Christlike Acceptance Across Deep Difference - by Ronald W Pierce & Karen R Keen (Paperback)

About the Book

This resource draws together traditionalist and affirming contributors to present a vision of Christlike acceptance across difference, emphasizing biblical exegesis, communication, and ministry skills.

Book Synopsis

Has your faith community been torn apart over sexuality and gender?

While affirming and traditionalist Christians wage culture wars, many believers have left the church entirely because of disputes over how best to respond to LGBTQ people.

Ronald Pierce and Karen Keen show us a different way to approach the controversy. In Christlike Acceptance across Deep Difference, they bring together a broad range of contributors--scholarly and pastoral; affirming and traditionalist; evangelical, mainline, and Catholic--who demonstrate a more constructive response to LGBTQ concerns. You'll discover

- fresh readings of Scripture from diverse theological perspectives,
- models for respectful dialogue in church communities,
- first-person insights into ministering to LGBTQ people,
- pastoral guidance for supporting their parents, friends, and family, and
- communication strategies for navigating deep theological differences.

Despite their differences, the contributors unite in their commitment to biblical authority and Christlike love of neighbor. They invite the church to join them in this new and better way.

Perfect for pastors, church leaders, and any Christian worried about polarization, this timely volume shows us how to forge a future shaped by Christlike acceptance.

From the Back Cover

"Gracious and thought-provoking"

Many faith communities have been torn apart over sexuality and gender, particularly regarding how best to respond to LGBTQ people. Bringing together a broad range of traditionalist and affirming contributors, this useful resource demonstrates a more constructive response. It emphasizes biblical exegesis, communication, and ministry skills, presenting a vision of Christlike acceptance across difference.

"This is a hopeful and a helpful book. It retains moral and theological seriousness while modeling and fostering the warmth, generosity, and hospitality that are much needed in this long-standing debate. This is the way forward for the church as we build a common life around our common object of love, Jesus Christ."
--Fellipe do Vale, Trinity College, Bristol

"In an era when conversations about sexuality so often feel stale and repetitive, this dialogic collection is a breath of fresh air. As I read, I found myself wishing to join the discussion, to ask questions and push back, to cheer and shout 'amen!' May many more of our Christian disagreements be as gracious and thought-provoking as this one."
--Gregory Coles, author of Single, Gay, Christian and No Longer Strangers

"I have served in evangelical churches for over twenty years, locally and abroad. I have seen more conflict, church splits, and dissension over debates around sexuality than any other issue. This book offers a solution to these problems and one that is deeply rooted in Christ. It is a must-read for anyone looking to responsibly engage the topic of human sexuality from both a pastoral and a theological perspective. Offering comprehensive guidance, the contributors to this volume provide everything you need from scholarship to practical theology to personal testimonies that inspire and instruct all believers to accept one another as Christ has accepted us. This book will live on my shelf, and I will reach for it often."
--Kelly Edmiston, lead pastor, Vineyard Church of Stafford

About the Author

Ronald W. Pierce (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) taught theology at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, for over 40 years. He is the author of Partners in Marriage and Ministry and the coeditor of Discovering Biblical Equality. He lives in Fullerton, California.

Karen R. Keen (ThM, Duke Divinity School) is a biblical scholar and spiritual care provider at the Redwood Center for Spiritual Care and Education. Her books include Scripture, Ethics, and the Possibility of Same-Sex Relationships and The Word of a Humble God. She lives in Garland, Texas.