Why the Church of the Nazarene Should be Fully LGBTQ+ Affirming

I’m very pleased to have a chapter published in this new collected volume, Why the Church of the Nazarene Should be Fully LGBTQ+ Affirming, edited by Tom Oord and Alexa Oord.

Alongside over 50 other contributors, I talk about how a queer and liberative theology can be consistent with and faithful to the Wesleyan-Nazarene tradition, and how an orientation of openness on the part of our churches embodies the prevenient grace of God—the grace that always goes before us and makes possible a sanctified love of God and neighbor.

You can read my essay in its entirety HERE: Liberation Toward a Fresh and Faithful Nazarene Theology

It’s been so edifying to see confirmed the intuition I’ve had for years—that Nazarenes on the whole are an open, curious, and caring people who desire holiness in heart and life, and who are more willing to engage differences of gender and sexuality than we might have guessed.

I’m eager to see how these essays—both personal narrative and biblically and theologically reasoned—will spur fruitful discussion, a lessening of fear, and an increase of love in the denomination that I love so much.