Queer Insights

[Gregory Matthews]

In 2023, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Germany decided that their members needed additional information related to issues of sexuality.  They assembled a group of some 25 SDA authors, of various backgrounds and published the following titled book in the German language (Title below is the English title.).  Each German edition quickly sold out.  In 2024, this book was translated into the English language, as I have listed below.

Queer Insights: Contributions to a More Balanced Discussion on Sexual Orientations and Relationships, Werner E. Lange, Dennis Meier, and Reinder Bruinsma, editors.  The following link takes you to a review of the English book.

https://spectrummagazine.org/culture/queer-insights-a-valuable-resource-for-pastors-and-church-members/

 

Quote

This book is divided into five sections. First, stories of Adventists who were forced to reconcile their same-sex attraction amongst the Church’s antipathy against it. Second, the biological causes of same-sex orientation, and why it is misleading to insist on a binary understanding of it—including a survey of the Adventist Church’s ill-fated attempts to change people’s sexual identity. Third, a comprehensive look at biblical references to same-sex relationships in their proper historical context. Fourth, how the Adventist Church have historically treated its queer members, and how the Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International was established, along with two reports from queer-friendly Adventist congregations. Then fifth, chapters that give an impetus for fundamental change in dealing with queer members in the Adventist Church: two arguing from Acts 8:26–39 and Romans 14–15, and two applying to the deliberations of the council in Jerusalem (Acts 15). Additionally, this section highlights the abolition of slavery in the United States to the current discussion about accepting monogamous same-sex relationships.

NOTE:  Thanks to Steven Chavez, writing in a longer review published in Spectrum.

This book may be purchased from Amazon.  See:

https://www.amazon.com/Queer-Insights-Contributions-orientations-relationships/dp/B0DJG36VKR/ref=sr_1_1?crid=CKIZ1U6KFS4P&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6YaH2xw2PQ6rMKSVhvEr6w.TBHtO8LUOJW-8b6Ho8YpcqpYC2mTih-Oo0wxrXiBX78&dib_tag=se&keywords=Queer+Insights%3A+Contributions+to+a+more+balanced+discussion+on+sexual+orientations+and+relationships&qid=1728456759&s=books&sprefix=queer+insights+contributions+to+a+more+balanced+discussion+on+sexual+orientations+and+relationships%2Cstripbooks%2C133&sr=1-1

For further study on this subject, I recommend the following as of continued value:

Springett, Ronald M., Homosexuality In History and the Scriptures, Biblical Research Institute, 1988, 173 pages. 

Henson, Bill.  Guiding Families (Adventist Edition) of LGBT+ Loved Ones, 2018, 72 pages.

Gane, "Roy E., Miller, Nicholas P., Swanson, Peter H, Editors.  Homosexuality, Marriage, and the Church; Biblical, Counseling, and Religious Liberty Issues. Andrews University Press. 2012, 578 pages.