Homosexuality - The Use of Scientific Research in the Church’s Moral Debate
How prevalent is Homosexuality?
What causes it?
Is it a psychopathology?
Can it be changed?
Questions like these often accompany discussions of homosexual behaviour. For answers, we naturally look to scientific studies. But what does the scientific research actually show? More important, what place should this research have in shaping the church’s response?
Stanton Jones & Mark Yarhouse help us face these issues squarely & honestly. In four central chapters, they examine how scientific research has been used within church debates - in particular within Methodist, Presbyterian & Episcopal contexts. They then survey the most recent & best scientific research& sort out what it actually shows. Next they help us interpret the research’s relevance to the moral debate within the church. In a final chapter, they make a strong case for a traditional Christian sexual ethic. Each chapter concludes with helpful discussion questions.