Some Issues in Human Sexuality a Guide to the Debate

A discussion document from the House of Bishops group on Issues in Human Sexuality and A Companion to Some Issues in Human Sexuality

Church House Publishing, 2003

 

Review by Simon Vibert

 

Some Issues in Human Sexuality follows the pattern of several recent House of Bishops discussion documents. It takes seriously the need to engage with the critical biblical texts on issues of human sexuality, and helps us see how they relate today. 

In summary, I am very encouraged by this document. My main concern, as will become evident later, relates to whether the author’s convince the readers that the clear Scriptural conclusions (especially of chapters 3 & 4) are normative, and should shape the decisions which General Synod makes on this important issue in 2004.

A. I am encouraged on a number of accounts

First, the report is thorough in terms of the range of current issues which it discusses

The report claims to cover three main areas

a) It looks at the background and nature of the common debate about some aspects of human sexuality, recognising the diversity that exists in society, in the Church of England and the Church as a whole.

b) It examines the theology of human sexuality including examination of the issues of homosexuality, bisexuality and transsexuality. This includes looking at writing from feminist, gay and lesbian theologians.

c) It considers the place of homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals in the life of the church and the pastoral implications in the light of the current diversity of views inside and outside the Church. (p.318)

Secondly the report is theologically robust. 

The three main biblical chapters are two, three and four which examine the hermeneutical principles involved in reading the ancient text and applying it to the modern world; the theology of sexuality from a biblical point of view, including a restatement of what is entailed in being Christ’s disciple; finally, in chapter four, an examination of the key traditional biblical texts relating to homosexuality. The authors interact with modern and ancient writings on the subject and include some of the most recent seminal works, such as True Union in the Body (D. Gomez, A. Goddard and P. Walker, Future of Anglicanism, Oxford, 2002), The Way Forward (Ed. T. Bradshaw, SCM Press, London, 2003) and The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics (R. Gagnon, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2001).

Thirdly the report is pastorally sensitive. 

The following quote exemplifies the style in which the report is written:

  • … It always needs to be remembered that issues to do with human sexuality are issues that involve real people with real feelings that can be hurt. In Scripture as a whole, and particularly in the ministry of Christ, we see that God addresses and ministers to people as individuals, and those engaged in pastoral care need to take this as their model. (p.315f.). 
  • It is also recognised throughout, that to be truly pastorally caring involves ‘helping people to walk in obedience to the will of God…’ (p.316). This means that Church needs, not only to understand the issues, but to give a pastorally sensitive and clear lead.

Fourthly, in my view, the report is definitive. 

    The report is careful and cautious in style. It makes the effort, it seems to me, to allow each ‘voice’ to be heard and listened to sensitively. For the authors this means, listening to each other, listening to the tradition of the Church and continuing to listen in the future (p.312f.). Having done this listening, the report concludes that the historical, traditional stance on homosexuality (namely that same sex sexual activity is contrary to Scripture and tradition) has been endorsed, and, whilst diversity of views exist, it should not be inferred from that that all diversity carries the same weight or requires equal acceptance (p.310). The author’s helpfully point out

… ethics, including sexual ethics, also matter if the Church is to live up to its calling. The will of God for his people is that they should be holy as he is holy, and this means walking in obedience to his commandments, ‘walking the way of the Lord’ as the Old Testament puts it. This means that it is vital that God’s people should know what he requires of his people, obey it, and teach others to do likewise. To this end there needs to be agreement concerning Christian ethics. Furthermore… in the case of disagreement about sexual ethics the disagreement is about matters that go to the heart of people’s relationship with God, and which cannot therefore be treated as subjects on which we can simply learn to live with diversity. (p.310f.)

  • More on the implications of this in a minute.

    • B. Outline of the guide (and study guide)

    The main chapters are

    1. The current debate on sexuality

    This chapter examines the history of sexual ethics inside and outside the Church, concentrating on the so-called ‘sexual revolution’ since the 1950’s.

    2. The use of the Bible is sexual ethics

    Here is a statement of the primacy of the Bible for discussing matters of sexual ethics, including a summary of the debate over how the Bible speaks today.

    3. The theology of sexuality

    In this chapter there is a clear restatement of the traditional Christian understanding that the proper place for sexual relations is in the context of faithful monogamous marriage. It then interacts with the modern challenges to this traditional teaching.

    4. Homosexuality and biblical teaching

    The biblical material is sensitively examined, examining traditional interpretations of key texts, concluding with an analysis of possible responses to the material.

    5. Gender identity, sexual identity and theology

    Chapter 5 examines the challenge to the traditional position presented by the writings of modern feminist, gay and lesbian authors.

    6. Bisexuality

    In this chapter there is a discussion about theological and pastoral implications for those who see themselves as bisexual (men or women who feel an attraction to those of both sexes). They interact with the suggestion that Bisexuals should be treated in category separate that of heterosexual or homosexual and raise some critical theological questions.

    7. Transexualism

    This chapter deals with the complicated matter of gender identity, particularly focusing on people who consider themselves to the ‘trapped in a body’ which is different to that which they perceive is their gender. The chapter examines the physiological, psychological and social explanations of transsexualism and points to the theological, pastoral and practical implications.

    8. Homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals in the life of the Church

    In chapter 8 the document seeks draw some conclusions to the discussions by considering the implication for Church life and practice. This chapter includes an interaction with the 1991 report Issues in Human Sexuality (Church House Publishing)

    9. Handling some current controversies over sexual morality

    Finally, the last chapter attempts to look at how to handle these controversial issues in the Church of England and the Anglican Communion, and to work out what is legitimate diversity and what constitutes foundation theological and pastoral principles.

    Appendix: The Oxford diocesan study days on Issues in Human Sexuality

    C. Niggles

    I am left with a couple of concerns.

    First, in my view the weakest chapter is chapter 8. The authors explore the contentious part of the 1991 document which has been perceived, by some, to advocate a double standard for clergy and laity. The reasoning given for higher standards for clergy is to avoid the appearance of scandal (p.268). This does not seem to include the disciplining of clergy and laity who persist in unrepentant homosexual practice. It is considered that, all-to-often, the first word the homosexual hears is one of moral rebuke (p.265). This should certainly never be the first word they hear. However, the report seems reluctant to see Church Discipline as an essential part of the health and welfare of the Church. This seems to be an important issue in the life of the Anglican Communion at the present time in the light of the issues in New Westminster and New Hampshire.

    Secondly, this document includes a discussion of bisexuality and transsexualism, as well as of homosexuality. On the one hand it is positive to have real interaction with this difficult issues, acknowledging that the only other document which has attempted a theological and pastoral critique of the former two issues is the Evangelical Alliance report, Faith, Hope and Homosexuality.

    But, I do have a concern that the detailed discussion of these issues hints at the possibility of future legitimisation, even if the conclusions are pretty conservative. The church still does not deem it appropriate to write a document discussing paedophilia or bestiality.

    In a chapter entitled, Homosexuality and the Church: a Historical Survey, A. Shead quotes controversial American Bishop Jack Spong’s six steps, or stages, of acceptance of homosexuality by churches (B.G.Webb (ed.), Theological and Pastoral Responses to Homosexuality, Explorations 8, Open Book Publishers, Moore College, Sydney 1994 p.20):

    a) The issue is discussed. This in itself is significant because ‘one does not debate such self-evident evils as murder, rape, arson and child molesting.’

    b) Homosexuals are declared God’s children: ‘hate the sin, love the sinner’.

    c) Homosexuals’ civil rights, when threatened by society, are defended by the church.

    d) It is recognized that the homosexual orientation is not chosen and thus is not sinful. Consequently we stop fearing that our children will be ‘made homosexual’.

    e) It is recognized that the homosexual orientation is morally neutral, and the expectation of celibacy is removed.

    f) The church explores how one leads a responsible sexual life as a homosexual. 

    Much of Bishop Spong’s concern is quite appropriate (sic “hate the sin; love the sinner”). However, the agenda shaping the six steps, should concern us deeply. And, in 2004, this battle has largely been lost (or won, depending on your perspective). I fear that the pathway towards legitimisation of other areas of sexuality will be made easier precisely by continuing such detailed discussion.

    D. Implications

    The ethicist Robert Song in Human Genetics: Fabricating the Future points out that the Christian faith believes that what happens in and to the body is very important:

  • The issue at dispute between gnosticism and orthodox Christianity with regard to the body was, and remains, something like this: is one’s true self to be found in separation from or identification with one’s body? Gnosticism gave the former answer… Within the orthodox Christian view… the physical body is something which is inseparable from the self (Darton, Longman and Todd, 2002, p.245f.)

This quote helps remind us that, though some of the current nature of the debate have new cultural and pastoral implications, the issues of sexuality, gender and spirituality were very much live debates in the New Testament.

    Overall, this seems to be a well-researched and convincing report. The conclusions are a little hidden in the large amount of text (over 350 pages). My main question is: will the Anglican Communion read and heed it? Listening is important, as helpfully exemplified here. But, the authors of the report conclude that the traditional understanding of monogamous, faithful, heterosexual marriage, once re-examined, is found to be sound. We must hear this message and not assume that we are free to ignore it, nor assume that we can await further developments which will undo these clear conclusions.

     

    A form of this review appears at http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/article16.asp

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