CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

Introduction

The Personal Risks Inherent in Writing Such a Book

Motivation for "Coming Out of the Closet"

The Argument of This Book

Chapter 1: The Witness of the Old Testament

I. The Ancient Near Eastern Background

Mesopotamia

Egypt

The Hittite Empire / Canaan / Summary

II. Genesis 1-3: Creation Stories

III. Genesis 9:20-27: Ham's Act and Noah's Curse

IV. Genesis 19:4-11: The Story of Sodom and Gomorrah

Other Early Interpretations of the Sin of Sodom

V. Judges 19:22-25: The Rape of the Levite's Concubine

Excursus: The Image of Women in Judges 19-21

VI. Homosexual Cult Prostitution in Israel

VII. Leviticus 18:22; 20:13: Laws

The Meaning of tocebd

The Question of the Contemporary Authority of Levitical Law

Does the Influence of Leviticus on Paul Undermine His Moral Credibility?

Why the Prohibition of Male Same-Sex Intercourse?

(1) The Connection with Idolatry?

(2) A Procreative Dead End

(3) Contact of Semen with Excrement?

(4) Gender Discomplementarity as a Violation of the Created Order

The Absence of an Explicit Critique of Same-Sex Female Intercourse

VIII. David and Jonathan

IX. Conclusion

Chapter 2: Same-Sex Intercourse as "Contrary to Nature" in Early Judaism

I.Procreation

II.Gender Discomplementarity

III.Excess Passion

IV. Animal Heterosexuality

V. Conclusion

Chapter 3: The Witness of Jesus

I. The Context of Ancient Judaism and Jesus' View of Torah

II. Jesus on Genesis and Male-Female Complementarity

III. Deconstructing the Myth of a Sexually Tolerant Jesus

IV. Love and Righteousness in the Ministry of Jesus

V. Conclusion

Chapter 4: The Witness of Paul and Deutero-Paul

I. Romans 1:24-27

Translation and Translation Notes

Romans 1:18-3:20 Within the Sweep of Paul's Letter and the Situation at Rome

The Argument of Romans 1:18-32: The Suppression of Truth in Creation/Nature

Romans 1:26-27: Same-Sex Intercourse as "Contrary to Nature"

Did Procreation for Paul Have Heuristic and Prescriptive Value?

Did Paul Think That Homoerotic Behavior Was "Dirty" But Not Sinful?

Does Romans 2:1-3:20 Condemn Those Who Condemn Homosexual Practice?

Did Paul Think Only Idol Worshipers Could Engage in Same-Sex Intercourse?

Did Paul Not Have Creation in Mind When He Spoke of Same-Sex Intercourse?

Excursus: The Claim That Romans 1:26 Refers to Heterosexual Intercourse

Excursus: Why Paul Mentions Female Same-Sex Relations First

II. The Vice Lists in 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10

Translation and Introduction

The Meaning of Malakoi in 1 Corinthians 6:9

The Meaning of Arsenokoitai in 1 Corinthians 6:9

The Meaning of Arsenokoitais in 1 Timothy 1:10

III. Conclusion

Chapter 5: The Hermeneutical Relevance of the Biblical Witness

I. The Bible condemns only exyploitative, pederastic forms of homosexuality.

II. The Bible primarily condemns homosexuality because of its threat to male dominance.

III. The Bible has no category for "homosexuals" with an exclusively same-sex orientation; same-sex passion was thought to originate in over-sexed heterosexuals.

A Note on Schoedel's Study of Ancient Causation Theories

IV. Homosexuality has a genetic component that the writers of the Bible did not realize.

A Homosexual Brain?

A Homosexual Gene?

Evidence from Identical Twin Studies

Intrauterine Hormonal Influences?

Childhood Gender Non-conformity and the Socialization of Children

Cross-cultural Studies: Extreme Variations in the Cultural Manifestations of Homosexuality

The Impact of Urban Life and Education

The Elasticity of Sexual Behavior

Can Homosexuals Change?

Relation of the Scientific Data to Paul's Views

V. There are only a few biblical texts that speak directly to homosexuality.

VI. We do not follow all the injunctions in the Bible now, so why should those against homosexual conduct be binding?

The Dearth of Lifelong, Monogamous Homosexual Relationships

The Analogy Between the Early Church's Inclusion of Gentiles and Contemporary Affirmation of Homosexuality

Excursus: Circumcision and Salvation in Judaism

VII. Since we are all sinners anyway, why single out the sin of same-sex intercourse?

The Negative Effects of Societal Endorsement of Homosexuality

Summary

Conclusion

I. Recapping the Arguments

II. Church and Civil Policy Matters

III. A Final Word

Index