Complete Booklist

ALISON, JAMES

Alison is a former Dominican priest, now practicing as an independent theologian and writer with an excellent reputation. Among his many books are three of particular importance for LGBT readers. For an appreciation of Alison’s work, see

FAITH BEYOND RESENTMENT: FRAGMENTS CATHOLIC AND GAY

Darton Longman Todd, 2001 (Sexuality, Theology)

Strongly Recommended by QTC;
Listed by Martin Pendergast;

The first in the series, this is valuable for the telling of parts of his own story, as well as reflections on dealing with the appropriate relationship of LGBT Catholics with the institutional church, and with God.

Reviews:

Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

On Being Liked
Darton Longman Todd, 2003 (Sexuality, Theology)

Strongly Recommended by QTC;
Listed by Martin Pendergast;

When I first read this book, I found a number of insights that struck me most forcefully. This is one I want to reread.

Undergoing God

From the cover blurb:

“It is not easy to come away from reasding James ALison wtithout a sense of being deeply moved, challenged, and grateful for his glimpse of the truth of things. Undergoing God sets our comfortable worlds on a new axis.”
- Martin Laird

“An original and challenging book which shows the ongoing relevance and dynamism of the Catholic faith for our most profound questions of desire, worship, sexuality and truthfulness.”
-Tina Beattie

Strongly Recommended by QTC;
Listed by Martin Pendergast;

JAMES ALISON, ELISABETH STUART, ET AL.

Forging Dialogue with the Churches
(LGCM 2000)

Listed by Martin Pendergast

BEATTIE-JUNG, PATRICIA (ED):

Patricia Beattie -Jung has worked as a lay theologian of the church for over two decades, specializing in the areas of sexual and medical ethics and issues foundational to moral theology. She is an associate professor of theology at Loyola University, Chicago.

Sexual Diversity & Catholicism

(The Liturgical Press, 2002)

From the back cover:

“Collected in this volume are essays exploring the relationship between contemporary biblical scholarship and Roman Catholic magisterial teaching about the morality of homosexuality…..The arguments foundational to magisterial interpretations of key biblical texts are explored. Are they corroborated by the best of biblical exegesis? Do they cohere with recent scientific studies and relevant human experiences of homosexuality? The biblicall and moral theologians, scientists and pastors who contribute to this volume wrestle faithfully with these issues.”

Listed by Martin Pendergast

CLEAVER, RICHARD

KNOW MY NAME: A GAY LIBERATION THEOLOGY
(WESTMINSTER JOHN KNOX PRESS, 1995)

Strongly recommended by QTC

Shows how the techniques of liberation theology can be used by us all to contribute to the development of a new, more realistic theology of sexuality. Also valuable for some scripture meditations on well known texts, approached from a gay perspective.

COMSTOCK, GARY DAVID, & HENKING, SUSAN E.

QUE(E)RYING RELIGION: A CRITICAL ANTHOLOGY
(CONTINUUM, 1999)

From Google Books:

“Que(e)rying Religion includes but moves beyond tradition-based experiential writing by turning to the academic study of religion. It includes work that compares or focuses on different religious traditions, such as various forms of Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Native American spiritualities. It also incorporates writing on various geographical areas and historical time periods. By assuming a wide definition of religion, it raises questions about the terms religion and religious themselves. Read together, the contents of Que(e)rying Religion provide access to a broad selection of work at the intersection of religious studies and lesbian/gay/queer studies.”

With a name like this, how can I not like it? “Queering the Church shares my own decelaring an advocacy I share, while “Querying” the Church is a critical stance I subscribe to.

(Queer Theology)

Cited by Elisabeth Stuart

GOSS, ROBERT:

Jesus Acted Up: A Gay & Lesbian Manifesto
(Harper & Row, 1993)

Listed by Martin Pendergast

QUEERING CHRIST: BEYOND JESUS ACTED UP

GRAMMICK, JEANNINE

GRAMMICK & FUREY, PAT (EDS):

The Vatican & Homosexuality
(Crossroad, 1988)

GRAMMICK & NUGENT, ROBERT:

Building Bridges
(Twenty Third Publications, 1992)

Voices of Hope
(Centre for Homophobia Education, 1995)

All listed by Martin Pendergast

HARVEY, JOHN

The Truth about Homosexuality
(Ignatius Press, 1996)

Listed by Martin Pendergast

HASBANY, RICHARD

HOMOSEXUALITY AND RELIGION
(HAWORTH PRESS, 1990)

Recommended by Dignity USA

HUNT, MARY:

Fierce Tenderness
(Crossroad, 1991)

Listed by Martin Pendergast

ISHERWOOD, LISA & STUART, ELISABETH

Introducing Body Theology
(Sheffield academic Press, 1998)

Listed by Martin Pendergast

A thought provoking look at the internal contradictions in the church’s stance, it examines the rhetorical and liturgical style, rather than doctrine, to make its case. Fascinating and memorable.

Reviews:

Bob Minor, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas (Reviewed at “Other Sheep”)

Chuck Colbert (in The National Catholic Reporter, reprinted at “Other Sheep”)

MCGUIRE

Whose Church?

See the review on CCL Books online.

MCNAUGHT, BRIAN:

On Being Gay: Thoughts on Family, Faith and Love
(St Martin’s Press, 1988)

Listed by Martin Pendergast

MCNEILL, JOHN

John McNeill was a Jesuit Priest who was silenced by the Vatican after his first book, ”The Church and the Homosexual”, was published with the approval of the Jesuit order. After refraining from publication for several years, McNeill eventually left the priesthood to pursue a career as an independent theologian , spiritual director, writer and psychotherapist. For some impressive testimonials to his contribution to queer theology and LGBT mental health, see the collection of essaysforming the second half of his latest book, ”Sex as God Intended”.

The Church and the Homosexual (new ed)
Beacon Press, 1996

Listed by Martin Pendergast

Freedom, Glorious Freedom
(Beacon Press, 1995)

Listed by Martin Pendergast

Taking a Chance on God: Liberating Theology for Gays, Lesbians and their Lovers, Families and Friends
Beacon Press, 1988, 1996 (Scripture, Theology, Sexuality)

Strongly recommended by QTC;
Listed by Martin Pendergast

Lethe Press, 2008
(Scripture, Theology, Sexuality)

Strongly recommended by QTC

MOLLENKOTT, VIRGINIA RAMEY,

Omnigender: A Trans-Religious Approach

Mollenknott shows that many features of God’s incarnation and manifestation to humans, and many practices of the church, fall outside socially approved, binary ideas of gender. She also discusses numerous examples of canonised saints who have defied gender roles.

MOORE, GARETH OP:

The Body in Context: Sex and Catholicism
(Continuum Books, 2001)

Listed by Martin Pendergast

A Question of Truth : Christianity and Homosexuality
(Continuum Books, 2003)

From the back cover:

” A near incontrovertible demonstration that the antiathy of the Roman Catholic Church to homosexuality has no basis in scriture or the natural law. Cogently argued, elegantly written and brilliantly researched.” (Ben Summerskill, CE, Stonewall)

“In “A Question of Truth”, Gareth Moore, a Dominican priest, challenges the teaching of the Catholic Church on its own grounds. He scrutinizes the Church’s arguments, which are based on both the Bible and natural law, and finds them wanting. He subjects the Church’s beliefs to a meticulous and scholarly examination and concludes that there are no good arguments…against what have come to be known as homosexual relationships”.

Recommended by QTC;
Listed by Martin Pendergast

(Scripture, Theology, Sexuality)

NUGENT, ROBERT:

The Challenge to Love: Gay & Lesbian Catholics in the Church
(Crossroad, 1989)

Listed by Martin Pendergast

SCHINNICK, MAURICE:

This Remarkable Gift: Being Gay and Catholic
(Allen & Unwin, 1998)

Listed by Martin Pendergast

STUART, ELISABETH:

Stuart is a professor of theology at King Alfred’s College, Winchester, and one of the most prominent theologians in the field of gay and lesbian theology.

Daring to Speak Love’s Name - A Gay and Lebian Prayer Book
Hamish Hamilton, 1992

Just Good Friends: Towards a Lesbian & Gay Theology of Relationships
(Mowbray, 1995)

Christian Perspectives on Sexuality & Gender
(Gracewing, 1995 )

People of Passion: What the Churches Teach about Sex [Co-authored with Thatcher, Adrian]
(Mowbray, 1997)

Religion is a Queer Thing: Guide to the Christian Faith for Gay, Lesbian Bisexual and Transgendered People
(Cassell, 1997)

All listed by Martin Pendergast

Gay and Lesbian Theologies: Repetitions with Critical Differences
(Ashgate, 2003)

Written by an academic theologian, but do not be put off by the academic tone and style. This is an excellent introduction to the different strands in the theology of LGBT sexuality. In this book, she

“presents the first critical survey of gay and lesbian theology arguing that its emergence was nothing short of miraculousGay and lesbian theologians managed to take a dominant Christian discourse and which rendered than sinful, sick and harmful to the common good and transform it into a theology which argued that a person’s sexuality provided the point of contact between God and themselves.” (Taken from the cover blurb).

Strongly recommended by QTC;
Listed by Martin Pendergast

Written by an academic theologian, but do not be put off by the academic tone and style. This is an excellent introduction to the different strands in the theology of LGBT sexuality. In this book, she

“presents the first critical survey of gay and lesbian theology arguing that its emergence was nothing short of miraculousGay and lesbian theologians managed to take a dominant Christian discourse and which rendered than sinful, sick and harmful to the common good and transform it into a theology which argued that a person’s sexuality provided the point of contact between God and themselves.” (Taken from the cover blurb).

SULLIVAN, ANDREW:

Virtually Normal: An Argument About Homosexuality
(Picador, 1995)

Love Undetectable
(Chatto & Windus, 1998)

Both listed by Martin Pendergast

VASEY, M:

Strangers & Friends

Vasey argues from an historical presentation of the sexuality and the family. He points out that far from being the ‘tradtional’ model, the family as idealised by modern Christians, especially the evangelicals, is a relatively modern invention. The gradual development of this model as normative, has largely been responsible for the parallel development of a distinct gay identity, largely in reaction. (The campaign against the ‘homosexual’ is attacking what it has itself created.) Conversely, the early church idealised male friendship and community life, rather than the familyas now understood.

WOODS, RICHARD:

Another Kind of Love (3rd ed)
(St Thomas More Press, 1988)

Listed by Martin Pendergast

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