The Bible on the question of homosexuality

Introduction

1 Introduction Concerning This Work Homosexuality is a fact of life. It has been the object of numerous publications from sociological, psychological, theological , and other perspectives. For theology, the Bible plays an important role in positions for and against homosexuality. Concerning the use of Scripture, we can ask several questions . Can we speak of homosexuality in the Bible since this term itself is recent (nineteenth century)? What does the Bible really say? How does it say it and why? This book proposes to return to the sources in order to answer these questions. Reading the Bible today becomes more and more demanding because it reflects a society and a culture different from those of the reader. In a human society which is evolving very quickly and with rapidly changing ideas, the readers of the Bible are invited to make the necessary distinction between what the Bible teaches and what the society in which they live advocates. The difficulty with biblical approaches is to adapt the Bible to how we live. The interpretation and contextualization of the biblical text are in themselves good things to the extent that they allow each generation to be spiritually nourished by the “word of God.” Problems can arise when we want to find in the Bible answers to specific questions raised by the society in which we live. We risk making the Bible say 2 Introduction what it does not. The interpretation can be forced so that the text is understood in a way that pleases the reader by confirming his or her point of view or by challenging another’s point of view. We can also force the Bible to say something about a subject on which it is silent. This is why readers should begin with the hermeneutical presupposition that allows the text to speak for itself. Concerning homosexuality, this hermeneutical presupposition would avoid a too benevolent (homophiliac) or too hostile (homophobic) interpretation. With respect to the Bible , the question is neither hemophiliac nor homophobic. This would be only a personal opinion. Rather, it is to understand and to interpret well the biblical text. In order to say something about homosexuality and the Bible, one must first clarify what the Bible says and what goes beyond its purview . Only after this can one ask if the biblical teaching retains its value in this or that society. In this book, three Christian exegetes, two Catholic and one Protestant, wanted to undertake this first challenge: to examine the biblical text closely and to reread it without taboo or prejudice, in order to clarify what the Bible has to say about homosexuality. They have agreed to give themselves to the text without personal or ecclesial interpretations. This book, which is not an ethical treatise on homosexuality , shows the weight of the Bible on this question. Outline and Content This book is divided into three parts. These parts reflect those passages that deal with the subject of homosexuality : the stories and laws of the Old Testament, as well as the teaching of the New Testament. Introduction 3 Each Old Testament story has as its point of departure a concrete situation, in order to assist the reader to draw a lesson for him or herself. Innocent Himbaza examines the stories that are often cited in discussions of homosexuality such as the story of Sodom (Genesis 19), the men of Gibeah (Judges 19) as well as the love between David and Jonathan found in the book two books of Samuel. Do these stories in fact deal with homosexuality? If not, why continue to cite them? If yes, what precisely do they say? Then, the laws of the Old Testament provide a rule of conduct, but without explaining the context from which they emerged. Adrien Schenker examines the laws concerning homosexuality in Leviticus 18 and 20. These laws are short and clear. The question then is not whether these laws forbid homosexuality or not. On the basis of a reading of these laws in their concrete context, Schenker responds to the question why the practice of homosexual love is forbidden by the law of Moses. The position of the New Testament with respect to homosexuality flows from the legacy of the Old Testament. Does the New Testament say something different from the Old Testament? Jean-Baptiste Edart looks at the New Testament moral teaching on homosexuality, especially the texts of Saint Paul (1 Corinthians 6; Romans 1; 1...