A well researched and thoughtful exploration of the Bible and what it says for the gay Christian. Matthew Vines takes biblical authority seriously, and gives verses on homosexuality serious treatment. Conservative readers might not agree with his conclusions but they willfully likely respect his process and due diligence.

This is a compelling argument, presented kindly and passionately (though somewhat repetitively...but then, he is not a writer, he is a person on a mission to change culture). Whatever your story or background in regards to this issue--there can be no fault found with the desire to bring about community and grace and acceptance into the body of believers for ALL people. I grow weary at the thought of the hatred spewed by the church and people who profess to love Jesus towards LGBT folks. Jesus said love your neighbor as yourself. He didn't say "unless they're gay." Just do it. They're people who deserve community and love and grace and kindness, just like everyone else. Thought provoking, for sure.

Matthew Vines takes the theology and hermeneutic of James V. Brownson's Bible, Gender, Sexuality, and makes them accessible to every day Christians. He also writes from the perspective of what I would call an evangelical lay person, who also happens to be LGBT. While Vines doesn't expand much on what Brownson wrote, he did make (or at least paraphrase) arguments against the most common rhetoric I see in "welcoming but not affirming" churches: that gay Christians are welcome as long as they are celibate. He also names several resources and ministries for LGBT Christians, including his own, and a calls to action for queer Christian and their allies. I highly recommend this book to any practicing Christian.

Very much based on Matthew's personal experience - that makes it very engaging, but also not a comprehensive book. Excited to use it in a church book study this spring!

One of the best books on the subject.

This was a good book. It took me a while to read, but it was worth it. It examines the context of the verses that seemingly condemn being gay, and reveals that it’s not the case. If you’re curious about this, I encourage you to read it.

As someone who grew up with the deeply held religious conviction that homosexuality was a huge sin and ended up just giving up on religion entirely after realizing I was gay in my mid-20s (having been unjustly excommunicated from my faith which resulted in losing almost my friends and being disowned by my father), this subject has been of personal interest to me. I thought it was well-written, well-researched both Biblically and historically, and presented in a logical and ordered manner. I read it in less than a day and my copy is now covered in all manner of notes. I intend to lend this book out to many, so I hope no one minds the notes. My only disappointment in the book was that it didn't delve much into how marriage has changed over time from Biblical times to the Middle Ages to today and how using the argument of "traditional" is not really a valid argument as heterosexual marriages of today are nothing like those in Biblical times. I definitely would have enjoyed reading more, but loved what was written.

This is very well researched and out together. If you are a non-affirming Christian, this is a good theological intro into same-sex attraction in the Bible. Vines makes many great points here, but at the end poses the question we must answer or at least wrestle with, “Is it acceptable to deny gay Christians the opportunity to sanctify their sexual desires through a God-reflecting covenant?”