Texts, Sex, and Sanctity: Robert Gagnon on Homosexuality and the Bible

There are few issues within the church more potent than that of homosexuality. Barbara Wheeler, President of Auburn Theological Seminary in New York, has noted that “What we in the churches teach about homosexuality affects the lives of many more people than our own members.” In recent years, the debate on this issue has centered on disagreements over the exact nature of biblical teaching concerning sexuality. Dr. Robert Gagnon, Associate Professor of New Testament Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is one of the world’s foremost experts on the subject and the author of the critically acclaimed text, The Bible and Homosexual Practice. In this Conversation, Dr. Gagnon talks with Ken Myers about the cultural trends and theological arguments that have shaped the dispute over the past few decades, in the hope of clarifying the answers to many of these complex questions.

Also included on this feature is a reading of Philip Turner’s essay “The Episcopalian Preference” published in First Things in the November, 2003 issue. 72 minutes.