Bible, gender, sexuality. Why we need to change the way we read the Bible

Text taken from the book by James V. Brownson*,Bible, gender, sexuality: reframing the church's debate on same-sex relationships (Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church's Debate on Same-Sex Relationships), Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2013, chapter 1, part II, freely translated by the Jonathan Project volunteers

It is relatively easy to understand the general principles of biblical interpretation. They make sense to us because, over the centuries, we have been trained to read the Bible in those ways.

However, it is not always easy to clearly discern the forms of moral logic present in the text, which shape the biblical testimony when we find ourselves in new, culturally different contexts or must answer questions never asked before.

An illuminating example is found in the New Testament, when the early Church was confronted with the issue of non-Jews beginning to receive the Spirit and come to faith in Jesus. Jesus' disciples wondered whether they should require these new believers to be circumcised and followed kosher (Jewish) dietary laws, as was expected of converts to Judaism at the time? The answer was not simple and created significant tensions in the life of the Church, to the point of requiring the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem described in Acts 15.

Imagination in biblical discernment

To discern a deeper pattern in the Scriptures, first-century Christians had to renew their imaginations, rereading biblical texts differently and grasping connections, analogies, and resonances that had not previously been so evident. It is not about using the imagination, in the sense of inventing, but about making use of the ability guided by the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28), which allows us to see deeper meanings and hidden patterns within the Scriptures.

This guidance of the Spirit did not manifest as a supernatural voice from nowhere, but developed through history, experience, debate, and community reflection.

A similar process occurred when Galileo questioned the geocentric cosmological model that many believed to be reflected in the Scriptures. Even then, Christians were forced to reread a series of texts with fresh eyes, discerning deeper meanings that went beyond a literal reading. The same is true of 19th-century debates about slavery and 20th-century debates about the role of women in the Church.

The question of homosexuality today

I believe something similar is happening in today's debate about homosexuality. The Church's experience with gay and lesbian Christians presents us with questions never faced before. In particular, today the Church is confronted with gay and lesbian Christians who display evident gifts and fruits of the Spirit and seek to live in obedience to Christ. Many of them desire, not to suppress their sexuality, but to sanctify it, making their intimate relationships part of the sanctifying work of the Spirit.

This new context puts to the test the responses that in the past seemed adequate, but which today are insufficient. It's a process I know intimately, because it happened to me too.

My personal experience

Five years before writing this book, my eighteen-year-old son confided in us that he was gay. This event profoundly upset my life and forced me to confront my beliefs. In the past, I had supported a moderate traditional position, distinguishing between homosexual orientation (which I did not necessarily consider sinful) and homosexual behavior (which I believed condemned by the Bible). But this distinction, in my son's concrete life, proved superficial and inadequate.

Our family journey forced me to rethink not only my beliefs, but also how I had read and applied them. My son's questions, his faith, and his desire to live faithfully to Christ led me to review the biblical texts with new eyes. I was not trying to justify a specific outcome, but to discern, with honesty and openness, the truth of the Scriptures.

A call for the whole Church

This text is not a definitive answer to the question of homosexuality, nor a personal manifesto. It is, rather, an invitation for the Church to enter into a deeper conversation about sexual ethics. My hope is that, through this dialogue, our understanding of the Scriptures will broaden, allowing us to more fully embrace its message in our time.

The Church must address these issues together, because community discernment protects against erroneous readings and preserves the unity of the body of Christ. Only in this way can we continue to be a Church faithful to the Word of God and open to the guidance of the Spirit.

* James V. Brownson is an American theologian and academic, known for his contributions to New Testament studies and Christian ethics. He holds the James and Jean Cook Professor of New Testament at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. Among his most significant works is “Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church's Debate on Same-Sex Relationships“, published in 2013. In this book, Brownson proposes a rereading of the Scriptures regarding homosexual relationships, inviting a deeper reflection on the meaning of biblical texts in relation to issues of gender and sexuality.
In addition to this, he wrote “The Promise of Baptism: An Introduction to Baptism in Scripture and the Reformed Tradition“, an introduction to baptism in Scripture and the Reformed tradition, and “Speaking the Truth in Love: New Testament Resources for a Missional Hermeneutic“, which explores New Testament resources for missional hermeneutics.
Brownson is a minister of The American Reformed church and has dedicated his career to teaching and research, addressing complex topics such as biblical interpretation and contemporary ethical issues.

Original text: Introduction and Overview – Imagination and Biblical Interpretation