Take any controversial issue of the day, be it abortion, the death penalty, nuclear energy, pornography, and so on, and you will make this discovery: in most bookstores, university libraries, and the MSM in general, you will mainly find only one side covered.
That is, there is the PC side to most of these issues, and the non-PC side, and only the former seems to get a good run in the public arena. Thus on the issue of homosexuality, simply go into any major bookstore today and going by what is on offer, you would be led to think that there is only one side: the pro-homosexual side.
Indeed, I am happy to put good money on this: go to any major bookstore in Australia today, and you will find at least 95 per cent of books in the homosexuality section to be pro in nature – and just as likely 100 per cent. Now that reality can mean one of two things:
Either there only exist pro-homosexual books, or these bookstores are deliberately censoring out alternative points of view. Well, the first option is certainly not the case, so the second option is in fact the sad truth here. It is nearly impossible to find a balanced section of reading on this topic in most of our bookstores today.
That is why I have produced this list. There are in fact plenty of great resources out there which take a differing point of view. You would not know they exist if you relied only on the secular left MSM and most bookstores. But they exist in abundance, and I am duty-bound to alert you to some of these excellent resources.
I know, since I have written two books myself on this topic – well, one and a half. But the MSM has declared such books to be off limits, especially my volume Strained Relations. They think they can just ignore it and it will quietly disappear.
Sorry, but no deal. That book is soon to go into its third printing already, no thanks to the pro-homosexual MSM. And speaking of Australian books on this topic, sadly there is only one other volume from our point of view, and that is the excellent Blatant and Proud by Andrew Lansdown. Regrettably it has long been out of print. That in part is why I wrote my own book, after 20 years of research and study.
So here are some great books which I highly recommend. Most would come from the US, and many are authored by Christians, but certainly not all. I divide this list into three main sections: a general section; a section featuring amazing testimonies and practical help and counseling tips; and finally, a pro and con section where both sides are presented in one volume.
In any war of ideas, information and facts serve as ammunition. We need to master the data and arguments presented in these books so that we can stand up for marriage and family, and resist the militant homosexual steamroller which is seeking to crush everything in its path.
These are certainly not all the books presenting the other side of the debate, but they are amongst some of the better ones. I strongly recommend that everyone reading this piece commit to buying a few titles at least. And if you want me to shortlist things for you, I guess I would especially highlight the following authors: Brown, Dallas, Gagnon, Nicolosi, Satinover, and Schmidt.
Here then is my list of important and helpful books on the topic of homosexuality:
General
Anderson, Kerby, A Biblical Point of View on Homosexuality. Harvest House, 2008.
Ankerberg, John and John Weldon, The Facts on Homosexuality. Harvest House, 1994.
Bahnsen, Greg, Homosexuality: A Biblical View. Baker, 1978.
Brown, Michael, A Queer Thing Happened to America. EqualTime Books, 2011.
Cameron, Paul, Exposing the AIDS Scandal. Huntington House, 1988.
Cameron, Paul, The Gay Nineties: What the Empirical Evidence Reveals About Homosexuality. Adroit Press, 1993.
Christopher, Mark, Same-Sex Marriage: Is it Really the Same? DayOne, 2009.
Dailey, Timothy, Dark Obsession: The Tragedy and Threat of the Homosexual Lifestyle. Broadman and Holman, 2003.
Davies, Bob and Lela Gilbert, Portraits of Freedom. IVP, 2001.
De Young, James, Homosexuality. Kregal, 2000.
Dobson, James, Marriage Under Fire: Why We Must Win this Battle. Multnomah, 2004.
Gagnon, Robert, The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics. Abingdon, 2002.
Grant, George and Mark Horne, Legislating Immorality: The Homosexual Movement Comes Out of the Closet. Moody Press, 1993.
Grant, George and Mark Horne, Unnatural Affections: The Impuritan Ethic of Homosexuality. Communications, 1991.
Grenz, Stanley, Welcoming But Not Affirming. Westminster John Knox Press, 1997.
Jones, Stanton and Mark Yarhouse, Ex-Gay?: A Longitudinal Study of Religiously-Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation. IVP, 2007.
Jones, Stanton and Mark Yarhouse, Homosexuality: The Use of Scientific Research in the Church’s Moral Debate. IVP, 2000.
Keane, Christopher, ed., What Some of You Were. Matthias Media, 2001.
Kennedy, James and Jerry Newcombe, What’s Wrong with Same-Sex Marriage? Crossway Books, 2004.
Keysor, Charles, ed., What You Should Know About Homosexuality. Zondervan, 1981.
Lansdown, Andrew, Blatant and Proud: Homosexuals on the Offensive. Perceptive Publications, 1984.
Lovelace, Richard, Homosexuality: What Should Christians Do About It? Revell, 1978, 1984.
Lutzer, Erwin, The Truth about Same-Sex Marriage. Moody, 2004.
McIlhenny, Chuck and Donna McIlhenny, When the Wicked Seize a City. Huntington House, 1993
Magnuson, Roger, Are Gay Rights Right? Multnomah Press, 1990.
Magnuson, Roger, Informed Answers to Gay Rights. Multnomah Press, 1994.
Muehlenberg, Bill, Strained Relations: The Challenge of Homosexuality. Freedom Publishing, 2011.
Nolland, Lisa, Chris Sugden and Sarah Finch, eds., God, Gays and the Church. Latimer Trust, 2008.
O’Leary, Dale, One Man, One Woman: A Catholic’s Guide to Defending Marriage. Sophia Institute Press, 2007.
Paulk, John and Anne, Love Won Out. Tyndale House, 1999.
Satinover, Jeffrey, Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth. Baker Books, 1996.
Schmidt, Thomas, Straight & Narrow: Compassion & Clarity in the Homosexuality Debate. InterVarsity Press, 1995.
Sears, Alan and Craig Osten, The Homosexual Agenda. Broadman and Holman, 2003.
Smith, F. LaGard, Sodom’s Second Coming. Harvest House Publishers, 1993.
Sprigg, Peter, Outrage: How Gay Activists and Liberal Judges are Trashing Democracy to Redefine Marriage. Regnery Publishing, 2004.
Stanton, Glenn and Bill Maier, Marriage on Trial: The Case Against Same-Sex Marriage and Parenting. InterVarsity Press, 2004.
Staver, Mathew, Same-Sex Marriage. Broadman & Holman, 2004.
Stefanowicz, Dawn, Out From Under: The Impact of Homosexual Parenting. Annotation Press, 2007.
Stott, John, Same-Sex Partnerships?: A Christian Perspective. Revell, 1998.
Turek, Frank, Correct, Not Politically Correct: How Same-Sex Marriage Hurts Everyone. CrossExamined, 2008.
White, James and Jeffrey Niell, The Same Sex Controversy. Bethany House Publishers, 2002.
Whitehead, Neil and Briar, My Genes Made Me Do It. Huntington House Publishers, 1999.
Wold, Donald, Out of Order. Baker, 1998.
Wolfe, Christopher, ed., Homosexuality and American Public Life. Spence Publishing, 1999.
Wolfe, Christopher, ed., Same-Sex Matters. Spence Publishing, 2000.
Woods, Glenn and John Dietrich, The AIDS Epidemic: Balancing Compassion and Justice. Multnomah Press, 1990.
Yamamoto, J. Isamu, ed., The Crisis of Homosexuality. Victor Books, 1990.
Counseling, Testimonies
Baskett, Shirley, The Woman Who Outran the Devil. Monarch, 2005.
Bergner, Mario, Setting Love in Order: Hope and Healing for the Homosexual. Baker Books, 1995.
Boynes, Janet, Called Out: A Former Lesbian’s Discovery of Freedom. Creation House, 2008.
Chambers, Alan, Leaving Homosexuality: A Practical Guide for Men and Women Looking for a Way Out. Harvest House, 2009.
Chambers, Alan, ed., God’s Grace and the Homosexual Next Door. Harvest House, 2006.
Cohen, Richard, Coming Out Straight : Understanding and Healing Homosexuality. OakHill Press, 2001.
Comiskey, Andrew, Pursuing Sexual Wholeness. Creation House, 1989.
Comiskey, Andrew, Strength in Weakness: Healing Sexual and Relational Brokenness. InterVarsity Press, 2003.
Consiglio, William, Homosexual No More. Victor Books, 1991.
Dallas, Joe, Desires in Conflict. Harvest House Publishers, 1991.
Dallas, Joe, A Strong Delusion: Confronting the ‘Gay Christian’ Movement. Harvest House Publishers, 1996.
Dallas, Joe, When Homosexuality Hits Home. Harvest House, 2004.
Dallas, Joe and Nancy Heche, eds., The Complete Guide To Understanding Homosexuality. Harvest House, 2010.
Davies, Bob and Lori Rentzel, Coming Out of Homosexuality. InterVarsity Press, 1993.
Davies, Bob and Anita Worthen, Someone I Love is Gay. InterVarsity Press, 1996.
Haley, Mike, 101 Frequently Asked Questions About Homosexuality. Harvest House, 2004.
Hallman, Janelle, The Heart of Female Same-Sex Attraction: A Comprehensive Counseling Resource. InterVarsity Press, 2008.
Hamilton, Julie Harren and Philip Henry, eds, Handbook of Therapy for Unwanted Homosexual Attractions. Xulon Press, 2009.
Harvey, John, The Homosexual Person. San Francisco: Ignatius, 1987.
Hopko, Thomas, Christian Faith and Same-Sex Attraction: Eastern Orthodox Reflections. Conciliar Press, 2006.
Howard, Jeanette, Into the Promised Land: Beyond the Lesbian Struggle. Monarch, 2005.
Howard, Jeanette, Out of Egypt. London: Monarch, 1991.
Konrad, Jeff, You Don’t Have to be Gay. London: Monarch, 1993.
Moberly, Elizabeth, Homosexuality: A New Christian Ethic. Attic Press, 1983.
Nicolosi, Joseph, Healing Homosexuality: Case Stories of Reparative Therapy. Jason Aronson, 1997.
Nicolosi, Joseph, A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Homosexuality. InterVarsity Press, 2002.
Nicolosi, Joseph, Reparative Therapy of Male Homosexuality. Jason Aronson, 1991, 1997.
Nicolosi, Joseph, Shame and Attachment Loss: The Practical Work of Reparative Therapy. InterVarsity Press, 2009.
Paulk, Anne, Restoring Sexual Identity: Hope for Women Who Struggle With Same-Sex Attraction. Harvest House Publishers, 2003.
Payne, Leanne, The Broken Image. Crossway Books, 1981.
Phelan, James, Practical Exercises for Men in Recovery of Same-Sex Attraction (SSA). Morris Publishing, 2006.
Saia, Michael, Counseling the Homosexual. Bethany House, 1988.
Schmierer, Don, An Ounce of Prevention. Word, 1998.
Thompson, Chad, Loving Homosexuals As Jesus Would: A Fresh Christian Approach. Brazos Press, 2004.
Van Den Aardweg, Gerard, The Battle for Normality: Self-Therapy for Homosexual Persons. Ignatius, 1997.
Van Den Aardweg, Gerard, Homosexuality and Hope. Servant Books, 1985.
Whitehead, Briar, Craving for Love: Relationship, Addiction, Homosexuality and the God Who Heals. Monarch Publications, 1993.
Yarhouse, Mark, Homosexuality and the Christian: A Guide for Parents, Pastors, and Friends. Bethany House, 2010.
Yuan, Christopher and Angela Yuan, Out of a Far Country: A Gay Son’s Journey to God. A Broken Mother’s Search for Hope. WaterBrook Press, 2011.
Pro and Con
Croome, Rodney and Bill Muehlenberg, Why vs Why: Gay Marriage. Pantera Press, 2010.
Gagnon, Robert and Dan Via, Homosexuality and the Bible: Two Views. Fortress Press, 2003.
Sullivan, Andrew, ed., Same-Sex Marriage: Pro and Con. New York: Vintage Books, 1997.
Wardle, Lynn, et. al., eds., Marriage and Same-Sex Unions: A Debate. Praeger, 2003.
Wardle, Lynn, ed., What is the Harm? Does Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Really Harm Individuals, Families or Society? University Press of America, 2008.
12 Replies to “Homosexuality: Recommended Reading”
Dear Bill, I have read your book “Strained Relations”. I meet some devout Christians, one of whom is also reading your book. Some devout Christians have not had as much education as you have. May I suggest that you publish a “Plain English” version of that book. Some Jehovahs Witnesses have also mentioned the issue of homosexuality. They addressed the issue in a way that people can land on a front doorstep and talk about what the Bible says very briefly and to the point. I ask you to consider this idea.
Regards, Franklin Wood
Thanks Franklin. Yes I may get around to a condensed and/or abridged version some time.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Good to see your book is in its third printing, Bill. It deserves a wide readership if for no other reason than there is virtually nowhere else anyone is going to get those facts.
Is it sold at Koorong? Have any of the conservative journals, eg Quadrant, reviewed it yet?
I asked Quadrant to do a review but they have not – they didn’t even get back to me. Indeed, they recently ran an article on the case for homosexual marriage. Plus they seem to have stopped running with my columns online.
So much for a conservative Quadrant. They are in fact really libertarian, not conservative.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
You might be right. I don’t know if your book would suit their current mould.
Damien Spillane
‘Now that reality can mean one of two things’ – Reality? Really? So far removed from any general notion of the concept it makes the Mayan Apocalypse look like a sure thing.
For more of a concrete concept perhaps look at that of market economics. The general idea is that businesses aim to make profit and to do so, to take a bookshop for example, items stocked will be those with the highest chance of selling, thus maximising profit and ensuring competitiveness and ongoing survival.
What is it that dictates this you ask? CONSUMER DEMAND.
Why is it that bookstores don’t sell books which are virulently anti-homosexual? Because no one buys them. Why doesn’t anyone buy them? Because no one (well perhaps some margin of the 5%) agrees with them.
To suggest that capitalism is somehow taking a moral high-ground is absolutely absurd. Bookstores would sell absolutely anything if there was profit to be made, you know this. That is…..reality.
Aaron Wyllie
Thanks Aaron. But let me call your bluff here (which is not hard to do). There of course simply cannot be a demand for a product which no one is even aware of. The MSM and the ruling elites here have simply pulled an iron curtain over any thinking or writing on this which does not toe the party line. Ask any 1,000 Aussies on the street about the books I list here and 999, if not more, would never have heard of them. It is very hard to demand something you do not even know exists.
Conversely the hundreds of pro-homosexual titles readily available everywhere would not be well known either to at least 99% of Australians. But that does not stop the libraries, bookshops, media outlets, and so on, from stocking up on them. And of course if you go to buy a book on this topic, and have say 50 titles to choose from – all pro-homosexual – well guess what? Pro-homosexual titles will sell extremely well, while those giving the other side of the story won’t sell at all – indeed, they can’t sell if they are not even there to be purchased.
And I have even contacted booksellers here in Australia asking about these very things, but they showed no interest whatsoever in letting the other side get a hearing. So yes indeed, it is called censorship and pushing agendas, pure and simple.
Sorry, but you will have to try to dream up another lame excuse to make your weak case here.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Well Aaron (nice Biblical name, by the way), as soon as I heard of a book that actually spoke the truth about the topic (Strained Relations) I knew that I would end up owning a copy. As did the many other people who have since purchased it. May I suggest that you yourself actually take the time to read it and then object to the content if you still believe that you have a leg to stand on, but please, do so based on actual facts, not just “I feel” opinions.
As one of my ministers often says, “Opinions are like armpits. Every one has them, and most of them stink”.
Mario Del Giudice
Dale O’Leary’s blog is wonderful. She writes research and evidence-based articles from an orthodox or ‘catholic’ Catholic Christian perspective. http://daleoleary.wordpress.com/
There is also a Christian, Catholic clinical psychologist, Raymond Lloyd Richmond, PhD who has two blogs that are very helpful for those who are dealing with same-sex attraction and those who are interested in understanding this phenomenon: http://www.chastitysf.com/ http://www.guidetopsychology.com/
And the book, Shame and Attachment Loss, by Joseph Nicolosi, PhD, founder of NARTH, and a psychologist whose group, Thomas Aquinas Institute, helps people overcome their conditioned same-sex attraction is also a valuable resource. He takes the reader through the steps to healing with transcripts of therapy sessions. Dr. Nicolosi has worked with clients through Skype across continents and had them lose the desire for sexual encounters with persons of the same sex and for pornography.
And of course, NARTH has many resources, books, articles and conferences for both professionals and laity.
Thank you for sounding a clear trumpet and for your faithful witness in this delusional time in Western history. One can always come here for Truth, wisdom, logic, rationality and sanity. There are two writers I can always count on – Bill Muehlenberg and Rev. Dr. Albert Mohler (who cleaned the liberal theologians out of Southern Baptist seminary).
Rev. Dr. David Kyle Foster and Pure Passion Ministries, a video testimony ministry with over 160 videos on Vimeo.
Rev. Foster has interviewed all the major workers in therapy and ministry for sexual disorientation and confusion (http://vimeo.com/purepassion) including Rev. Dr. Robert Gagnon, the leading Bible scholar and human sexuality. This is a powerful and valuable resource.
Sibyl Smith
Many thanks indeed Sibyl
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Why do people even many Christians accept the term “gay Christian? You either are Christian or gay, can’t be both. And you are absolutely correct, you can find an abundance of pro gay books but try to find one that is truthful with and backed with scripture and you may find one or two somewhere way in the back hidden very well.
Dear Bill, I have read your book “Strained Relations”. I meet some devout Christians, one of whom is also reading your book. Some devout Christians have not had as much education as you have. May I suggest that you publish a “Plain English” version of that book. Some Jehovahs Witnesses have also mentioned the issue of homosexuality. They addressed the issue in a way that people can land on a front doorstep and talk about what the Bible says very briefly and to the point. I ask you to consider this idea.
Regards, Franklin Wood
Thanks Franklin. Yes I may get around to a condensed and/or abridged version some time.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Good to see your book is in its third printing, Bill. It deserves a wide readership if for no other reason than there is virtually nowhere else anyone is going to get those facts.
Is it sold at Koorong? Have any of the conservative journals, eg Quadrant, reviewed it yet?
Damien Spillane
Thanks Damien
Yes Koorong has it:
http://www.koorong.com/search/product/strained-relations-the-challenge-of-homosexuality-bill-/9780646560953.jhtml
As does Word:
http://www.word.com.au/details.aspx?ProductID=602543
And of course the publisher:
http://freedompublishing.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=9346
I asked Quadrant to do a review but they have not – they didn’t even get back to me. Indeed, they recently ran an article on the case for homosexual marriage. Plus they seem to have stopped running with my columns online.
So much for a conservative Quadrant. They are in fact really libertarian, not conservative.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
You might be right. I don’t know if your book would suit their current mould.
Damien Spillane
‘Now that reality can mean one of two things’ – Reality? Really? So far removed from any general notion of the concept it makes the Mayan Apocalypse look like a sure thing.
For more of a concrete concept perhaps look at that of market economics. The general idea is that businesses aim to make profit and to do so, to take a bookshop for example, items stocked will be those with the highest chance of selling, thus maximising profit and ensuring competitiveness and ongoing survival.
What is it that dictates this you ask? CONSUMER DEMAND.
Why is it that bookstores don’t sell books which are virulently anti-homosexual? Because no one buys them. Why doesn’t anyone buy them? Because no one (well perhaps some margin of the 5%) agrees with them.
To suggest that capitalism is somehow taking a moral high-ground is absolutely absurd. Bookstores would sell absolutely anything if there was profit to be made, you know this. That is…..reality.
Aaron Wyllie
Thanks Aaron. But let me call your bluff here (which is not hard to do). There of course simply cannot be a demand for a product which no one is even aware of. The MSM and the ruling elites here have simply pulled an iron curtain over any thinking or writing on this which does not toe the party line. Ask any 1,000 Aussies on the street about the books I list here and 999, if not more, would never have heard of them. It is very hard to demand something you do not even know exists.
Conversely the hundreds of pro-homosexual titles readily available everywhere would not be well known either to at least 99% of Australians. But that does not stop the libraries, bookshops, media outlets, and so on, from stocking up on them. And of course if you go to buy a book on this topic, and have say 50 titles to choose from – all pro-homosexual – well guess what? Pro-homosexual titles will sell extremely well, while those giving the other side of the story won’t sell at all – indeed, they can’t sell if they are not even there to be purchased.
And I have even contacted booksellers here in Australia asking about these very things, but they showed no interest whatsoever in letting the other side get a hearing. So yes indeed, it is called censorship and pushing agendas, pure and simple.
Sorry, but you will have to try to dream up another lame excuse to make your weak case here.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Well Aaron (nice Biblical name, by the way), as soon as I heard of a book that actually spoke the truth about the topic (Strained Relations) I knew that I would end up owning a copy. As did the many other people who have since purchased it. May I suggest that you yourself actually take the time to read it and then object to the content if you still believe that you have a leg to stand on, but please, do so based on actual facts, not just “I feel” opinions.
As one of my ministers often says, “Opinions are like armpits. Every one has them, and most of them stink”.
Mario Del Giudice
Dale O’Leary’s blog is wonderful. She writes research and evidence-based articles from an orthodox or ‘catholic’ Catholic Christian perspective.
http://daleoleary.wordpress.com/
There is also a Christian, Catholic clinical psychologist, Raymond Lloyd Richmond, PhD who has two blogs that are very helpful for those who are dealing with same-sex attraction and those who are interested in understanding this phenomenon:
http://www.chastitysf.com/
http://www.guidetopsychology.com/
And the book, Shame and Attachment Loss, by Joseph Nicolosi, PhD, founder of NARTH, and a psychologist whose group, Thomas Aquinas Institute, helps people overcome their conditioned same-sex attraction is also a valuable resource. He takes the reader through the steps to healing with transcripts of therapy sessions. Dr. Nicolosi has worked with clients through Skype across continents and had them lose the desire for sexual encounters with persons of the same sex and for pornography.
And of course, NARTH has many resources, books, articles and conferences for both professionals and laity.
Thank you for sounding a clear trumpet and for your faithful witness in this delusional time in Western history. One can always come here for Truth, wisdom, logic, rationality and sanity. There are two writers I can always count on – Bill Muehlenberg and Rev. Dr. Albert Mohler (who cleaned the liberal theologians out of Southern Baptist seminary).
Sibyl Smith
Two more resources available online:
Stanton Jones, PhD has written a definitive scientific study: http://www.firstthings.com/article/2012/01/same-sex-science which is available on PDF from here: http://www.wheaton.edu/CACE/Hot-Topics
Rev. Dr. David Kyle Foster and Pure Passion Ministries, a video testimony ministry with over 160 videos on Vimeo.
Rev. Foster has interviewed all the major workers in therapy and ministry for sexual disorientation and confusion (http://vimeo.com/purepassion) including Rev. Dr. Robert Gagnon, the leading Bible scholar and human sexuality. This is a powerful and valuable resource.
Sibyl Smith
Many thanks indeed Sibyl
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Why do people even many Christians accept the term “gay Christian? You either are Christian or gay, can’t be both. And you are absolutely correct, you can find an abundance of pro gay books but try to find one that is truthful with and backed with scripture and you may find one or two somewhere way in the back hidden very well.