Listening to Sexual Minorities

"Just as a plane requires both wings to fly, so too the gospel cannot soar in a culture without the two wings of truth and grace. No other issue confronting the twenty-first-century church in America requires the need for both wings than the intersection of human sexuality and genuine Christian faith. Without sacrificing the wing of truth, Listening to Sexual Minorities helps lift the wing of grace. Where the church has excelled at telling, this book excels at listening. Thankfully, Listening to Sexual Minorities is not a theological or political treatise telling believers what they should believe or do. Gratefully, it is an archive of conversations, thoughts, and feelings, gleaned from individuals within our churches and institutions."
-Jon S. Kulaga, president of Ohio Christian University

"For more than forty years I’ve worked with college students. The complexities of the issues they deal with personally are exciting, challenging and (at times) overwhelming. Some of the most difficult issues they face are found at the intersection of faith and sexuality. Within the Christian university context those intersecting issues take on an additional dimension for LGB+ students because of the cultural tensions surrounding these issues. Listening to Sexual Minorities is a gold mine of research, wisdom, and practical application in understanding more accurately the journeys of sexual minority students. The student stories embedded in each chapter range from encouraging to heart wrenching. For campuses seeking to take both faith and sexuality seriously, working through Listening to Sexual Minorities will be time well spent."
-Jay Barnes, president of Bethel University

"The research and insight found in Listening to Sexual Minorities: A Study of Faith and Sexual Identity on Christian College Campuses is profoundly timely and relevant—not just for Christian educators, but for all of us who are committed to loving and sharing life with the many sexual minority individuals in our families, churches, and communities. One of the greatest hindrances to this end is that although many strong opinions abound, there are few opportunities to listen and bear witness to the actual stories, experiences, and complexities of our sexual minority friends and colleagues—especially those who are professing Christians. Yarhouse, Dean, Stratton, and Lastoria have assembled a scholarly, comprehensive, readable, and human introduction to the stories of such individuals; I highly recommend it because the world needs to hear what they have to say."
-David C. Wang, associate professor of psychology at Rosemead School of Psychology, editor of the Journal of Psychology and Theology

"Professor Mark Yarhouse and his collaborators continue their remarkable efforts to produce informative, original, and even-handed empirical research into the life experiences of Christians experiencing same-sex and other non-normative sexual attractions. This book reports on the results of a study of remarkable breadth and comprehensiveness. It offers understandable syntheses of the complex findings and wise, biblical suggestions based on the findings for implementation by Christian educational institutions and churches. It is a unique and valuable contribution deserving the attention of thoughtful Christian leaders everywhere."
-Stanton L. Jones, professor of psychology at Wheaton College, coauthor of God’s Design for Sex

"This groundbreaking book is a must-read for all who care about faith-based schools and the LGBTQ students who are a part of these communities."
-Pat Griffin, Professor Emerita at University of Massachusetts Amherst and member of the NCAA Seeking Common Ground Leadership Team