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A critique of chapter 7 of Some Issues in Human Sexuality, exploring trans issues.

The Lambeth Conference in 2008 has included a ‘listening process’ where people hear the views of others and listen to the experience of homosexual people. This book includes items from all parts of the world, from individuals and groups, to give a spectrum of views under eight different chapter headings. Background information on homosexuality, advice [...]

This book offers a detailed plan for resolving the present crisis over homosexuality in the Anglican Church, prompted by the appointment of openly gay bishops in USA and England, and the blessing of a gay partnership in Canada. Robert Van de Weyer offers proposals both for world-wide Anglicanism and for the Church of England. Tracing [...]

This book examines the values, beliefs, and rhetoric of the chief opponents of gay rights – the organisations of the Christian right. It traces the emergence of their antigay agenda and explores how and why the Christian right made anti-gay activity a top priority, and how it both extends and departs from their past politics. [...]

J. I. Packer, Professor of Theology, Regent College, remarks in Christianity Today, Jan. 21, 2003 “I cannot regard anyone as qualified to debate homosexuality who has not come to terms with Gagnon’s encyclopedic examination.” Jürgen Becker, Professor of New Testament, Christian-Albrechts University (Kiel, Germany) (From Inside Book). “The most sophisticated and convincing examination to date….An [...]

The author writes ‘prior to researching this book, I had no idea that slavery, killing Jews and gays was “biblically justified.” This book began in 1992 during the “family values” debates as dinner conversation over two things you should never discuss in polite company: religion and politics. “The Bible Tells Me So” deals not with [...]

Essays by leading Anglican theologians, philosophers, historians and biblical scholars invite clergy and laypeople from every tradition in the church to re-examine the arguments used to defend current teaching on sexual ethics, including same-sex relationships.

‘Paul Moore’s vocation as an Episcopal priest took him – with his wife Jenny and a family that grew to nine children – from robber baron wealth to work among the urban poor of postwar America, prominence as an activist bishop in Washington during the Johnson years, leadership in the Civil Rights and Peace movements, [...]

With great candour, Cozzens zeroes in on some of the more provocative issues among clergy; his discussions of celibacy, homosexuality and sexual abuse of children are particularly insightful. Each of these discussions is driven by the author’s fascination with the way that priests since Vatican II have “haltingly acknowledged a need, linked to the very [...]

Issues surrounding homosexuality threaten to divide the Christian churches and the people within them. This unique resource presents short pieces from some of the nation’s most prominent church leaders – Protestant and Catholic, mainline and evangelical – who address the fundamental moral imperatives about homosexuality. Together they invite the reader to open his or her [...]

In this brave and good book which shatters bad myths’ (Commonweal), McNeill shows that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality, and argues that the Church must not continue its homophobic practices.

Mark Jordan has written a provocative  introduction to the issues surrounding sexual ethics and sexuality and theology, filling a much–needed void in this field. He summarises key topics and themes in the teaching and discussion of religious ethics as well as pushing forward the debate in interesting and original directions.

Bestselling authors of The Last Week and The First Christmas, Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan present a new understanding of early Christianity—this time to reveal a radical Paul who has been suppressed by the church. Paul is second only to Jesus as the most important person in the birth of Christianity, and yet [...]

The friend, by groundbreaking gay historian Alan Bray, explores the long and storied relationship between friendship and the traditional family of the church in England. Bray evaluates how the ethics of friendship have evolved over the centuries from ideas of moral benevolence to a more private and sexualised idea of friendship.  

In seeking to respond to attacks on their lives, identities and relationships LGBT Christians have moved over recent decades from a defensive position to a more affirmative position which asserts that there is evidence in the Bible and the Jesus tradition of validated homoerotic experience. This book presents a systematic overview of both the defensive [...]

A small town boy raised as a conservative Christian meets and falls in love with another boy, and finds acceptance from the community and his parents. A great book for teenagers.

Panentheism entails imaging God, not as a monarch to whom we owe fealty, but as a lover with whom we have a relationship. Borg ultimately maintains that living in relationship with God enjoins an open heart; a politics based in compassion.

Argues for inclusivity in church for gay people, with a strong emphasis on spirituality.  Perfect not just for LGBT people, but for anyone who has felt unincluded in church.  

Long an astute observer of religion, Tickle examines a phenomenon she refers to as the Great Emergence, a once-every-500-years trend within Christianity, in which a new and “more vital” form of the religion emerges. She believes such a development is happening now.

This book provides a valuable glimpse into the essence of Christianity for those who have left the faith because they no longer believe its doctrines and those who are trying to remain in the faith while questioning its doctrines.

Jesus apparently avoided designations such as Messiah, Son of God, or God, though these titles were given by his disciples after his death and resurrection. But Jesus is repeatedly depicted as using the obscure expression “the Human Being” as virtually his only form of self- reference. Wink explores how Jesus’ self-referential phrase came to be universalized as the “Human Being” or “Truly Human One.”

This short, accessible and compelling book argues that an inclusive vision of God lies at the heart of Christian theology. Since the 1960s liberal theology has been driven by social justice issues and an ethic of tolerance. This has not been enough to check the rise of neoconservative theologies that now predominate in the Churches. [...]

This text explores the invention of sodomy in medieval Christendom, examining its conceptual foundations in theology and gauging its impact on Christian sexual ethics both then and now. It traces the cultural construct of  ‘sodomy’ through many of the idiosyncratic worldviews of the Middle Ages – worldviews at war with themselves in their attitudes toward [...]

Founded in 1975, the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement has become the largest and most prominent group fighting to bring about change in the Christian church’s attitudes towards gay and lesbian sexuality. This book provides a history of the movement, with selected writings from the movement.

In the Man Jesus Loved, Jennings proposes a gay affirmative reading of the Bible, respecting the integrity of these texts and making them more clear as well as more persuasive. This reading suggests that the exclusion of people on the basis of their sexual orientation or same-sex practices fundamentally distorts the Bible generally and the [...]

For the last two decades the campaign for the sanctioning of gay marriages has been defamed by conservative politicians and churches on the grounds that the notion is unnatural, a modern aberration. In this book, John Boswell proves beyond dispute that in pagan Antiquity and during Christianity’s first millenium, – for around 2000 years – [...]

A tremendous burden is being placed on friends. Individuals want friends more than family. Couples want to marry a friend – a very novel idea. And at the social level, politicians, sociologists, even bishops realise that in the anonymity of the networked age, friendship is increasingly important to care, commitment and belonging. Friendship, we believe [...]

“The Queer Bible Commentary” brings together the work of several scholars and pastors known for their interest in the areas of gender, sexuality and Biblical studies. Rather than a verse-by-verse analysis, typical of more traditional commentaries, contributors to this volume focus specifically upon those portions of the book that have particular relevance for readers interested [...]

‘The current arguments about homosexuality often seem to create more heat than light. In this thoughtful and provocative book, Stephen White begins with the premise that the church is attempting to do sexual ethics without first of all examining the theological underpinning of our ideas of right and wrong as seen in the nature of [...]

In 1970 William Phipps rocked Christianity with his controversial Was Jesus Married? The Distortion of Sexuality in the Christian Tradition, ushering in a generation of critical study of this sacrosanct subject. The Sexuality of Jesus is the harvest of his research. Carefully analyzing such subjects as celibacy, sexuality, and gender in first-century Palestine, Phipps suggests [...]

Pastoral guidelines for clergy and congregations to help them support someone coming out as trans, and going through the transition process. Available free.

The sexual revolution: an evocative term, but what meaning can be given to it today? How does ′sexuality′ come into being and what connections does it have with the changes that have affected personal life on a more general plane? In answering these questions, Anthony Giddens disputes many of the dominant interpretations of the role [...]

This short book is intended to be a resource primarily for non-trans people who wish to get a simple grasp on current transgender issues. It addresses the historical, social, legal and medical issues surrounding the new community. The book throws light onto what are complex issues, clarifying them in a way that all those who [...]

The subject of homosexuality and the Church remains as controversial as ever. This book includes all Rowan Williams’ comments on the subject from his appointment as the Archbishop of Canterbury up until 2003 as well as the thoughts of many others.

This book highlights the spirituality within religions to define a concept that different religions of both East and West can relate to

Attempting to break “hundreds of years of silence,” a new, controversial book argues that pervasive homophobia in the historically black church has reached “crisis” proportion. ‘The black church’s teaching that homosexuality is immoral has created a crisis for lesbian and gay Christians in black churches….it produces a lot of twisted black people,’ Griffin, who is [...]

This much-needed volume draws on a wide range of resources and brings together a collection of leading scholars in the field to examine debates about theology and sexuality. Material is drawn from a variety of ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary texts to provide readers with a broad perspective on the issues discussed. Theology and Sexuality [...]

This book offers the reader a landscape of hope for open-minded engagement with the Christian Church today. The ten essays provide this much needed inspiration and are coupled with questions for reflection and discussion and suggestions for further study, leaving the reader with a rich and thoughtful resource. Contributors include: Marcus J. Borg, Jonathan Clatworthy, [...]

A 12/13 year old ‘comes out’ at school and home. Not rosy or problem free, but positive and in a style this age group will enjoy.

Contains ten articles exploring theological themes related to trans or gender variant experience plus Jo Clifford’s play ‘God’s New Frock’. It offers life stories and theological reflection on these experiences, creating a challenging theology from this experiential base. It provides a resource for churches and theology students and includes an excellent range of contributors, including [...]

For all transmen and transwomen contemplating transition. A brief consideration of legal issues is followed with the administrative process, dealing with personal records, change of name, driving licence, passport, income tax, national insurance and bank records. The book discusses the problems in a marriage, with children and relationships in general, and employment rights. It goes [...]

Second edition

A lucid description of a conservative Christian view of transsexualism and the ethical arguments around it. For a more sympathetic Christian approach, see David Horton’s Changing Channels, also available in this bookshop.

This unaffirming book is nevertheless useful for discovering the conservative Evanglical opposition to trans identities. You can read a critical review of the book by Revd David Horton on the Gendys network here.

Revd Dr Helen Savage gives an overview of conservative and liberal Christian responses to transsexuality.  Originally published in Gendys journal, the piece is now available to read online here. Her unpublished Durham University PhD thesis ‘Changing Sex? Transsexuality and Christian Theology’  is also of interest (do let us know if you are keen to read [...]

Combines authoritative information and humanitarian insight into the transsexual experience Filled with wisdom and understanding, this groundbreaking book paints a vivid portrait of conflicts transsexuals face on a daily basis––and the courage they must summon as they struggle to reveal their true being to themselves and others. True Selves offers valuable guidance for those who [...]