It is honest, engaging and easy to read, yet still packed with theological depth and insight too. .orange-text-color {color: #FE971E;} Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip. He moved to Oxford to pursue his studies in theology and train as an apologist from a skeptical, atheist background as an anti-Christian gay activist. With this in mind, perhaps the most interesting part of the current book can be found in the two appendices at the end. please sign up As a single Christian woman in Christian communities that seem to value romance and marriage over holiness and union with God, so much of David's encouragement and wisdom spoke deeply to my heart. In their SSA they seek to transform the church. However, what Bennett successfully does is move beyond the narrative to deep and thoughtful analysis of cultural, religious, ethical, and philosophical issues surrounding the interaction between traditional (orthodox) Christianity and the experiences of LGBTQI persons. I hope Bennets book goes some way to convincing them they need to be more inclusive of single gay people. LGBT activists accuse those who oppose them of being hateful and homophobic, but look what happens when one of their group changes sides. This book is designed to make all of us think about our ultimate love and to work through how we should engage in a long debated area, whether inside the church or outside of it. Following supernatural encounters with God, he embarked on a journey not only of seeking to reconcile his faith and sexuality but also of discovering the higher call of Jesus Christ. This man is a gifted writer, he draws you in and keeps you wanting more. I completely applaud you for turning to scripture when thinking about this. Title : War of Loves. Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2019. He is also a fellow at the Oxford Center for Christian Apologetics and holds both Oxford and St. Andrews graduate credentials. (Preston Sprinkle, president, Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender)A refreshing and powerful book. My love is your true identity. Bennett self-identifies as a gay celibate Christian. The basis of this entire issue in a nut shell is that people find the thought of other people having sex differently disgusting. (Rev 12:11) And so, among such a great cloud of witnesses, David Bennet offers us his engaging, encouraging, and "And they overcame [the accuser] by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death." Not many Christian books are page-turners, but this is. In A War of Loves, he shares his growing desire as a gay rights activist to see justice for LGBTQI people, his journey thro. This is one of the top books I will now recommend to Christians who want to know how to better love their LGBTQI friends and also for seekerswhether gay or notwho are open to considering the invitation of Jesus. The book itself is quite extraordinary. Atheist Gay Activist to Celibate Gay Christian, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2019, Essential contribution to the faith-sexuality discussion, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 16, 2019, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2018, Essential reading for every Christian, especially Church Pastors, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 7, 2019, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2019, Gender & Sexuality in Religious Studies (Books), Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. She even told me about a brief discussion in Rome her Christian friend had with none other than my onetime hero, Jean-Paul Sartre, shortly before he died. Buy it, read it, think about it, engage with it. In this incredibly honest, emotive, and vulnerable work, David takes the reader on a deeply personal and insightful journey of encountering God, of wrestling with sexuality, identity and costly sacrifice, of receiving grace and love, and of coming to a place of forgiveness for those both in the church and in the LGBTQI community who have injured him. He's a fellow at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and . Amazon has encountered an error. At 14, David Bennett came out to his parents. There was a problem loading your book clubs. That is more an observation than a criticism, as in this respect Bennett is limited by his genre and his own experiences. As a young gay man, David Bennett saw Christianity as an enemy to freedom for LGBTQI people, and his early experiences with prejudice and homophobia led him to become a gay activist. He is honest about what he thought and what he thinks. David Bennett is a frequent Eternity contributor. Both women recount in their books how they experienced sexual abuse from male priests Beeching was molested and Ozanne was raped. I have since finished reading the reader's copy, also have purchased and listened to the audible version from Amazon. I will leave it to Andrew T Walker, writing for The Gospel Coalition to say it so much better than me. If every one had a pure mind no one would think about the sex part at all. March is Womens History Month, dedicated to the study, observance, and celebration of the vital role of women in American history. I dont know a single church that denies that gay people exist. (Sean McDowell, professor, Biola University; speaker; author, Same-Sex Marriage)A timely, thoughtful, and often moving story which will be hugely helpful to a lot of people. Dust Jacket : False. It looks like WhatsApp is not installed on your phone. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. It is honest, engaging and easy to read, yet still packed with theological depth and insight too. I live in Spokane Washington, and Doug Wilson lives in Moscow Idaho but is famous nationally in the same way as pastor Robertson seems to be known in Scotland. We are sorry. With deep compassion and unrelenting honesty, David shares his story of leaving gay activism and following Jesus. Can you imagine the power in store if Christians were to humbly repent of hypocrisy before expecting others to repent? David Bennett came out to his parents as gay when he was fourteen and entered Sydney's active gay community a few years later. David had believed he was disqualified from God's love until he encountered that for himself in Jesus Christ. Lots and lots of gay people dont have sex and/or relationships. One of captivating origins for such a time as this, being that David is openly gay. It doesn't finish there, but continues with an account of how the author sought to reconcile being gay with his new-found Christian faith, first by being what he calls a 'Side-A' Christian who believes that committed same-sex relationships are acceptable, before finally being challenged to become a 'Side-B' celibate gay Christian. People to Be Loved: Why Homosexuality Is Not Just an Issue, A Change of Affection: A Gay Man's Incredible Story of Redemption, Understanding Spiritual Warfare: A Comprehensive Guide. To be acceptable to them he has to lie about his orientation. A War of Loves investigates what the Bible teaches about sexuality and demonstrates the profligate, unqualified grace of God for all people. Being shot at from both sides of a polarised dispute is in my view the indication of the high likelihood of an accurate understanding of the situation. The first part of this book is an account of the author's journey from 'coming out' at age fourteen, through his increasingly intense experiences of the Sydney gay scene and increasingly antagonistic relationship to Christianity, to his overwhelming discovery of the Person of Jesus Christ while a student aged nineteen. is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app. He moved to Oxford to pursue his studies in theology and train as an apologist from a skeptical, atheist background as an anti-Christian gay activist. David is the author of the book "A War of Loves: The Unexpected Story of a Gay Activist Discovering Jesus.". This book is that worn-out genre in reverse. 1.2 Id suggest that this difference is significant: for Bennett and Perry salvation is causation, salvation is transforms. Bennett shares his story and reflects on it in light of the Bible throughout the book. David describes the joy and intimacy he found in following Jesus Christ and . Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. A founding member of the Church of Englands Archbishops college of evangelists, he holds undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from Oxford and a masters degree in theology from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.". Christianity seeks to make reproductive sex acceptable by making it sacred. I've read Wesley Hill's "Washed and Waiting," I've read "Single, Gay, Christian" by Greg Coles, and even "God and the Gay Christian" (an alternate, differing view than my own, but valuable nonetheless) by Matthew Vines, and these works have been tremendously encouraging and insightful in the topic of homosexuality and how it relates to Christianity and the Gospel. Love your blog but you do need a proof reader! David describes the joy and intimacy he found in following Jesus Christ and how love has taken on a radically new and far richer meaning for him. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! It should be a matter of deep shame that this book is considered controversial by some. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. I am grateful to all who are contributing their learning, experience, study, and prayer to help us all to proclaim afresh the gospel of Jesus Christ. Davids honesty and humanity shine through these pages, even as he handles difficult questions through the lens of his experience. I guess, if I could wish for a little more, I wish that he would have shared more about how his relationship with his parents and family later in the book. He gives the precious gift of a look inside a life-long battle and journey that has found Christ in the midst of a sexually confusing fallen world. Following supernatural encounters with God . 4.2 How much acknowledgement is there in the church? In A War of Loves, David recounts his dramatic story, from his . The Christian book world seems to be filling with gay Christian memoirs. Just a few observations. Sartre ended the conversation saying, Im not far from where you are with Jesus.. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. David describes the joy and intimacy he found in following Jesus Christ and . Please try again. In most churches there is still no acknowledgement that gay people even exist. It is well worth the read. Over the last decade there have been many autobiographies written by those who escaped evangelical Christianity. As a young gay man, David Bennett saw Christianity as an enemy to freedom for LGBTQI people, and his early experiences with prejudice and homophobia led him to become a gay activist. While agreeing with much of what he has to say about the calling to celibacy, I'm just not convinced that the church idealises heterosexual marriage in the way he claims. Whatever it might be, we were made to cleave to God for identity and meaning. Flip that. It is just about the best book of this kind that I have read. investigates what the Bible teaches about sexuality and demonstrates the profligate, unqualified grace of God for all people. David Bennett was raised in an agnostic home in Sydney, Australia. At that moment, his life changed forever. Very applicable book and relevant to our current culture! I love the way that David has brought to life the challenge of following Jesus in our sex obsessed culture, and how this is a challenge for every human being, regardless of gender or orientation. I think its very disturbing that certain Christian leaders are still attempting to deny that some people are actually gay and that this is not a chosen identity or an excuse for hedonism. . -- Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing, director, Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. (Rev. Overall I loved this book and would highly recommend it. The author makes you think. David Bennetts page-turning writing gripped me from beginning to end, and I feel sure that his perspective on what it means to give our sexuality to God is something that every Christian of our generation needs to consider. 2/3 As I said I have not read Bennets book, but I am pretty confident that he isnt using gay as a label, but to mean that he experiences attraction only to the same sex. The God revealed in Jesus Christ is the definition of love. At that moment, his life changed forever. Missing Information?. David describes the joy and intimacy he found in following Jesus Christ and how love has taken on a radically new and far richer meaning for him. A War of Loves demonstrates Gods abundant, prodigal grace for all people and investigates what the Bible teaches about sexuality. "And they overcame [the accuser] by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death." I found this book compelling and entertaining - the early descriptions of evangelicals as ill-informed and nervous and of liberals as tolerant of anything except perceived intolerance echoed my own experiences as a student. I am a fan of David Bennett's as I am of all whom I like to refer to as those who "walk the edges" in our society. It has helped to shape my thinking personally and will impact the way our church engages with people of all backgrounds going forwards. Can you imagine how healing it would be for the church to acknowledge that it is just as broken and sinful as the gay community? Book Review: A War of Loves by David Bennett David Bennett is from Sydney, Australia and is currently pursuing a DPhil in Theology from the University of Oxford. . in a war of loves, he shares his growing desire as a gay rights activist to see justice for lgbtqi people, his journey through new age religions and french existentialism, and his university years as a postmodernist--before jesus christ showed up in his life in a highly unexpected way, leading him down a path he never would have imagined or If two people fall in love it is not about sex, it is about love. The author's interest in literature and philosophy is clear, and has given him resources to think through his stance, and it is to be hoped that he will provide us with a book that gives more theological detail in due course. David paints a beautiful and compelling picture of what it looks like to desire Christ above all else. I even found the appendixes helpful and I don't often say that about a book! 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