Further Resources
My Essays
I will link here pdfs of my research essays that formed the basis for most of this website:
Other Contributions
I will link here pdfs of helpful contributions kindly provided by others:
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https://affirmingevangelical.substack.com/
Revisionist Publications
My own research was informed by great resources from various authors and sources to whom I’m much indebted. I would recommend the following materials that are all evangelical and affirming/revisionist. All of them highlight different facets of the revisionist case. Their overall conclusions are the same but with some minor differences of view along the way. If you only have time for one of them I would most highly recommend Matthew Vines’ book. This was instrumental in (God) changing my own position. Unlike most of the other authors, (like me) he is not a theologian, but his book is as thorough, well-researched and carefully considered as any of them. He's also just fully updated it. This now includes a really helpful new scriptural argument concerning usury (summarised in my Tests section) and a deep dive into the evidence why same-sex marriage-like relationships were unheard of when the Bible was written.
I also found really helpful the books by the US theologians, James Brownson and the Hays. And a shout out for the Brits for Danny Brierley's brilliant To Inclusion and Beyond, which was a real inspiration for me in starting this website.
However, all the publications below come highly recommended, and - given our diversity! - different books and different writers will chime with different people.
Recently, I found reading Vicky Beeching's and Brandi Carlile's autobiographies, one after the other, such an insightful illustration of which teaching realises John 10:10. These are tales of two God-gifted, lesbian singer-songwriters. Forever the perfect pupil, Vicky stoically stuck to the traditionalist evangelical teaching she was brought up with. This rewarded her only with great pain and sadness, for so long forcing her to deny her sexuality and depriving her of the female life-partner she craved. Like Vicky, Brandi had known Jesus from early childhood. But unlike her, poverty and childhood illness had fired Brandi as a rebel who flunked High School. So she never let traditionalist church teaching stand in the way of her realising her identity. Ultimately, this left her free to follow Jesus whilst also experiencing the great joy of the life she has shared with her wife, Catherine.
Polemics
God and the Gay Christian- the Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships (Revised and Expanded), Matthew Vines - just make sure it is the 2025 revised and expanded version (Amazon originally sent me the old one!) or you'll miss out on the great new stuff!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/God-Gay-Christian-Biblical-Relationships-ebook/dp/B00F1W0RD2
Bible, Gender, Sexuality – Reframing the Church’s Debate on Same-Sex Relationships, James Brownson https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bible-Gender-Sexuality-Reframing-Relationships/dp/0802868630
To Inclusion and Beyond – Evangelical and affirming LGBTQ+ relationships and equal marriage, Danny Brierley.
In ordinary book form:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inclusion-Beyond-Evangelical-affirming-relationships/dp/B0CWD3GC1Q
In audiobook form:
The Widening of God’s Mercy – Sexuality within the Biblical Story, Richard B. and Christopher B. Hays https://www.amazon.co.uk/Widening-Gods-Mercy-Sexuality-Biblical/dp/0300273428
Affirmative – Why You Can Say Yes to the Bible and Yes to People who are LGBTQ+, Jonathan Tallon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Affirmative-Why-Bible-People-LGBTQI/dp/1739261607
Love means love – same-sex relationships and the bible, David Runcorn
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Means-Same-sex-Relationships-Bible/dp/028108441M
Scripture, Ethics and possibility of same-sex relationships, Karen R. Keen https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scripture-Ethics-Possibility-Same-Sex-Relationships/dp/0802876544
The possibility of difference – a biblical affirmation of inclusivity, Marcus Green
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Possibility-Difference-Marcus-Green/dp/1848679726
Queer Holiness, the Gift of LGBTQI people to the Church, Charlie Bell https://amzn.eu/d/gl8PMwF
Journeys in Grace and Truth: Revisiting Scripture and Sexuality, Jayne Ozanne
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Journeys-Grace-Truth-Revisiting-Scripture/dp/0993294243
Defusing the Sexuality Debate, Mark Vasey-Saunders
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Defusing-Sexuality-Debate-Anglican-Evangelical/dp/033406354X
Generous spaciousness: Responding to gay Christians in the church, Wendy VanderWal-Gritter. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Generous-Spaciousness-Responding-Christians-Church-ebook/dp/B00GHXRI22/
A Church at War, Stephen Bates. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Church-War-Anglicans-Homosexuality/dp/1850434808
Autobiographies
Exchanging the Truth of God for a Lie: One Man’s Spiritual Journey to Find the Truth about Homosexuality and Same-sex Partnerships, Jeremy Marks https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exchanging-Truth-God-Lie-Homosexuality/dp/1903905346
Undivided – Coming out, Becoming Whole, and Living Free from Shame, Vicky Beeching https://www.amazon.co.uk/Undivided-Coming-Becoming-Whole-Living/dp/0008182140
Broken Horses : A Memoir, Brandi Carlile
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=broken+horses+brandi+carlile+book&crid
Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays vs Christians Debate, Justin Lee https://www.amazon.co.uk/Torn-Rescuing-Gospel-Gays-Vs-Christians-Debate/dp/1455514306
Documentary Films
Pray Away https://www.netflix.com/title/81040370
1946 : The Mistranslation that Shifted Culture https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.ee19bfac-ed98-472a-85c1-429edbc4f586?autoplay=0&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb
On-line resources
Matthew Vines’ The Reformation Project – Advancing LGBTQ Inclusion in the Church https://www.reformationproject.org
Inclusive Evangelicals https://www.inclusiveevangelicals.com/
They offer a range of articles and resources on all aspects of LGBTQ+ inclusion within the church and the bibical basis for this. They offer a discussion space through the Facebook group 'Inclusive Evangelicals' (request to join)
The Student Christian Movement https://www.movement.org.uk/resources-grid?theme[]=1519
This includes useful materials on "How to be a Good Christian Ally", queer & trans theologies and a sexuality workshop
Inclusive Church Network : https://www.inclusive-church.org
Post Courage:
Jeremy Marks' ministry offering pastoral care and support for LGBTQ+ Christians, including survivors of "conversion therapy"
Jonathan Tallon: www.bibleandhomosexuality.org
Karen Keen: karenkeen.com/resources-on-sexuality
St James and Emmanuel Church: stjamesandemmanuel.org/beyond-inclusion/ several videos of their story
Methodist Church - guidance and resources for same-sex marriage.
Two:23 Network
This is a network of Christians, connected by LGBT issues, who have discovered that God loves you just as you are and to live in a way that cherishes others just as God cherishes you.
Diverse Church
Diverse Church is a religious organisation for young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Christians in UK evangelical churches. It provides pastoral support for LGBT Christians who are members of churches who are not supportive of their sexual orientation or gender identity https://www.diversechurch.co.uk
Neutral Publications
This is a recommended selection of "neutral" sources - looking at the issue from both viewpoints.
Love is an Orientation -Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community, Andrew Marin https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Orientation-Elevating-Conversation-Community/dp/0830836268
Us versus us: The untold story of religion and the LGBT community, Andrew Marin
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Us-Versus-Untold-Religion-Community/dp/1631466194
Homosexuality and the Bible: Two Views, Dan Via and Robert Gagnon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Homosexuality-Bible-Views-Dan-Via/dp/080063618X
Two Views on Homosexuality, The Bible and the Church, Preston Sprinkle and others https://www.amazon.co.uk/Views-Homosexuality-Bible-Church-Counterpoints/dp/0310528631
Navigating by the Son, Stephen Cox
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Navigating-Son-Finding-Unfamiliar-Landscape/dp/1800462336
A conservative who is urging ‘walking with’ not ‘apart’ his gay son with their different faith understanding on this.
Traditionalist Publications
For those who want to dig deeper into the traditionalist case I would recommend the following resources. These are all from sincere, Christ-loving, evangelicals, motivated, like us, by finding God’s truth. I found such materials very helpful in understanding the traditionalist case and why they reached their position. I explored them with an open mind, fully prepared to change my position if the evidence they presented persuaded me their position was Jesus’s position. Ultimately, that’s all I’m interested in – to be on the same page as our Lord - on this and everything else. But what I found was the traditionalist position simply goes against the weight of the evidence. Ultimately, I'm fully convinced, it just doesn’t add up. Something that the author of the first source, the late Richard Hays, later humbly admitted in The Widening of God’s Mercy, co-authored with his son, Christopher (see above).
The Moral Vision of the New Testament (chapter 16), Richard B Hays https://www.amazon.co.uk/Moral-Vision-New-Testament/dp/006063796X
The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics, Robert Gagnon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bible-Homosexual-Practice-Texts-Hermeneutics/dp/0687022797
Same Sex Relationships, John Stott https://www.amazon.co.uk/Same-Sex-Relationships-John-Stott/dp/1784982652
Homosexuality : Speaking the Truth in Love – 4 part YouTube series, Mike Winger https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHsp1qWCFFN2JPKd5b6_LPED
Finding Your Best Identity, A short Christian introduction to identity, sexuality and gender, Andrew Blunt https://www.awesomebooks.com/book/9781789744200/finding-your-best-identity
Robert Gagnon’s website http://www.robgagnon.net