Between Two Worlds

If you're looking for a good resource on thinking about homosexuality, you probably can't do much better than this new 4-hour, 3-DVD set by Professor Robert Gagnon, entitled, Love, the Bible, and Homosexual Practice. (It's $35, plus $7 for shipping and handling. If you live outside the US, you have to order by phone: 615.507.4166. The DVD set is in NTSC form.)

DVD 1: What's at Stake & What Are the Closest Analogies (83 min.)

Treats why we disagree in the church about homosexual practice; what's at stake in this debate; why the oft-cited, alleged analogies to Gentile inclusion, slavery, women in ministry, and divorce and remarriage are not in fact good analogies to the Bible's prohibition of homosexual practice; what the main problem with homosexual practice is; why adult-committed incest and polyamory are the closest analogies; and responses to audience questions.

DVD 2: The Witness of Paul on Homosexual Practice (72 min.)

Treats the witness of Paul, showing how Paul opposed homosexual practice absolutely by looking at: echoes to the creation texts in Romans 1:24-27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9; the meaning of Paul's argument from nature in its historical context; the case for identifying Rom 1:26 with an indictment of lesbianism; the conception of caring homosexual unions in the ancient world; the condemnation of even such caring unions by some Greek and Roman moralists; and the case for identifying the terms for homosexual practice in 1 Cor 6:9 and 1 Tim 1;10 with homosexual practice per se.

DVD 3: The Witness of Jesus & the OT on Homosexual Practice (76 min.)

The first 11 minutes completes the discussion of Paul by showing why the "orientation argument" (i.e. had NT authors known about sexual orientation it would have changed their view on homosexual practice) doesn't work. The next 19 min. are devoted to discussing the witness of Jesus; 8 min. to the witness of Genesis; 7 min. to Sodom and related texts (Ham & Noah, the sacred cult prostitute texts, Levite at Gibeah, commentary on Sodom in Ezekiel, Jude, and 2 Pet); 5 min. to the Levitical prohibitions and the problems with alleged analogies to menstrual law and cloth mixtures; 2 min. to David and Jonathan; and 23 min. to responding to questions from the audience.

CD: The Importance of Sexual Ethics in the NT (72 min.)

You can also get the three DVD presentations on audio CD, along with the CD above, for $20 plus $5 shipping and handling.