Claiming the Promise: Study Book

by Mary Jo Osterman

Reconciling Congregations Program

The debate about how the church ought to respond to homosexual, bisexual and transgendered persons seems endless. Reasonable dialogue  quickly disappears into the fog of battle. This study guide, Claiming the Promise, could make a difference.

It is a study guide created with the cooperation of churches and groups from different Christian traditions who are willing to "welcome" those whose sexual orientations have often excluded them from full participation in their own denominations.

This is not the framework for a neutral dialogue. The author has a particular point

of view: homosexuals* ought to be welcomed in the church and they have been excluded because of the misreading of scripture and the mistaken adoption of outdated moral views by the church. But while the point of view is clear, Mary Jo Osterman avoids the harsh, argumentative language of many writers and advocates.

The guide systematically addresses the golden calves(the accepted "biblical condemnations" often accepted as true without closer examination). By offering alternative interpretations of scripture and presenting the voices of current thinkers the guide allows for the thoughtful consideration of other viewpoints.

Each chapter is easy to follow. Icons appear throughout the guide to identify long held assumptions, to examine other viewpoints and interpretations, to hear the voices of gay men and lesbian women reflect on the message of scripture, and to consider what promise exists in scripture and in the church for the homosexual and for the renewal of the church itself.

In fewer than fifty pages, Claiming the Promise provides a comprehensive overview that could lead to more serious personal reflection on the issue of homosexuality and also to lively group dialogue.

In addition to the Study Guide the publisher also offers a Leader’s Guide. Like the Study Guide, the Leader’s Guide is well organized and offers additional teaching techniques and reference materials.

Claiming the Promise will disappoint the reader looking for a neutral examination of the issue of the church and homosexuality but it is a wonderful resource for the person looking for a clear and non-combative exploration of alternatives to the churches’ traditional response to the homosexual.

(This review deals with homosexuality since that is the focus of the guide. The publisher expresses the hope that it will lead to the broader discussion of bisexuality and other issues of orientation and gender.)