Thinking about Human Sexuality: Resources

The Church of England is currently in the midst of a discernment process regarding same-sex marriage within church. The purpose of this page is for members of B&A to engage with a range of material on this topic to enable you to understand the issue, the theology and come to a view for yourself.

The clergy at B&A hold to the traditional and orthodox view which is that the bible teaches that sex is for marriage and that a marriage is between one man and one woman. We believe that Jesus is Lord and that He is good news for everyone. As a church we are committed to offering a welcome to all and sharing the love of Jesus with all. 

We want to help you as a member of B&A to carefully consider this issue and take time to prayerfully read, learn and come to a conclusion for yourself. If you want to chat with one of us about this please do get in touch.

Rev Wayne Massey & Rev James Stevenson

July 2024

More Tea Vicar 

In early 2023 James and Wayne recorded a series on the Church of England, marriage and the Bible's teaching on sexual ethics. 

The series ran from Jan 25th to March 1st 2023 and you can find the links below or listen on your usual podcast platform.

Other talks & Interviews

Jon Tyson, pastor of Church of the City New York teaches from 1 Corinthians on the compassion of Jesus, the church and the gay community.

How to Flourish when Christianity seems so restrictive - David Bennett

Interview with David Bennett

Jackie Hill Perry's Testimony

Jago Wynne, vicar at Holy Trinity Clapham spoke to the church family following the General Synod of November 2023 when the Church of England first approved same sex blessings.

Letters & Pamphlets

 Steven Croft and Vaughan Roberts

The Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, published this booklet on why he now supports same sex marriage. Vaughan Roberts, the vicar of St Ebbe's Oxford, published a reply. These are both well worth reading to see how different people argue for an against same sex marriage.

Jim Packer and Canada

In 2002 the Anglican Church in Canada approved the blessing of same sex marriages. Jim Packer, one of the twentieth century's most influential Anglcian theologians wrote a piece about why he did not approve of this move. Read it here.

Books

This is not an exhaustive list of titles available on this topic. We have included titles that argue both for and against same-sex marriage:

David Bennett - War of Loves, an unexpected story of a gay activist discovering Jesus

Rosaria Butterfield - The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert

Robert Gagnon - The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics

Rachel Gilson - Born Again This Way

Rebecca McLaughlin - Does The Bible Affirm Same Sex Relationships?

David Runcorn - Love means Love, same-sex relationships and the Bible

Ed Shaw - The Plausibility Problem - the church and same sex attraction

Matthew  Vines - God and the Gay Christian: the Biblical case in support of same sex relationships