Heterosexism: An Ethical Challenge

By Ralph F. Smith and Patricia Beattie Jung

Book Overview

A ground-breaking book that shows that the prevailing sexual ethic is no longer useful.

In this ground-breaking book the authors show that the prevailing sexual ethic is no longer useful. It presumes as ideal, a uniform morality based on a limited understanding of human sexuality. Heterosexism is revealed to be a system of prejudice that both grows out of and supports this ethic. It produces various forms of discrimination, particularly those against gay and lesbian people, that cannot be justified.

The authors investigate scripture and tradition and explore emerging social scientific data regarding sexual identity, taking seriously the experiences of gay and lesbian Christians. Their investigation supports the view that reformation of Christian sexual ethics is both necessary and possible. They suggest that offering a pluriform rather than a uniform sexual ethic will result in a more responsible and viable dialogue on the ethical questions that emerge when we move beyond heterosexism.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0791416968
• ISBN13: 9780791416969
• Release Date: December 1993
• Publisher: State University of New York Press
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

An Alternative View of a Book on an Important Issue

As a response to the previous reviewer who was so appalled by the alleged "modernist" tone of the book, I found this volume to be a serious and thoughtful analysis of the issue. There is nothing to suggest that the authors are not comitted Christians engaging a contemporary issue. Nor is there any indication that the authors reject core Christian beliefs/theology simply because they chose to address a contemporary question. The first review says more about the reviewer than it does about the book itself. Whether one accepts or agrees with the authors, their book deserves a careful and critical reading.