Same-sex marriage

Does gender matter?

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
Is it really the same?
By Mark Christopher
Day One. 124 pages. £6.00
ISBN 978-1-84625-163-4

The author is a US pastor currently serving as a church planter in South Africa. The book is written from the perspective of Christians sincerely grappling with this challenging issue in these two countries.

Mark Christopher helpfully sets out the biblical basis for heterosexual marriage and the serious dangers that same-sex ‘marriage’ poses for society. The reviewer found his analysis of how we came to find ourselves in this position useful and insightful. He also offers some pointers about how the church should respond.

The drawback of this book is that it makes no reference at all to the current UK or European situation. This limits its usefulness. The book reads a little like a collection of essays, so there is not always a consistent theme for the reader to follow. The inclusion of a chapter only 400 words long on the sensitive and complex subject of ‘Is change really possible?’ illustrates this point. At times the author can also be a little careless in his language. Labelling people ‘homosexuals’ or ‘gays’ might be convenient shorthand for an author but does nothing to emphasise the vital truth that from God’s perspective people are men and women made in his image.

While many articles and books are referenced, none that the reviewer has spotted offers clarity regarding the position in the UK. For an excellent Bible-based response to the issues we face readers might be better served by reading Andrew Goddard’s Grove booklet (E141): Friends, Partners or Spouses — The Civil Partnership Act and Christian Witness (http://www.grovebooks.co.uk). Other good books extolling the God-ordained blessing of male-female marriage are also available on the market.

Stefan Cantore,
member of Chertsey Street Baptist Church, Guildford

© Evangelicals Now - December 2009
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