Single, Gay, Christian

June 12, 2017
Coles uses his personal experiences to reflect on what it means to be both a committed evangelical Christian and gay. Although he leaves his theology vague, he concludes that based on his own reading, the Bible doesn’t offer any room for same-sex relationships. Yet he also does not support conversion therapy. Instead, he claims the identity of gay celibate. Hence, his book is one of the few that expresses the hopes, challenges, and concerns of a new generation of sexually self-denying gay Christians. His best insights are too-briefly presented but include the notion that celibacy reminds other Christians that discipleship should be costly and the assertion that the Fall has distorted all sexuality, not just homosexuality. He also convincingly argues that being gay allows him to view women as more than sexual objects and fellow men as worthy of love. Coles offers only vague details of his own life and he universally characterizes the interactions he has with fellow Christians after he comes out as positive. As a result, his book seems a little too rosy for such a thorny position. Coles’s work will raise questions for those involved in the debates about Christianity and sexuality because it pushes for a third way between discarding tradition and ignoring identity.

August 1, 2017

"I've lost count of how many times over the years I've come out to family and friends. It's a bit like stripping naked every time someone asks to see your tattoo," says Coles (English, Pennsylvania State Univ.). With refreshing candor, the author documents his journey from growing up in an Evangelical faith community and holding traditional biblical views to praying to be straight, to no avail. His thoughtful, intentional path leads him to conclude that he is "a mythical creature"; that is, a committed Christian man who, realizing he is gay, does not act on his same-sex impulses. His decision to remain celibate renders him equally misunderstood by both his Evangelical family and his LGBTQ community. VERDICT A modern reflection on what constitutes an authentic faith. The power of Coles's book is his honest battle with faith and identity politics, meditating ever so sparingly on how the world might be.--SC

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