This book is not another volume attempting to persuade the reader of the rights of gays and lesbians in society and in the church. Instead it assumes the reader is a minister or student of ministry who already has a passion for this issue and is looking for better strategies to speak out of this passion in the pulpit.
Too often progressive preachers avoid speaking about issues related to sexual orientation out of fear of rejection from the congregation, or address them in ways that unintentionally alienates either gay or straight hearers. Askew and Allen offer preachers tools for recognizing and prophetically countering heterosexism in the pulpit while being pastoral toward those in the pews who may not hold the same view as the preacher.
The range of issues found at the intersection of homosexuality and the proclamation of the Christian gospel in light of the church’s division and the changing landscape of society’s attitudes is diverse and complex. Allen and Askew represent the combination of critical theology and contemporary homiletics needed to offer preachers new strategies for advocating against social and ecclesial discrimination directed at homosexuals and for the full inclusion of all in the church.
Over de auteur
David Buttrick is Drucilla Moore Buffington Professor Emeritus of Homiletics and Liturgies, at Vanderbilt University Divinity School, Nashville, Tennessee. Along with Preaching Jesus Christ, his previous books include Homiletic (Fortress Press, 1987) and The Mystery and the Passion (Wipf and Stock, 2002), among others. His most recent title is Speaking Jesus.