Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs. – Christians Debate
Lee, Justin. Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs. – Christians Debate. Jericho Books, 2013.
Like Matthew Vine’s God and the Gay Christian, this book is written by a young gay man who has worked to interpret Scripture in a way that reconciles his Christian faith with his sexual orientation and practice. We recommend this book not because we agree with Lee’s conclusions (we don’t), but because it’s flow and argument model how to begin with the emotional pull that gets readers rooting for Lee to “win” in his struggle to reconcile his orientation with his faith (his struggle is intense, touching, and very real), followed by exegetical/hermeneutical gymnastics that allow him to come to such a place of reconciliation. Lee is the founder of the Gay Christian Network. This book had developed a growing audience among young Christians who are looking for an option on the issue other than that offered by historical orthodox Christianity. We are including this book because it offers insight into how many are mis-interpreting Scripture in an effort to justify their lifestyles, as opposed to conforming their lifestyles to the Scriptures.