Academic Theology Will Finally Challenge a Popular Christian Myth


An announcement recently of a new academic journal that will discuss religion and homosexuality should not be exciting. These types of journals abound discussing arcane topics of all kinds. There must be dozens of such journal in theology. For the most part, however, few read them and they make almost no impact on what people in the pews say or do.

But this one is almost stunning, aiming its discussion at a topic preachers and those in the pews discuss, the Bible and homosexuality. While I'm sure there have been academic articles about the Bible and homosexuality none are well know enough to have made an impact. This one may be what is needed. 

The entrance of academics into right wing religious issues already has had an effect on myths in abortion. A carefully structured study of women who had abortions and who did not have them took several years. Eventually, several academic articles and a book was written. The study skewered, among things, the myth that women who had abortions suffered mental problems and guilt. This myth was quoted in the Supreme Court and will not go unchallenged again.

Academic article about homosexuality and gay marriage will, no doubt, discuss in great detail evidence of the historical context of material in the Bible. There will not be, I predict, complete agreement about this context. But the simple notion everything in the Bible was written or guided by God will be hard to maintain in a "prove it" context. 

I think a widely held view is the parts of Christianity hostile to gays and gay marriage are that way, not because of scripture, but because of prejudice of current Christians. The Bible was used in the same way to condemn mixed race marriages and equal rights for black people. Almost the identical arguments are being made by anti gay Christians. Both racial and gay discrimination begins with the words, "We know what God intended..."

I for one am looking forward to articles written by both secular and Christian academics on this topic.

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