospel of Luke.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Academic and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

There is probably no bigger or more contentious discussion in the church today than issues surrounding same-sex sexual behavior and same-sex marriage. This is more than a theological issue. For many, it’s a matter of identity, of validation, and of civil rights. This isn’t just an academic discussion. That’s part of what makes reviews like this so difficult to write. Marriage, Scripture, and the Church: Theological Discernment on the Question of Same-Sex Union is unabashedly academic. Darrin Belousek delivers a thorough, comprehensive, and cautious review of Scripture and church tradition, meticulously working his way through the arguments, counter-arguments, objections, and rebuttals in an effort to bring clarity of complexity to an issue often thought to be both muddy and settled.

By clarity of complexity, I mean that Belousek doesn’t hide from good arguments, acknowledges when points are strong or weak, and is even-handed in his approach. Though I had a well-reasoned guess as to his ultimate conclusions, it honestly wasn’t until three-quarters through the book that I had a firm grasp on Belousek’s personal conclusions of his evaluation. That, to me, is the highlight of Marriage, Scripture, and the Church. While Belousek writes toward a conclusion, he writes without an agenda. Even though he maintains a traditional (non-affirming) view, he gives due diligence to affirming perspectives and arguments.

The first part of the book serves as an introduction of sorts, where Belousek frames the discussion and outlines his approach and presuppositions. For Belousek, the first matter is marriage: the question that he is seeking an answer for is whether or not the church should sanction same-sex unions. The presupposition is that all sex is meant to be within a unitive, mutual, exclusive, enduring marriage relationship.

The second part dives into the concept of marriage, discussing the role of marriage in Scripture and tradition, Jesus’s views on marriage, the patriarchal nature of Ancient Near Eastern culture, and more. Belousek’s purpose here is to laboriously ensure that, even if we do not agree with his starting point—that the only potential possible allowance for same-sex sexual activity is within marriage—we understand the position and have a good definition of all his starting points.

The third part is the meat of the book, which evaluates the case for what Belousek calls “marriage innovation.” With the review up to this point, Belousek is convinced—and writes a convincing argument—that the long-held, historical tradition of the church is that marriage is to be heterosexual. However, he acknowledges that tradition (what is normative) need not indicate what is exclusive. He points out times where church tradition was wrong—such as with its repudiation of a heliocentric solar system—and needed to change. He highlights that our modern, Western culture of marriage is completely foreign the marriage culture in the Ancient Near East.

Belousek also points to other areas in which the church—or segments of the church—has changed its minds. Using instances of the allowance of slavery and the prohibition of women in ministry, Belousek argues that some of what we see as biblical tradition was tradition, but tradition in need of change. Does same-sex union fall into this category? While Belousek may be a little overly optimistic about the change in regarding women in ministry, as many traditionalists in same-sex unions are also traditionalists in women in ministry, his overall exploration of the similarities and differences allow the reader to form their own conclusion, even if that ends up disagreeing with his own.

Among Belousek’s greatest points are his cautions toward traditionalist, whom he excoriates for the harm the position has done to sexual minorities by elevating sexual practice to the level of salvific orthodoxy. He writes that “Traditionalists should beware preaching a ‘heterosexual gospel’ that substitutes that misguided goal of orientation change for the good news of God’s grace.”

Marriage, Scripture, and the Church cogently and calmly outlines virtually every argument for and against same-sex marriage that I’ve ever heard, and even a few that I hadn’t. Belousek always comes to a conclusion, but the text is not written so as to guide the reader there. Instead, he presents the information, argues it dispassionately, and presents his conclusion even as he acknowledges the strengths of the opposite position. It was this tone, most of all, that kept me on the journey through the book. I read a digital advance copy on my phone and was convinced the book had to have been at least 700 pages. Google tells me it’s actually just over 300. I didn’t think this because the book was dry, but because Belousek was causing me to slow down and think critically and carefully about every issue.

Marriage, Scripture, and the Church is the most challenging and comprehensive work on same-sex union that I’ve ever read. There were areas that I agreed with Belousek’s conclusion and areas I didn’t. Sometimes, I held on to my disagreement but not as firmly. Other times, he came to a different conclusion, but I felt that the authors and texts he was working with made a better case and I found my disagreement strengthened. Some areas I agreed on, and other areas I found myself agreeing conclusively where I had previously only been moderately convinced. In that sense, Belousek’s work was a refreshing perspective that took time to absorb. Simply as a compendium of collated reference material, this book is a gem.

All of that said, I am not convinced that I agree with Belousek’s final conclusion in favor of the traditionalist (non-affirming) interpretation. But neither do I find myself wholeheartedly convinced of an innovative (affirming) interpretation. My personal conviction has been simply to allow the Spirit to work. To me, there is enough uncertainty to allow the issue to be between the individual and the Holy Spirit. If they’ve come to a conviction through that, I’m willing to let that be their decision. I know that this might come as a disappointment to friends more firmly on either side of the debate, but I know, right now, no other way for me to honestly and ethically handle where I’m at.

And Belousek had a portion of a chapter on that. Should we leave it to discernment? Using the Jerusalem Council, which opened up the church to Gentile believers, as his guide, Belousek asks if we can use such similar discernment to make allowance for same-sex unions. He writes: “Some might propose a seemingly Jerusalem-like decision for the church today: bless same-sex couples while enjoining gay believers to observe monogamy….[this would] affirm a middle position embracing both tradition (monogamy) and innovation (same-sex union).” Belousek eventually concludes that we should not, but I don’t find his argument convincing.

In all, Marriage, Scripture, and the Church is thoughtful, cogent, and comprehensive. It is the best academic work I’ve seen on the subject. If more traditionalists made arguments this way and treated the subject as thoughtfully as Belousek, we would go a long way toward uniting in Christian faith even as we disagree in Christian practice.

Darrin’s “Marriage, Scripture, and the Church” is an informative and challenging book on the same-sex union debate through the focus on the biblical theology of marriage. Every pastor and church leader should read this book!