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Unclobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality
by Colby Martin
I'm a Lutheran. As I've gotten older and more serious about social justice (especially the discrimination of Black and LGBTQ+ communities through book-banning), I've started questioning the variances of Christianity. There are so many examples (past and present) of violence and hate fueled by Christianity. Is a religion that does this the one for me? How can I reconcile my progressive-leaning faith with actual scripture?
When I struggle, I lean into my "go-to:" WDTBS (What Do The Books Say)? And by doing that, I found this terrific book.
Colby is an ex-evangelical pastor who "came out" in 2011--not about his sexuality but his true beliefs. After revealing to his church's elders that he believed the LGBTQ+ community were children of God and their loves and lives were not sins, he was fired. In this book, he mixes anecdotes of his story with a theological analysis of the "clobber" passages of the Bible; the passages that are used as "proof" that LGBTQ+ people are living expressly against the words of the Bible and the will of God. The metaphor is that these verses are used to "clobber" LGBTQ+ people over the head with the Bible.
Colby's personal story and his analyses are excellent--relatable, smart, and sensible. He looks at Genesis 19, Leviticus 18:22 & 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9 & 1 Timothy 1:10 through lenses of scriptural translation (e.g. the story of Sodom and Gomorrah warns against power & control not same-sex relations), the difference between the Bible's patriarchal society/culture and today, how change-of-thought is demonstrated in scripture, and, most importantly, the Bible's golden rule: Love thy neighbor as thyself.
I'm happy to say this book reaffirmed my faith in a God and a religion/spirituality that accepts ALL and puts love and charity toward others before self-righteous judgement and hate fueled by strict reading of scripture (Do we cut off hands that steal?). And, best of all, it gave me some great theological language to back up my core beliefs. If you're struggling with your faith, this is a great resource for perspective.
When I struggle, I lean into my "go-to:" WDTBS (What Do The Books Say)? And by doing that, I found this terrific book.
Colby is an ex-evangelical pastor who "came out" in 2011--not about his sexuality but his true beliefs. After revealing to his church's elders that he believed the LGBTQ+ community were children of God and their loves and lives were not sins, he was fired. In this book, he mixes anecdotes of his story with a theological analysis of the "clobber" passages of the Bible; the passages that are used as "proof" that LGBTQ+ people are living expressly against the words of the Bible and the will of God. The metaphor is that these verses are used to "clobber" LGBTQ+ people over the head with the Bible.
Colby's personal story and his analyses are excellent--relatable, smart, and sensible. He looks at Genesis 19, Leviticus 18:22 & 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9 & 1 Timothy 1:10 through lenses of scriptural translation (e.g. the story of Sodom and Gomorrah warns against power & control not same-sex relations), the difference between the Bible's patriarchal society/culture and today, how change-of-thought is demonstrated in scripture, and, most importantly, the Bible's golden rule: Love thy neighbor as thyself.
I'm happy to say this book reaffirmed my faith in a God and a religion/spirituality that accepts ALL and puts love and charity toward others before self-righteous judgement and hate fueled by strict reading of scripture (Do we cut off hands that steal?). And, best of all, it gave me some great theological language to back up my core beliefs. If you're struggling with your faith, this is a great resource for perspective.