The Same Sex Controversy: Defending and Clarifying the Bible's Message About Homosexuality

I read this book almost as a companion to Michael Brown's A Queer Thing Happened to America. Brown's book looked almost solely to the cultural and political issues surrounding homosexuality in America, but did not address the theological much. It simply wasn't the purpose of that particular book.

White and Niell, on the other hand, address the issue from a solely theological point of view. The authors carefully go through the relevant passages, defending along the way that they say exactly what they seem to say -- that homosexuality is a sin from which there should be repentance.

They counter the the objections for each passage, and in doing so create a brief, but worthwhile and thorough, defense of the biblical position.

But at the same show more time, they do not approach the book as an attack against homosexuals. To be sure, they are firm and unapologetic when it comes to their defense of the Bible, but they make it clear that they care deeply for homosexuals and desire their repentance. While they maintain that homosexuality, in both desire and practice, is sinful, they also are clear that it is only a sin, and not something that cannot be forgiven because of Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross.

I do recommend this book, especially to Christians who are wondering where to come down on this issue. As more "Christian" denominations are affirming sin, White and Niell very capably explain why this is something we must not do. We must love the homosexual, we must compassionately call them to the Gospel, but we mustn't ever excuse or accept sin. show less

Great book that I could not put down and finished in 2 days.

This book provides a positive exegesis of crucial texts regarding homosexuality and a refutation of failed attempts to obscure these clear texts. The texts discussed were:
1) Genesis 19
2) Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13
3) Romans 1
4) 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10

Masterful job and an easy to read book.