Diana R. Garland School of Social Work

LGBTQ+

On this page you will find our recommendations of books, research articles, editorials, websites, movies, podcasts, and other media that we learned from our research and work with the LGBTQ+ community and churches.

Baylor C3I Academic Articles:

  • Harris, H., & Yancey, G. I. (2021). The why and how of congregational discernment in LGBTQ+ inclusion: Models in the literature. Religions, 12(1), 14, https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12010014
  • Harris, H. W., & Yancey, G. (2017). Values, dissonance, and rainbows: Practice tips for Christian social workers in a polarized world. Social Work & Christianity: An International Journal, 44(1-2), 123-142. 
  • Harris, H., Yancey, G.I., Cole, C., Cressy, V., Smith, N., Herridge, M., Ziegler, M., West, B., & Wills, L. (2021). Addressing LGBTQ+ inclusion: Challenges, faith, and resilience in the church and her people. Social Work & Christianity, 48(1), 75-105. https://doi.org/10.34043/swc.v48i1.177
  • Harris, H., Yancey, G. I., Dawson, K., Gregory, J. (2021). A way forward for discernment in congregations: LGBTQ+ inclusion. Religions, 12(3), 191. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12030191
  • Harris, H., Yancey, G. I., Dawson, K., Gregory, J. (2021). Congregational discernment in LGBTQ+ inclusion: Process lessons from 21 congregations. Religions, 12(1) 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12010025
  • Harris, H., Yancey, G. I., Steward, S. (2020). Congregational discernment: One church case study. Religions, 11(27). https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11010027
  • Harris, H., Yancey, G.I., Timbers, V., Cole, C. (2020) LGBTQI+ and Christian? Who decides? Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 39(4), 452-473. 10.1080/15426432.2020.1802392
  • Harris, H., Yancey, G. I., Holmes, K., Jones, J., Goertzen, G., & Herridge, M. (2022). The role of older adults in congregational discernment: lessons about LGBTQ+ inclusion. Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging, DOI: 10.1080/15528030.2022.2038336

Books: 

  • Allen, S. (2019). Real queer America: LGBT stories from red states. Little, Brown and Company.
    • In Real Queer America, Allen takes us on a cross-country road-trip stretching all the way from Provo, Utah to the Rio Grande Valley to the Bible Belt to the Deep South. Her motto for the trip: "Something gay every day." Making pit stops at drag shows, political rallies, and hubs of queer life across the heartland, she introduces us to scores of extraordinary LGBT people working for change, from the first openly transgender mayor in Texas history to the manager of the only queer nightclub in Bloomington, Indiana, and many more. Capturing profound cultural shifts underway in unexpected places and revealing a national network of chosen family fighting for a better world, Real Queer America is a treasure trove of uplifting stories and a much-needed source of hope and inspiration in these divided times.
  • Baldock, K. (2014). Walking the bridgeless canyon: Repairing the breach between the Church and LGBT community. Canyon Walker Press.
    • In Walking the Bridgeless Canyon: Repairing the Breach between the Church and the LGBTQ Community, Baldock uncovers the historical, cultural, medical, and political filters of discrimination through which the LGBTQ community is seen. With a foundational context firmly established, she examines the most controversial filter of all: what the Bible says about same-sex behavior. Ten years of research, as well as relationships with thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, led to answering important questions: How did history, culture, science, and politics intertwine to create social discrimination against the gay and transgender communities? When and why did the conservative Christian community turn their focus on the gay and transgender communities? Should Christian fellowship be extended to gay and transgender people? Should Christian marriages, be granted to same-sex couples? What is happening within the LGBTQ Christian movement today?
  • Beardsely, C. (2017). This is my body: Hearing the theology of transgender Christians. Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
    • Much has been said and written about trans people by theologians and Church leaders, while little has been heard from trans Christians themselves. As a step towards redressing the balance, This Is My Body offers a grounded reflection on people’s experience of gender dissonance that involves negotiating the boundaries between one’s identity and religious faith, as well as a review of the most up-to-date theological, cultural and scientific literature.
  • Brettschneider, M., Burgess, S., & Keating, C. (2017). LGBTQ politics: A critical reader. New York University Press.
    • LGBTQ Politics presents the full range of methodological, ideological, and substantive approaches to LGBTQ politics that exist in political science. Analyses focused on mainstream institutional and elite politics appear alongside contributions grounded in grassroots movements and critical theory. While some essays celebrate the movement’s successes and prospects, others express concerns that its democratic basis has become undermined by a focus on funding power over people power, attempts to fragment the LGBTQ movement from racial, gender and class justice, and a persistent attachment to single-issue politics.
  • Brown, L. (2018). All are welcome: Toward a multi-everything church. Storied Publishing.
    • As conversations abound on social media platforms and in the news media, more people are beginning to wonder why ethnic and cultural diversity is increasing in our cities, yet it is not reflected in our churches. Has it ever been reflected? What caused such separation? Are there cultural and relational barriers that prove too difficult to climb for those different than ourselves? An honest assessment of ourselves could demonstrate that the reason most of our churches remain homogenous in diverse cities is because all are not welcome. Differences tend to separate. Therefore it is easiest to gather with those who are similar, but is that the call of the Great Commission, and is that the outworking of the gospel we observe in the books of Acts? All Are Welcome is an attempt to have (and continue) the conversation that looms in our communities. Each contributor in this edited volume is an ethnic minority. These are the voices that are often overlooked, yet they provide ideas and answers for how to create a much more welcoming environment for all people in our local congregations.
  • Brown, T. (Ed.). (2006).  Other voices, other worlds: The global church speaks out on homosexuality. Church Publishing.
    • In this extraordinary book, in development for several years, this is exposed as a myth. Christians throughout Africa, Asia, and the developing world - bishops, priests and religious, academics and lay writers - open up dramatic new perspectives on familiar arguments and debates. Topics include biblical interpretation, sexuality and doctrine, local history, sexuality and personhood, the influence of other faiths, issues of colonialism and post-colonialism, homophobia, and the place of homosexual persons in the church. Other Voices, Other Worlds reveals the rich historical and cross-cultural complexity to same-sex relationships, and injects dramatic new perspectives into a debate that has become stale and predictable.
  • Brownson, J. V. (2013). Bible, gender, sexuality: Reframing the church’s debate on same-sex relationships. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
    • Fairly presenting both sides in this polarized debate — "traditional" and "revisionist" — Brownson conscientiously analyzes all of the pertinent biblical texts and helpfully identifies "stuck points" in the ongoing debate. In the process, he explores key concepts that inform our understanding of the biblical texts, including patriarchy, complementarity, purity and impurity, honor and shame. Central to his argument is the need to uncover the moral logic behind the text.
  • Cantorna, A. (2017). Refocusing my family: Coming out, being cast out, and discovering the true love of God. Fortress Press.
    • In 2012, at the age of twenty-seven, Amber Cantorna came out to her family as gay. As the daughter of a Focus on the Family executive, that transparency cost her everything. Refocusing My Family is Amber's journey from the suffocating expectations of Focus on the Family to the liberating joy of claiming her own identity. A powerful story of survival, Amber's struggle under the weight of perfectionism, reputation, and appearances is transformed into freedom when she boldly steps into her identity and discovers that the true love of God surpasses all.
  • Cheng, P. (2011) Radical love: Introduction to queer theology. Seabury Books.
    • Cheng provides a historical survey of how queer theology has developed from the 1950s to today and then explicates the themes of queer theology using the ecumenical creeds as a general framework. Topics include revelation, God, Trinity, creation, Jesus Christ, atonement, sin, grace, Holy Spirit, church, sacraments, and last things, as seen through the lenses of LGBT theologians.
  • Chu, J. (2013). Does Jesus really love me: A gay Christian’s pilgrimage in search of God in America. Harper Perennial.
    • Part memoir and part investigative analysis that explores the explosive and confusing intersection of faith, politics, and sexuality in Christian America. The quest to find an answer is at the heart of Does Jesus Really Love Me?—a personal journey of belief, an investigation, and a portrait of a faith and a nation at odds by award-winning reporter Jeff Chu. From Brooklyn to Nashville to California, from Westboro Baptist Church and their “God Hates Fags” protest signs, to the pioneering Episcopalian bishop Mary Glasspool—who proclaims a message of liberation and divine love, Chu captures spiritual snapshots of Christian America at a remarkable moment, when tensions between both sides in the culture wars have rarely been higher.
  • Cottrell, S. (2016). Mom, I’m gay: Loving your LGBTQ+ child and strengthening your faith. Westminster John Knox Press.  
    • Susan Cottrell is a mom who has been there and wants you to know that loving and accepting your gay child does not mean abandoning or even compromising your faith. This is not a book about the politics or morality of homosexuality. This is a book about how to respond with love and support during this vulnerable time for your child. With practical advice and heartfelt encouragement, Cottrell guides readers through the fear and uncertainty Christian parents of LGBTQ children often feel.
  • De La Torre, M. (2007). A lily among the thorns: Imagining a new Christian sexuality. Wiley.
    • De La Torre examines the Bible, current events, history and our culture-at-large to show how and why racism, sexism, and classism have distorted Christianity’s central teachings about sexuality. The author shows how the church’s traditionally negative attitudes toward sex in general—and toward women, people of color, and gays in particular—have made it difficult, if not impossible, to create a biblically based and just sexual ethic. But when the Bible is read from the viewpoint of those who have been marginalized in our society, preconceived notions about Christianity and sex get turned on their heads. Taking on hot-button topics such as pornography, homosexuality, prostitution, and celibacy, the author examines how “reading from the margins” provides a liberating approach to dealing with issues of sexuality.
  • Dessel, A. B. & Bolen, R. M. (Eds.). (2014). Conservative Christian beliefs and sexual orientation in social work. CSWE Press.
    • This important new work addresses the tensions and divisions in social work between conservative Christian religious beliefs and lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB)students, practitioners, faculty members, and clients. Authors representing a diverse range of sexual orientation and religious and professional identities explore the debate regarding freedom of religious expression and full sexual orientation affirmation. Their discussions provide a deeper understanding of the complexity of topics such as social identity, oppression, power and privilege, human rights and social justice, attitudes and prejudice, and ethics and the law. The book also discusses multiple ways of resolving some of the conflicts, including intergroup dialogue and sociodrama.
  • Douglas, K.B. (1999). Sexuality and the Black Church: A womanist perspective. Orbis.
    • This book tackles the "taboo" subject of sexuality that has long been avoided by the Black church and community. Douglas argues that this view of Black sexuality has interfered with constructive responses to the AIDS crisis and teenage pregnancies, fostered intolerance of sexual diversity, frustrated healthy male/female relationships, and rendered Black and womanist theologians silent on sexual issues.
  • Edman, E. (2017). Queer virtue: What LGBTQ people know about life and love and how it can revitalize Christianity. Beacon Press.
    • In Queer Virtue, Edman posits that Christianity, at its scriptural core, incessantly challenges its adherents to rupture false binaries, to “queer” lines that pit people against one another. Thus, Edman asserts that Christianity, far from being hostile to queer people, is itself inherently queer. Arguing from the heart of scripture, she reveals how queering Christianity—that is, disrupting simplistic ways of thinking about self and other—can illuminate contemporary Christian faith. Pushing well past the notion that “Christian love = tolerance,” Edman offers a bold alternative: the recognition that queer people can help Christians better understand their fundamental calling and the creation of sacred space where LGBTQ Christians are seen as gifts to the church.
  • Ehrensaft, D. (2016). The gender creative child: Pathways for nurturing and supporting children who live outside gender boxes. The Experiment.
    • In this up-to-date, comprehensive resource, Dr. Ehrensaft explains the interconnected effects of biology, nurture, and culture to explore why gender can be fluid, rather than binary. As an advocate for the gender affirmative model and with the expertise she has gained over three decades of pioneering work with children and families, she encourages caregivers to listen to each child, learn their particular needs, and support their quest for a true gender self. The Gender Creative Child unlocks the door to a gender-expansive world, revealing pathways for positive change in our schools, our communities, and the world.
  • Glaser, C. (1991). Coming out to God. Westminster John Knox Press.
    • Chris Glaser believes that spirituality and sexuality are not opposing forces, but that they are both important parts of the human experience that ought to be embraced. This book of prayers encourages readers to "come out" to God as sexual and spiritual beings.
  • Graham, L.K. (1997). Discovering images of God: Narratives of care among lesbians and gays. Westminster John Knox Press.
    • In a prejudiced society, the experiences of lesbians and gays can provide powerful resources for all people to help shape their images of God. Larry Graham has interviewed lesbians and gays across the country and has discovered a new sense of God at work through all people. These insights bring new images of God that are truer, more faithful, and more deeply connected to the pains and joys of life.
  • Griffin, H.L. (2006). Their own receive them not: African American lesbians & gays in Black Churches. The Pilgrim Press.
    • In Their Own Receive Them Not, Griffin provides a historical overview and critical analysis of the black church and its current engagement with lesbian and gay Christians, and shares ways in which black churches can learn to reach out and confront all types of oppression-not just race-in order to do the work of the black community.
  • Gushee, D. (2017). Changing our minds: A call from America’s leading evangelical ethics scholar for full acceptance of LGBT Christians in the Church. Read the Spirit Books.
    • In Changing Our Mind, Gushee takes the reader along his personal and theological journey as he changes his mind about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender inclusion in the Church.
  • Helminiak, D. (2000). What the Bible really says about homosexuality. Alamo Square Press.
    • Does God's word in the Bible really condemn homosexuality? Top scholars show that those who perceive Bible passages as condemning homosexuality are being misled by faulty translation and poor interpretation. The Bible has been used to justify slavery, inquisitions, apartheid and the subjugation of women. Now, in this book which has sold over 100 thousand copies, read what the Bible really says about homosexuality.
  • Hornsby, T. & Guest, D. (2016). Transgender, intersex, and Biblical interpretation. SBL Press.
    • In this volume Hornsby and Guest introduce readers to terms for the various identities of trans people and how the Bible can be an affirmation of those deemed sexually other by communities. This book offers readings of well known (e.g., Gen 1; Revelation) and not so well known (2 Sam 6; Jer 38) narratives to illustrate that the Bible has been translated and interpreted with a bias that makes heterosexuality and a two sex, two gender system natural, and thus divinely ordained. The authors present examples that show gender was never a binary, and in the Bible gender and sex are always dynamic categories that do, and must, transition.
  • Jackson, D. (2016). Risking grace: Loving our gay family and friends like Jesus. Castle Rock Creative.
    • This is a father’s story about the agonizing personal journey of coming to realize that evangelicals have lost their way when it comes to gay people by substituting a works/righteousness requirement for the clear Gospel message that salvation comes by grace through faith alone. Jackson explores alternative interpretations to the "prohibitive texts," but the main foundation for his change of heart is the life and ministry of Jesus, how he embraced marginalized people, and the way he and the early church dealt with difficult issues. He shares his story because many have family members or friends who are gay, and we all need help learning how to love like Jesus.
  • Jian Lee, D. (2016). Rescuing Jesus: How people of color, women, and queer Christians are reclaiming evangelicalism. Beacon Press.
    • In Rescuing Jesus, Jian Lee ventures into the world of progressive evangelicalism, telling the stories of those at the forefront of a movement that could change the face and the substance of religion in the United States. These men and women are a young and diverse array of people—LGBTQ and straight; white, black, Asian, Hispanic, and indigenous—who are working to wrest political power away from conservatives. These young evangelicals are more likely than their elders to accept same-sex marriage, more inclined to think of “pro-life” issues as being about supporting society’s disenfranchised, and more accepting of equality between men and women.
  • Jordon, M.D. (2011).  Recruiting young love: How Christians talk about homosexuality. University of Chicago Press.
    • In Recruiting Young Love, Mark D. Jordan explores more than a half century of American church debate about homosexuality to show that even as the main lesson—homosexuality is bad, teens are vulnerable—has remained constant, the arguments and assumptions have changed remarkably. At the time of the first Kinsey Report, in 1948, homosexuality was simultaneously condemned and little discussed—a teen struggling with same-sex desire would have found little specific guidance. Sixty years later, church rhetoric has undergone a radical shift, as silence has given way to frequent, public, detailed discussion of homosexuality and its perceived dangers. Along the way, churches have quietly adopted much of the language and ideas of modern sexology, psychiatry, and social reformers—deploying it, for example, to buttress the credentials of anti-gay “deprogramming” centers and traditional gender roles. Jordan tells this story through a wide variety of sources, including oral histories, interviews, memoirs, and even pulp novels; the result is a fascinating window onto the never-ending battle for the teenage soul.
  • Kundtz, D., and Schlager, B. (2007). Ministry among God’s queer folk: LGBT pastoral care. The Pilgrim Press.
    • This practical handbook, written by two self-described queer people of faith, covers the basic skills religious caregivers and ministry students need in order to be effective, enlightened, and supportive pastoral care providers to LGBTQ persons within as well as outside their congregations and communities.
  • Lee, J. (2013).  Torn: Rescuing the gospel from the gays vs. Christians debate. Jericho.
    • More than just a memoir, Torn provides insightful, practical guidance for all committed Christians who wonder how to relate to gay friends or family members--or who struggle with their own sexuality. Convinced that "in a culture that sees gays and Christians as enemies, gay Christians are in a unique position to bring peace," Lee demonstrates that people of faith on both sides of the debate can respect, learn from, and love one another.
  • Lightsey, P. (2015). Our lives matter: A womanist queer theology. Pickwick Publications.
    • Our Lives Matter uses the tenor of the 2014 national protests that emerged as a response to excessive police force against Black people to frame the book as following the discursive tradition of liberation theologies broadly speaking and womanist theology specifically. Using a womanist methodological approach, Pamela R. Lightsey helps readers explore the impact of oppression against Black LBTQ women while introducing them to the emergent intellectual movement known as queer theology. The author privileges their narratives and experiences as she reviews several doctrines and dogma of the Christian church. Theological reflection on contemporary debates such as same-sex marriage and ordination rights make this book a valuable resource to clergy, students of theology, LGBTQ persons and allies.
  • Martin, C. (2016). UnClobber: Rethinking our misuse of the Bible on homosexuality. Westminster John Knox Press.
    • Churches in America are experiencing an unprecedented fracturing due to their belief and attitude toward the LGBTQ community. Armed with only six passages in the Bible—often known as the “clobber passages”—the traditional Christian position has been one that stands against the full inclusion of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters. Unclobber reexamines each of those frequently quoted passages of Scripture, alternating with author Colby Martin’s own story of being fired from an evangelical megachurch when they discovered his stance on sexuality.
  • McNeill, J. (1988). Taking chance on God: Liberating theology for gays, lesbians, and their lovers, families, and friends. Beacon Press.
    • This guidebook draws on the principles of the gay and lesbian liberation movement and the author's counseling experience with homosexuals to show gays and lesbians how to maintain their identity within the Christian church.
  • Michaelson, J. (2012). God vs. gay? The religious case for equality. Beacon Press.
    • The myth that the Bible forbids homosexuality—the myth of “God versus Gay”—is behind some of the most divisive and painful conflicts of our day. In this provocative and game-changing book, scholar and activist Jay Michaelson shows that the Bible does not prohibit same-sex intimacy but does quite the opposite. In fact, the vast majority of the Bible’s teachings support the full equality and dignity of LGBTQ people, from the first flaw it finds in creation (“It is not good for a person to be alone”) to the way religious communities grow through reflection and conscience. Michaelson argues passionately for equality—not despite religion, but because of it.
  • Miner, J. & Connoley, J.T. (2002). The children are free: Reexamining the Biblical evidence on same-sex relationships. LifeJourney Press.
    • In The Children Are Free, Rev. Jeff Miner and John Tyler Connoley offer a comprehensive yet easy-to-read examination of the biblical evidence regarding loving same-sex relationships and God's attitude toward them.
  • Myers, D.G. & Scanzoni, L. D. (2005). What God has joined together: The Christian case for gay marriage. Harper Collins Publishers.
    • What God Has Joined Together is an effort to bridge the divide between marriage-supporting and gay-supporting people of faith by showing why both sides have important things to say and showing how both sides can coexist. Drawing on scientific research as well as on the Bible, the authors explain that marriage is emotionally, physically, financially, and spiritually beneficial for everyone, not just heterosexuals. They debunk myths about sexual orientation, assess claims of sexual reorientation, and explore what the Bible does and does not say about same-sex relationships. The book ends with a persuasive case for gay marriage and outlines how this can be a win-win solution for all.
  • Perry, T.D. & Swicegood, T. (1990). Don’t be afraid anymore: The story of Reverend Troy Perry and the Metropolitan Community Churches. St. Martins Press.
    • A gay minister recounts his Florida childhood, his excommunication from the Church of God, and his founding of the Metropolitan Community Church
  • Robertson, B. (2017) Our witness: The unheard stories of LGBT+ Christians. Darton, Longman, & Todd Ltd.
    • In Our Witness, Brandan Robertson has collected the powerful testimonies and experiences of LGBT+ Christians living in active and influential faith today. Some have faced rejection and marginalisation from parts of the Church; some have found fulfilment and blessing through reconciliation of their faith and their sexuality within the Church; and some bear witness to the great and fruitful revival that the Holy Spirit is bringing about through the lives of the LGBT+ Christian community. These are stories of faith, hope, love and life, and testimony to a wonderful new work of God in our world today.
  • Sanders, C. J. (2017) A brief guide to ministry with LGBTQIA youth. Westminster John Knox Press.
    • Despite our best efforts to create welcoming and affirming congregations, the reality is that church can still be a harmful place to LGBTQIA youth. Inside A Brief Guide to Ministry with LGBTQIA Youth, author Cody J. Sanders challenges pastors and church leaders to reflect on the various trials that adolescence brings for LGBTQIA youth. Designed for congregations that currently have a theologically and biblically affirming stance toward the LGBTQIA community, this unique resource provides insight and practical advice for tough questions like: How does an affirming stance toward LGBTQIA people affect the day-to-day experience of teenagers in a church setting? In what ways can a church's youth ministry have a positive impact on the lives of LGBTQIA youth who want to fully live out their Christian faith and their gender identity? How can a pastor, youth minister, or youth ministry volunteer embrace, nurture, and provide skillful care for LGBTQIA youth in a congregation or community? A glossary of terms to use when talking about LGBTQIA issues and a list of national and location resources that can be used to support LGBTQIA youth are included.
  • Seow, C-L. (Ed.) (1996). Homosexuality and Christian community. Westminster John Knox Press.
    • Contributors to this volume, all members of the Princeton Theological Seminary faculty, address the various exegetical, interpretive, and practical issues pertaining to the issue of homosexuality in the church. These include the ordination of homosexuals and the blessing of homosexual unions, as well as broader issues dealing with liturgical and theological language about God and the role of the church in a pluralistic society.
  • Shore-Goss, R., Bohache, T., Cheng, P., & West, R.. (2013). Queering Christianity: Finding a place at the table for LGBTQI Christians. Praeger.
    • Through essays by noted lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and intersex (LGBTQI) religion scholars, this important compilation summarizes the history and current status of LGBTQI theology, exploring its relationship to the policies, practices, and theology of traditional Christianity. Contributors contrast the "radically inclusive" thinking of LGBTQI theology with the "exclusivity" practiced by many Christian churches, explaining the reasoning of each and clarifying contentious issues. At the same time, the book highlights ways in which "queer" theology and practice benefit Christian congregations.
  • Stuart, E (1997). Religion is a queer thing: A guide to the Christian faith for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people. The Pilgrim Press.
    • Since the mid-1980s, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Christians have found confidence in their ability to define their own experience and think theologically about it. "Queer" theology has emerged as a distinctive theological tradition.
  • Switzer, D. (1999). Pastoral care of gays, lesbians, and their families. Fortress.
    • This book, written by a pastoral theologian with years of experience in counseling gay and lesbian individuals and their families, assist both pastoral caregivers and congregations in examining and enhancing their pastoral care of homosexuals and their families. This thoughtful book provides factual information, theological and biblical insight, and practical counseling skills to help congregations become caring communities for gays and lesbians.
  • Tigert, L. (1999). Coming out through fire: Surviving the trauma of homophobia. United Church Press.
    • Coming Out through Fire is for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons who seek to move through the trauma of homophobia with the passion and power of transformation. It is also for pastors, therapists, and other helping professionals who seek to confront prejudice and fear and to further the process of healing and recovery in the church and wider community.
  • Tigert, L. & Tirabassi, M. (2010). All whom God has joined: Resources for clergy and same-gender loving couples. Pilgrim.    
    • All Whom God Has Joined provides unique yet practical liturgical and ceremonial resources as well as pastoral care tools and insights on same-sex covenanting ceremonies for clergy and couples addressing these issues.
  • Vines, M. (2015). God and the gay Christian: The Biblical case in support of same-sex relationships. Convergent Books.
    • Feeling the tension between his understanding of the Bible and the reality of his same-sex orientation, Vines devoted years of intensive research into what the Bible says about homosexuality. With care and precision, Vines asked questions such as: do biblical teachings on the marriage covenant preclude same-sex marriage or not, how should we apply the teachings of Jesus to the gay debate, can celibacy be a calling when it is mandated, not chosen, and what did Paul have in mind when he warned against same-sex relations? Unique in its affirmation of both an orthodox faith and sexual diversity, God and the Gay Christian has sparked heated debate, sincere soul search­ing, and widespread cultural change on the issue of what it means to be a faithful gay Christian.
  • White, M. (1995). Stranger at the gate: To be gay and Christian in America. Plume.
    • In this remarkable book, Mel White details his twenty-five years of being counseled, exorcised, electric-shocked, prayed for, and nearly driven to suicide because his church said homosexuality was wrong. But his salvation—to be openly gay and Christian—is more than a unique coming-out story. It is a chilling exposé that goes right into the secret meetings and hidden agendas of the religious right. Told by an eyewitness and sure to anger those Mel White once knew best, Stranger at the Gate is a warning about where the politics of hate may lead America.
  • Wilson, K. (2016) A letter to my congregation: An evangelical pastor’s path to embracing people who are gay, lesbian, and transgender in the company of Jesus. Read the Spirit Books.
    • Wilson shows how God has led him on a journey toward a rethinking of what the fully authoritative and inspired Bible ought to be taken to mean in the life of the church today.
  • Wilson, N. (2013) Outing the Bible: Queer folks, God, Jesus, and the Christian scriptures. LifeJourney Press.
    • Rev. Dr. Nancy Wilson, Moderator of the Metropolitan Community Churches, explores the Bible's complex and often-misunderstood messages on homosexuality and diversity. Wilson explores eunuchs, same-sex relationships, sodomy, sexuality and healing, and other queer issues in scripture. She takes on the infamous "clobber texts" and places them in correct contexts.
  • Wilson, N. (2016). I love to tell the story: 100+ stories of justice, inclusion, and hope. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
    • I Love to Tell the Story is a collection of over 100 stories of love. From burying their dead from AIDS, fighting with the National Council of Churches, standing on courthouse steps for marriage, Rev. Dr. Nancy Wilson and thousands of other MCC history-makers were on the front lines preaching love for all.

Research Articles and Editorials: 

  • Barnes, S. L. (2013). To welcome or affirm: Black clergy views about homosexuality, inclusivity, and church leadership. Journal of Homosexuality, 60, 1409–1433. doi:10.1080/00918369.2013.819204
  • Barton, B. (2010). Life as a Bible Belt gay. Journal of Homosexuality. 57(4), 465-484. doi:10.1080/00918361003608558
  • Brennan-Ing, M., Seidel, L., Larson, B., & Karpiak, S. E. (2013). I’m created in God’s image and God don’t create junk: Religious participation and support among older LGBT adults. Journal of Religion, Spirituality, & Aging, 25(2), 70-92. doi:10.1080/15528030.2013.748598
  • Buchanan, M., Dzelme, K., Harris, D., & Hecker, L. (2001). Challenges of being simultaneously gay or lesbian and spiritual and/or religious: A narrative perspective. American Journal of Family Therapy. 29(5), 435-449. doi:10.1080/01926180127629
  • Coburn, K. O., Bishop, E. K., Lambert-Shute, J., Nguyen, H. N., McCoy, T. L., & McGeorge, C. R. (2019). The Christian closet: A phenomenological study of queer Christian women’s navigation of church communities. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy: An International Forum. https://doi.org/10.1080/08952833.2019.1640569
  • Foster, K.A., Bowland, S.E., & Vosler, A.N. (2015). All the pain along with all the joy: Spiritual resilience in lesbian and gay Christians. American Journal of Community Psychology. 55(1-2), 191-201. doi:10.1007/s10464-015-9704-4 
  • Freeman-Coppadge, D. & Horne, S. (2019). What happens if the cross falls and crushes me?: Psychological and spiritual promises and perils of lesbian and gay Christian celibacy. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. 6(4). doi:10.1037/sgd0000341
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  • Harris, H., Yancey, G. I., Steward, S. (2020). Congregational discernment: One church case study. Religions, 11(27). https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11010027
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