Dignity, Dogmatism and Same Sex Relationships

BOOK REVIEW

Dignity, Dogmatism and
Same Sex Relationships
by Gilbert Rossing

Reviewed by Alec Clayton

Gilbert Rossing, known to local PFLAG members as Gib, has recently published a fascinating book titled Dignity, Dogmatism and Sam Sex Relationships (subtitled What Science and Scripture Teach us). This long title clearly maps out what the book is about.

Gib is a retired Lutheran minister who with his wife, Beth, has two gay sons and two straight daughters. When their sons came out, the Rossings had the experience shared by many PFLAG parents of learning about GLBTQ issues. As a scholar and theologian, Gib found himself struggling to understand apparent contradictions between what the Bible said about homosexuality — and more specifically the common ways many people interpreted scripture — and what his heart and scientific studies told him. In his book, he carefully examines these issues from both theological and scientific viewpoints and illustrates his commentary with personal narrative.

The facts are interesting, well researched and clearly presented, but they make for somewhat dry and academic reading. The dryness, however, is alleviated by the personal narrative.

We have two copies of this book in the PFLAG library (although as of this writing they are both checked out). They are also available at Orca Books and online at amazon.com (or Google Dignity-Dogmatism).