Evangelical and affirming: developments beyond Scripture?
Andrew Goddard writes: As set out in my shorter summary, I believe the three articles entitled "Same Sex Wedlock & Scripture: Affirming Evangelical Response" which were commissioned by Jayne Ozanne for her Via Media blog are pregnant and helpful responses to the Oct 2022 letter of the alphabet from the Bishop of Blackburn and ten other evangelical Church of England bishops. In the previous posts I firstly responded to David Gillett's proposal for re-reading Genesis 2, then David Atkinson's proposal of covenanted friendship as a pastoral accommodation. I now turn to the third article of the three.
David Runcorn – Development and the Spirit, Going Beyond Scripture & Diversity in Discernment
Spirit-led development & going across Scripture
The third response, by David Runcorn opens up a number of other of import areas within the sexuality debates that are not addressed in the earlier pieces. In item it raises the question of development in church building education and the role in this of the Spirit, Scripture and culture. It helpfully does so on the basis of agreement with the bishops when they write:
The church must ever be reformed according to the Word of God, and God has "more truth yet to suspension forth out of His Holy Word". But neither can we just carelessness what nosotros take received in gild to appear relevant and avoid feeling uncomfortable. As God's people carefully re-read Scripture together, allowing it to teach us, we may be challenged where we are wrong and be led into deep learning, serious intellectual persuasion, and heart-felt repentance for by errors.
David Runcorn appears surprised or confused that this agreement has non led the bishops to share his conclusions or at least to accept his conclusions as legitimate: "But the letter remains insistent there can exist no modify in the 'traditional' understanding of marriage. I desire to ask – on the basis of the letter's own understanding of the re-forming Discussion – why non?".
This is a crucial question to enquire but the bishops' stance is neither breathless nor inconsistent. Nor is it difficult to see their rationale. They are non ruling out absolutely any "change in the 'traditional' understanding of marriage". They are saying that they cannot come across how the changes they accept seen proposed in relation to aforementioned-sex unions and same-sex marriage are "according to the Give-and-take of God". And, in fact, the article's own approach provides evidence of why they are right and that this is the deeper difference betwixt its author and the writers of the letter.
The only substantive appeal to Scripture made past David Runcorn in relation to the specific question of same-sex unions and matrimony is his merits that the traditional texts have been misread. He holds that "these Bible texts condemn abusive sexual behaviour of any kind. They are not for applying to what is loving, faithful and committed". That statement is an increasingly mutual i but it is one which is highly contested and not but by those who are "traditionalists". Luke Timothy Johnson for example writes:
The task demands intellectual honesty. I have little patience with efforts to make Scripture say something other than what it says, through appeals to linguistic or cultural subtleties. The exegetical situation is straightforward: we know what the text says. But what are nosotros to practise with what the text says? I call up it important to state clearly that we do, in fact, reject the straightforward commands of Scripture, and appeal instead to some other authority when nosotros declare that same-sexual practice unions can be holy and expert
Even if 1 is persuaded that the classic prohibitive texts practise not apply, this simply leaves united states of america having to say something similar "Scripture does not directly address our questions well-nigh 'loving, faithful and committed' same-sexual activity unions". The question then becomes – if we grant that silence – on what biblical basis nosotros might answer those questions.
1 response is, like David Gillett, to go dorsum and re-read Genesis and find there a new, supposedly biblical, doctrine of God's purposes in creation that helps us redefine marriage and the nature and significance of being made male and female person. Another is, like David Atkinson, to enquire how Scripture might help us discern "the best way of making optimum moral sense of a less than ideal situation". David Runcorn, however, takes a different path. He appeals to being led by the Spirit in going beyond the Bible past ways of "an unfolding revelation" so that we get "beyond the received revelation as long understood".
At that place are a number of places here where his exact statement is unclear. As noted higher up, he appears to base this method and his acceptance of same-sexual practice sexual unions on the fact the biblical prohibitions "are not for applying" to our business organization as they simply deal with abusive sex. Nevertheless, prior to that he dedicated a model of unfolding revelation by appealing to the view of Karl Allen Kuhn that "To insist, equally some exercise, that all of the specific injunctions of the New Attestation concerning item behaviours must correspond all timeis to assign to biblical teaching a role that it has never earlier performed" (Runcorn's accent). It would appear, therefore, that he is ultimately saying (like Luke Timothy Johnson quoted to a higher place) that even if the "specific injunctions" of Scripture were prohibitive of all same-sex sexual behaviour, including in "loving, faithful and committed" relationships, and then that would not be conclusive. Here, one suspects, is one of the reasons why he and the bishops end upward in different places. Is he, different them, open not only to more than truth breaking along out of Scripture just to "new revelation" which is apart from Scripture and overturns biblical revelation due to "the dynamic nature of God'south instruction" (Allen quote)?
Appealing to Gentile inclusion
Just David Runcorn'due south argument is that his position has the support not but of tradition (though the entreatment to slavery is weak equally it could be argued that where Christians have supported this it reflects conformity to their cultural norms in the same style that some see this conformity happening in acceptance of same-sex spousal relationship) simply of Scripture itself – "an unfolding revelation is evident within the scriptures". Here appeal is fabricated, as is increasingly common, to Acts 15 and the inclusion of the Gentiles. There are many much larger and more circuitous issues raised past this than Runcorn'due south cursory give-and-take can even acknowledge, let lone accost and I explored some of these over a decade ago in a Grove booklet, "God, Gentiles and Gay Christians: Acts 15 and Change in the Church". A few, still, merit highlighting in club to illustrate the limits and dangers of too simplistic an entreatment to this in arguments for aforementioned-sexual activity marriage.
The first challenge is of course that the existence of this "unfolding revelation" within Scripture does not necessarily mean it continues in the same fashion downwardly through the centuries. The being of progressive revelation in Scripture is not in dispute. There is though the question of how such a claim of unfolding revelation – not just to individual guidance but to normative, universal truth – relates to the ultimate significance, even finality, of divine revelation in Christ and the apostolic witness to him. At the very to the lowest degree, the novelty and significance of what is happening in our time is noteworthy. God is apparently now revealing something new he is doing in including gay unions inside the life of his people which is equivalent to when he revealed something new by including Gentiles inside the life of his people after the Incarnation and Pentecost. And so there is the fact that in Acts fifteen the evolution of welcoming uncircumcised Gentiles into the people of God is i which is based not only on dreams but on the gathered community reaching a common mind. In this procedure the consistency of the development with Scripture, cited as the authority in James' speech, is crucial.
The challenges are non just in relation to process simply likewise substance. Although circumcision is non required in Acts fifteen, rejection of sexual immorality (porneia) is required. This is at the heart of the current debates: what counts as forbidden porneia? It seems clear that those gathered in Jerusalem would accept accustomed the standard Jewish view that this included all forms of homosexual behaviour and in fact many scholars see the Council'southward prohibitions equally based on the chapters in Leviticus that include rejection of homosexual practice—and information technology is striking that nosotros find in Paul'south messages just this kind of continuity on sexual ethics with the Levitical commands. We therefore either treat their decision as normative or we go across it through appeal to the ongoing work of the Spirit as nosotros notice that "cultural and social pressure level play an of import part in raising awareness and awakening conscience in a way that has forced a revisiting of how nosotros have been reading and interpreting the bible for today".
Diverse Discernment: What is the Spirit now saying? – Gentile inclusion & the statement of Dale B. Martin
The question, then, becomes ane as to what exactly it is that the Spirit is now maxim, in part through such cultural pressure. This is far from articulate amid advocates of modify. Every bit already noted, David Gillett is conspicuously a supporter of aforementioned-sex marriage while David Atkinson is in favour of a form of aforementioned-sex marriage not incompatible with church teaching on marriage. David Runcorn's position is not explicitly stated but probably involves one of these two stances. At that place are, however, other gay Christian views which are often ignored or consciously excluded even when there is an accent on the demand for inclusion and listening to gay Christian voices.
I of the most radical of these, though not without support from others, is that offered past the New Attestation scholar Professor Dale B. Martin. His book Sex and the Unmarried Saviour is frequently cited in debates nearly Scripture and homosexuality, peculiarly his questioning of the meaning of the two central words used by Paul and seen as rejecting all homosexual do. In the Countdown John E. Boswell Lecture in 2008 entitled "A Gay, Male, Christian, Sexual Ethic" (it tin can be watched on Vimeo), Martin looks how the meaning of sex in our civilisation is very dissimilar from that in the biblical texts and the ancient world and argues that "An ethics of sex must address what sex is. For us. At present. In all its varieties". He then proceeds to talk specifically about "gay male sex" on the footing that although "I really take, rarely, had sex with a woman…I take known lots of gay men—and I hateful that in the biblical as well as nonbiblical sense. I've had lots of sexual practice with lots of men, gay, direct, and bi". So what Professor Martin offers is very precisely defined:
"A" sexual ethic because I don't propose my ideas equally being the ethic for anyone, much less anybody. "A gay" ethic because I'm non addressing the meaning or ethics of sexual practice for anyone just homosexuals. "A gay male person" ethic because I believe lesbians may need a di?erent approach to sexual ethics if they experience sex di?erently, about which I know nada. "A gay male person Christian" sexual ethic because this thinking and reasoning is being done selfconsciously in the context of Christian organized religion, informed past Christian scripture, tradition, doctrine, and customs. So that's my topic, a sexual ethic designed for gay Christian men, and quite perhaps suitable simply for them, and quite probably not for all of them by any stretch of the imagination. Merely it does seem to work for me, and has for many years.
Having set out his method he then delivers his ethic for this item group: "Sex is adept and Christian when it is done in a way that embodies love advisable for the relationship in which it occurs".
This ethic leads to his support for same-sexual activity wedlock though it is important that this is non considering it is necessary for holy living but just a matter of justice because "although I would prefer that the state and the church get out of the marriage business organization, as long equally they are in the marriage business it is simply unjust to deny gay people the opportunity to marry". He is himself non seeking marriage:
Some male person couples I know both want to be married. I am personally, as possibly a scrap more radical Christian, not very interested in pursuing gay marriage. I'thou non convinced that matrimony is the reply for us gay men, certainly not for myself.
Here nosotros see that reasons for supporting aforementioned-sex marriage among gay Christians tin accept a number of significantly different forms.
Co-ordinate to Martin, single gay men who are dating and considering cohabitation or wedlock
…ought to have sex with 1 another, in many di?erent means and circumstances…I regularly counsel immature men not to fall likewise much for some other guy and certainly not to make him their "fellow" until they have had quite a few rolls with him in diverse piles of hay. Try information technology out starting time.
Other unmarried gay men may meet their demand for sexual practice in other ways – "Many men, for instance, have regular pals they get together with. "Friends with benefits" some call it. I won't here use the vulgar term that is actually more pop among men. You probably know what I hateful. I believe such relationships are perfectly fine". And this may exist more open notwithstanding –
What about sexual practice among friends? That is, sex that involves more than than two people? I must acknowledge, I have non often pursued group sex, and have turned downwardly o?ers of it, because I've tried it and establish that it is besides distracting and in some cases even disturbing for me. I usually feel a bit guilty if I'm completely drawn to one guy in the party and turned o? past some other. I go distracted feeling that I have to give "equal time" and energy to anybody. That'southward my trouble, and so I seldom have had grouping sex. But I don't think there is anything necessarily incorrect with it. Again, equally long as everyone is honest, on plenty of the same page, and treats anybody involved fairly, I believe grouping sex can be fine for some people and completely healthy.
At that place is also no need for a relational context – "with the proper precautions, fifty-fifty but playful sex with a man you lot have but met, or whose proper name you may not even want to know, can exist Christian".
This ethic is then basically extended across single gay men to gay couples. Hither the understanding between partners as to the bones rule for their sexual behaviour (exclusive or open?, informed or ignorant?, acting alone or together?) is the master limit – "I have friends who have been together for five or 10 or 20 or thirty years and for whom sexual exclusivity has never been important to them…they've decided that though they cherish a sure emotional exclusivity between themselves, mere sexual exclusivity is not important for them". At that place will thus be a variety of such non-exclusive relationships. Martin is clear that no form of them tin can be stated to be wrong except "if it is non done in love and if it ends up harming them". He concludes:
But I know too many cases in which such relationships have gone on for years, and for the life of me, I tin't see anyone being hurt past it. In fact, the sexual openness of the relationship, many men will tell you, is precisely what has helped keep their relationships permanent, solid, and loving. This may sound incredible to other people, peculiarly directly people, and perhaps specially women. Only I know it to be a fact.
I am not suggesting whatever of the 3 writers hither would agree with Dale Martin. Why and so cite his views, peculiarly as I take always tried (perhaps not always successfully) to critique the "best case" of those pressing for modify and non to gear up up extreme cases in order to dismiss more careful ones? We cannot ignore his views. His is an important vox in biblical scholarship on the subject (every bit axiomatic from publications and being invited every bit inaugural John Boswell lecturer) and at to the lowest degree some of his views, although rarely set out as fully and clearly, take been supported by other gay Christian writers. In addition, many of the lines of argument – the focus on love, the demand to consider personal lived experience of individuals and the LGBT community, the difference of our globe from the aboriginal world equally crucial in appealing to Scripture etc – are common elements in many arguments for less radical arguments for modify. His views were besides what lay behind the very wide ethics in the statement of conviction established when the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement was founded in 1976:
Information technology is the conviction of the members of the Lesbian & Gay Christian Movement that homo sexuality in all its richness is a gift of God gladly to exist accustomed, enjoyed and honoured as a way of both expressing and growing in love, in accordance with the life and didactics of Jesus Christ. Therefore information technology is their conviction that it is entirely uniform with the Christian faith not simply to beloved another person of the same sex but also to limited that love fully in a personal sexual human relationship.
When LGCM recently changed its name to OneBodyOneFaith information technology made changes to the statement simply, despite the existence by and then of both civil partnership and civil aforementioned-sex activity union, it did non change this upstanding vision to ready the vision of "a personal sexual relationship" in a more than specific, morally normative description or category:
It is the confidence of the members of OneBodyOneFaith that human sexuality, sexual orientation and gender identity in all their richness are gifts of God gladly to be accepted, enjoyed and honoured as a fashion of both expressing and growing in love, in accord with the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. Therefore information technology is their confidence that it is entirely compatible with the Christian faith not only to honey another person of the same sexual activity, only as well to express that love fully in a personal sexual relationship; Nosotros believe that expressing our gender and sexuality with integrity is important as a style to abound in honey and discipleship; we long for the day when Christians fully accept, welcome, affirm and offer equality to everyone in their diverseness.
The reaction of many Christians to Martin'south proposed "gay, male, Christian sexual ethic" will I suspect be like to that which Runcorn cites from a bourgeois opponent of whatsoever form of aforementioned-sex relationship: 'I feel as if my confront is beingness pushed into vomit.' However, as Runcorn rightly points out this cannot exist our guide: "On his Joppa rooftop Peter would have understood that feeling very well. But he learned that revulsion is non a reliable guide to good theology, divine will and purpose".
Here is why Martin's work is peculiarly important in relation to David Runcorn. Runcorn is puzzled as to why, especially given their credible understanding that our relationship with Scripture is "always unfolding, never wearied and where understandings may need to change and evolve over time", the bishops cannot follow him to his conclusion or at least recognise its validity. It is therefore important to piece of work out why the bishops do non accomplish his conclusion and whether their stance is coherent. It is too important to work out why Runcorn, given his method, cannot follow Martin or at least recognise that his conclusions are legitimate and an acceptable application of the same method. Is such a opinion consistent and coherent?
One line of response would exist related to the specific biblical texts. David Runcorn's reading (which he is non able to defend hither) is that "those texts traditionally presumed to exist teaching against homosexual relationships in every instance describe subjugation, rape or violence, excessive lustful activity, patterns of coercive male dominance and a total condone of acceptable norms of social, religious and sexual behaviour". Martin's ethic tin I think avoid the majority of these descriptors although information technology faces challenges with "excessive lustful activity" and "a total disregard of adequate norms of social, religious and sexual behaviour". Just what counts as "acceptable norms" as these are conspicuously very variable and chop-chop changing in our civilization and many churches? In add-on, "excessive" needs definition and Martin would I'm sure argue that his ethic is non "lustful" only focussed on dearest. In any case, Martin may take Runcorn's list every bit to what the New Attestation prohibits but simply respond, given his emphasis on cultural deviation between the biblical globe and ours, that "to insist, equally some do, that all of the specific injunctions of the New Testament concerning particular behaviours must stand for all timeis to assign to biblical instruction a part that it has never before performed".
Runcorn's main argument, though, is not nearly how to read the archetype, specific texts but to practice with evolution and the model set out in Acts 15. Turning to the appeal the Gentile analogy it is articulate that Martin can entreatment to this for his conclusions just every bit Runcorn can. In fact he may even have a stronger case. The passage is often read in such a way that the Jews represent the heterosexual majority. Gentiles are then the excluded LGBT minority (the relative sizes showing ane of many dis-analogies) who now need to exist included, whether in the church or in the establishment of marriage. Merely no conservative is wishing to exclude people considering of their sexuality. Their concern is to exclude behaviour which they believe God in Scripture condemns and warns tin exclude people from the kingdom of God. The question therefore is, as noted earlier, what counts as porneia. Here the appeal by analogy to Acts fifteen on its ain cannot rule out Martin's argument and indeed could support it. Runcorn notes that the real struggle was whether Gentiles were to exist welcomed "on Jewish terms. That is why so much of the argument centred around how Jewish Gentile believers needed to become". Martin, ane suspects, might argue along the following lines. In defining porneia to permit same-sex sexual action but to then require adherence to sexual exclusivity or wedlock on the office of gay men(every bit Runcorn does) is, past analogy, to welcome gay men only on heterosexual terms and in fact nosotros need to consider much more seriously 'how straight queer believers need to go'. Runcorn and his followers, in imposing heterosexual norms on gay men are, in fact, remarkably similar to the conservative Jews who wanted to impose Jewish norms on Gentiles.
Scriptural authority, development, and an unchangeable Christian standard in sexual ethics?
Underlying all this is also the question as to whether there is in whatsoever sense a single, universal, sexual ethic or "unchangeable Christian standard" which the church has received equally God's volition for usa every bit human beings. It appears that Martin does non think there is (although it is not clear what ethic other than "Sex is good and Christian when it is done in a way that embodies love appropriate for the relationship in which it occurs" he would think right for groups other than gay, Christian men). In contrast, the bishops' letter argues that at that place is such an ethic. It speaks of "the need for the church to offer a coherent, single ethic for all of us as people whose fundamental identity is not something we define for ourselves: rather that we are made in God's image, have fallen captive to sin, are redeemed by Christ, and are being sanctified by the Spirit". It sums this up by reference to two Lambeth resolutions – "faithfulness and chastity both within and outside spousal relationship" (1978) and "a pure and celibate life earlier and later wedlock" (1920).
David Runcorn critiques this latter reference. He writes that it "is unfortunate in being lifted from a highly reactionary and bourgeois debate opposing contraception. In its original context the quote is supporting a view of wedlock and family the church building, and these signatories do not hold". But the bishops are non claiming to agree with all the 1920 resolutions. They are highlighting that Anglicans have consistently held to this standard and and then articulated it more than fully. The question they are asking is whether those pressing for change are also rejecting this broader standard. If so, for example, as well allowing sex activity before marriage or consensual open up marriages and so there needs to be honesty about this and justification of its more radical opinion and implications (something I explored some time agone). If not, there is a demand to show convincingly how and why this broader standard remains a abiding in the midst of alter and development. Are their proposed changes in relation to same-sex unions consistent with this standard? As noted in relation to David Atkinson'southward article this might mean redefining traditional understandings of guiltlessness and purity (eg to comprehend inside it exclusive, lifelong sexual same-sex covenantal unions). Furthermore, can they persuade the church that the new articulation of this standard so as to accept within information technology behaviour which was previously prohibited does not undermine what the traditional teaching sought to protect? This is what has been washed by Anglicans since 1930 in relation to the use of contraception within marriage and what needs to be done now in relation to same-sex unions if appeals to that earlier development within Anglicanism are to carry whatever weight.
Here again nosotros as well return to the recurring, underlying and crucial question of the place of Scripture in arguments for alter. The first reason that the 1930 Lambeth committee gave for revising the earlier resolutions on contraception were that that although its proposed revision rejected 'a very strong tradition that the use of preventive methods is in all cases unlawful for a Christian', this tradition 'is non founded on whatsoever management given in the New Testament'. As we have seen there remains ambiguity as to what Runcorn, and many others advocating modify (especially those identifying every bit evangelicals), are saying in relation to development led by the Spirit and the place of Scripture.
Is it that the Spirit is showing us we have misread Scripture and that a very stiff tradition that homosexual behaviour is in all cases unlawful for the Christian is in fact "non founded on any direction given in the New Attestation" and so, learning from a combination of Acts 15 and our culture, we need to be led by the Spirit? If so, so, in response to Scripture'due south silence on the specifics, we need to work out how we read Scripture every bit a whole in relation to sexuality and how we do justice to both tradition'southward negative stance (even if not authorised by Scripture) and the arguments for a more positive stance in our current context.
Or is information technology that the Spirit is now showing u.s. God is doing or revealing something new just equally he did to Peter at Joppa and that "to insist that….the specific injunctions of the New Attestation apropos particular behaviours must represent all timeis to assign to biblical educational activity a role that it has never before performed"? If this is the case so there is an important distinction between whether God is simply revealing what Scripture kept hidden or even contradicted or whether God is (as in Acts) doing something new in human history which makes acceptable within God's people what previously was unacceptable.
In both cases – whether Scripture is silent or superseded – it remains unclear how entreatment to the inclusion of the Gentiles or indeed any other criteria volition, on its ain, guide united states of america as the church to choose betwixt the varying options on offer – aforementioned-sex marriage (Gillett and probably Runcorn), same-sex unions compatible with teaching on marriage (Atkinson), or some other more radical proposal such as that advocated by Dale Martin.
The summary introduction can be found here. The first response, to David Gillett, is here. The second response, to David Atkinson, is here.
Revd Dr Andrew Goddard is Associate Managing director of the Kirby Laing Establish for Christian Ethics (KLICE), Cambridge and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anglican Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California.
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