Reviewed by: Kevin Smoot

Bibliographic Information: Vines, Matthew. God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships. Colorado Springs: Convergent Books, 2014.  213 pages. $22.99. ISBN: 9781601425164.

Though there has been considerable improvement in the last twenty years for queer people in religious spaces, the evangelical church has seemed to be unwavering in their non-affirming stance. Founder and executive director of the LGBTQ advocacy group Reformation Project, Matthew Vines, has himself been a victim of the church’s non-affirming position. Raised in an evangelical Presbyterian church, Vines’ coming out experience was poignant. His Christian parents struggled to affirm him from a theological perspective, and thus began an ongoing conversation and exploration of the biblical witness for the blessing of same-sex relationships. Coming out for him was the beginning of a lifelong ministry of advocating for same-sex relationships. In his book, God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships, Matthew Vines makes a case in support of same-sex relationships by detailing his parents’ journey to an affirming position with the aid of scholarly works from a biblical perspective. He believes that one does not have to forsake the authority of Scripture in order to have an affirming position on homosexuality. There are three main sections to this book: (1) chapters 1–3 orient the reader to the topic at hand, (2) chapters 4–7 analyze and refute the traditionally held anti-queer passages, and (3) chapters 8–10 apply the Bible to same-sex marriages. 

The author is strategic in the presentation of his argument, as he is deeply affiliated with the targeted audience. Vines is unequivocally addressing theologically conservative Christians—those who ascribe to some form of literal interpretation of the Bible—but from a less-combative stance. Vines’ rhetoric is more guiding and less polemical. To begin his conversation with his audience, Vines appeals to the humanness of the gay debate in Chapter 1. Vines reveals a piece of his own trauma in coming out as well as the devastation inflicted on one of his fellow church members who paved the way to Vines’ coming out. Vines concludes that coming out in a non-affirming context can be deadly to one’s faith, and Vines was not oblivious to this fact. Vines appeals to the history of the church’s applications of Scripture to grab the attention of his conservative readers. One example to which he refers is the church’s overturning of slavery and its significance for reconsidering the gay debate from a Christian perspective. It is at this point where Vines begins to use Scripture to defend his case, and he will continue to do so for the entire book. Every claim that he makes is primarily supported by Scripture, which is key for persuading his audience, who heavily rely on biblical interpretation as a moral compass. He discusses Jesus’ fruit-bearing model from Matthew 7:15-20 and applies it to the current dilemma. Vines is equating the devastating effects of long-held Christian views with bad fruit and urges his readers to reconsider.  

Chapter 2 lays out some historical and scientific facts regarding sexuality to prepare the reader with the proper context for interpreting key passages. Chapter 3 is the highlight of this book in my opinion. This is the section where Vines asserts one of his main points: one can either hold to the traditional view of celibacy or the non-affirming view of same-sex relationships, but not both. The author proves that the historical, longstanding purpose of celibacy was to be a gift or calling from God, but never a mandate, which is heavily supported by Scripture (Matthew 19:10–12, 1 Corinthians 7:1–7, and 1 Timothy 4). In addition to having Scriptural evidence, Vines concludes that the proselytization of a queer person to remain celibate not only goes against the nature of celibacy, but also against its main purpose of affirming the basic goodness of sex and marriage which points to the union of Christ and the church. With this, the author has sufficiently prepared his readers for the main part of his argument.  

The next section (chapters 4–7) analyzes the famous six passages that supposedly support a non-affirming stance, known as “The Clobber Passages.” These passages include the following: Gen. 19:5, Lev. 18:22, Lev. 20:13, Rom. 1:26–27, 1 Cor. 6:9, and 1 Tim. 1:10. Vines provides historical context surrounding these passages, support from scholars, and logic to not only refute the non-affirming interpretation of these passages, but also to reinterpret them. Vines seeks to prove that the Bible does not directly address the issue of homosexual orientation nor its expression. Vines’ research is expansive, and his thoughts are insightful. In the story of Sodom (Gen 19:5), Vines asserts that the clear sins were arrogance and inhospitality, not same-sex behavior in the context of a hyper-patriarchal society. Vines continues with the analysis of the Leviticus texts. He uses a word study on “abomination,” the socio-political context, and Scripture to conclude that the Leviticus passages are incompatible not only with our modern understanding of same-sex relationships but also that the traditional interpretation contradicts the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ. Romans 1:26–27 is considered the biblical linchpin of the non-affirming argument, and therefore, Vines takes a considerable amount of effort to provide his counter-argument. It is in this chapter that Vines uses stronger language to contrast his argument with that of the traditional. The author first asserts that Paul’s main point is to highlight the unrighteousness of all. He then addresses Paul’s reasons for the condemnation of same-sex behavior by looking at the meanings of “unnatural” and “natural” in ancient literature (not just the Bible) and the broader cultural context of Paul’s words. Vines’ research leads him to conclude that those words were not synonymous with our modern terms “straight” and “gay.” Instead, they were boundary markers to maintain the gender roles in a hyper-patriarchal society. Looking at Paul’s usage of the word “nature” in his other letters reveals that the apostle seems to see it as synonymous with “custom.” Vines summarizes this chapter by quoting New Testament scholar James Brownson: “What is degrading and shameless about the behavior in Romans 1:24–27 is that it is driven by excessive, self-seeking lust… that violates the established gender roles of that time and culture, understood in terms of masculine rationality and honor.”1 The last passages to address are 1 Cor. 6:9 and 1 Tim. 1:10. Vines combines the analysis of these two passages because they share an ambiguous Greek word (arsenokoitai) that has been used to condemn same-sex behavior, though 6:9 includes another controversial word up for discussion (malakoi). Through scrupulous historical and biblical analysis, Vines concludes that these words have been wrongfully translated, and he provides alternative, affirming renderings of them. Now that he has successfully reinterpreted the seemingly homophobic passages, Vines has paved a way to discussing the institution of gay marriage.  

In the last section of the book, Vines basically applies his findings to the controversial topic of gay marriage. In Chapter 9, he poses the question of whether same-sex marriage can fit into Christianity. He confesses his inexperience in actual marriage, but nonetheless provides robust thoughts on the topic. Vines mainly focuses on the commonly used marriage passage, Ephesians 5:21–33, to advance his argument. First, Vines explores the definition of marriage found in the book of Ephesians. He observes that marriage is a profound mystery that reflects Christ’s relationship with the church, thus emphasizing the covenant made between two partners. Vines does not automatically affirm same-sex marriage. Instead, he methodically attends to each part of the non-affirming position, before asserting his conclusion. He analyzes three points of contention that traditionally are expected of or affirmed in heterosexual marriages: procreation, gender hierarchy (wives submitting to husbands), and anatomical complementarity (becoming one flesh). Vines combats these arguments by first highlighting the implications of Christ’s ministry and our spiritual rebirth in Christ, and then by conducting an in-depth word study of “one flesh.” Based upon Vines’ presentation, nothing in the Bible seems to disqualify same-sex couples from the institution of marriage. The Bible does not necessitate anatomical complementarity, gender hierarchy, nor procreation for the validity of a marriage. The Bible affirms marriage as a covenantal bond of mutual self-giving despite one’s inherent differences from one’s spouse. It is the epitome of Christ’s heart for the church. Same-sex marriage fits within the biblical framework. In Chapter 10, Vines affirms the image of God in queer persons through a close reading of Genesis 1. In his final chapter, Vines provides examples of how to support the LGBTQ community and testimonies of people who have changed from a non-affirming to affirming stance.  

I found this book to be compelling, despite my differing view on the authority of Scripture. This book would have been a fantastic resource when I was an evangelical. As a gay Christian who has engaged in queer apologetics, I was familiar with most of Vines’ thoughts prior to this reading, but the personal testimonies that are weaved throughout this work is what makes this a book worth mentioning. His methodological approach was effective. In my own experience, humanizing the debate is what seems to be the most effective, which is echoed throughout the last chapter. In addition, his chapters on the gift of celibacy and the image of God were novel to me.  

Matthew Vines writes primarily to combat the theologically conservative Christians, especially evangelicals who affirm the efficacy of 2 Timothy 3:16–17. Vines’ argument would be especially compelling to this type of reader due to his own upbringing in this context. He is strategic and resists biases, never drawing up conclusions prematurely. Vines, though biased, is thinking critically about the topic at hand, and not just agreeing with every affirming position published.2 He uses the basic thinking of an evangelical and invites the reader to think about the Bible more critically—beyond just receiving it at face value. He has the reader consider the texts closely with attention to the historical context surrounding the problematic passages. Vines’ work is reliable in that he makes use of dozens of scholars and summarizes their works for a broader audience. 

It is important to clarify this broader audience and who that might not necessarily include. Considering the identity of the author (white, cisgender, gay Christian man), he tends to only speak to gay Christian men, thus excluding transgender people, women (to some extent), and the non-religious more generally. Vines attempts to provide an apologetic resource for the Christian LGBTQ community, and I would say that he does, but more specifically for gay, cisgender Christian men. For example, he does not use gender inclusive language for transgender or non-binary persons, nor does he really investigate the primary experience of gender dysphoria that they face and its biblical witness. This book is a resource for Christians. A non-religious person will find very little guidance in navigating conversations in non-religious and non-affirming contexts. Vines’ argument for gay marriage is from that of the conservative Christian perspective, i.e. “The Bible points to X about marriage, and this is trustworthy because it comes from God.” An atheist would glean very little from this, outside of the minimal scientific findings in Chapter 2. Considering the perspective of a lesbian, cisgender woman, Vines’ book provides some support in combating the clobber passages and misogyny, but he fails to uplift the woman identity; he simply condemns the patriarchy.  

Overall, I would recommend this book (1) for conservative evangelical Christians, especially parents of queer children, and (2) for someone who is just beginning to explore what the Bible says and does not say about homosexuality. The non-affirming evangelical Christian will certainly be challenged to rethink their presuppositions of the Bible, as Vines arguably leaves them with little on which to stand. Vines presents his case with great scrutiny toward that audience specifically. The explorer will be exposed to the basics of biblical exegesis and critical analysis and will be challenged to consider their own views on same-sex relationships from a biblical perspective. This book is an accessible work, but I would caution readers to pace oneself through this short piece to maximize one’s reading experience.   

Additional sources cited:

Brownson, James V. Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church's Debate on Same-Sex Relationships. Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2013.