Located at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Catholic Handbook PURL: http://purl.oclc.org/NET/lgbh/ [A PURL is an OCLC maintained "Persistant URL" which will always point to the real location of a website] DIGNITY Lesbian & Gay Catholics NEW YORK Reading List If you are interested in exploring Lesbian and Gay Catholic issues by yourself, here is a list of recommended reading material. Most of the books are available at lesbian and gay bookstores, such as A Different Light, and in the library at the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center. Starred books (*) are especially recommended. Church Document Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, 1986, repr. in Jeaninne Grammick and Pat Furey, eds., The Vatican and Homosexuality, (New York: Crossroad, 1988), 1- 10, Using a proof-text approach to the Bible, and rejecting modern psychological insights, calls homosexuality an "objective disorder" and says, inter-alia that "no-one should be surprised" at anti-gay violence when lesbians and gays claim civil rights!. Ordered Catholic bishops to eject lesbian and gay Catholic groups from churches. The positive aspect is that this letter finally accepts that homosexuality is a constitutive part of the personality and that gay people are a social group. Lesbian and Gay Catholic History Bailey, Derrick S., Homosexuality and the Western Christian Tradition, (London: Longmans, Green, 1955;repr. Hamden, Ct.: Archon/Shoestring Press, 1975) Absolutely standard work by Anglican priest. No bibliography but text gives best overview of Church and secular legislation, and cites in full the relevant scriptural, canonical and patristic texts. *Boswell, John, Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality, (Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1980) The single most important work in lesbian and gay Catholic history by a serious scholar. Proposes that homosexuals were accepted before the 13th century, and then intolerance set in. Criticised by gay radicals for letting the Church off the hook. Boswell rejects idea that homosexual subcultures are a recent development. *Boswell, John, Same-Sex Unions in Pre-Modern Europe, (New York: Villard, 1994) A groundbreaking study of the "Adelphopoiia" liturgy, which Boswell argues, was for centuries used as a public liturgy to celebrate erotic relationships between people of the same sex. Brown, Judith C., Immodest Acts - The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy, (New York: Oxford UP, 1986) Discusses life and trials of Sister Benedetta Carlini in the 17th century. Miller, Neil, Out of the Past: Gay and Lesbian History from 1869 to the Present, (New York: Vintage, 1995) Readable,up to date and extensive (over 600 pages), account of modern lesbian and gay history in Europe and the Americas. Based on much of the academic research of recent years. Perhaps the best current introduction. Plant, Richard, The Pink Triangle: The Nazi War Against Homosexuals, (New York: Owl/New Republic/Henry Holt, 1986), Probably the best English language book so far on the Nazi treatment of gays, but far from perfect. Points out that homosexuality charges were often brought against Catholic clergy. Noonan, John T., Contraception: A History of its Treatment by Catholic Theologians and Canonists, (Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press, 1966) Looks at all forms of "non-procreative" sexuality and Church attitudes to it. Essential, but difficult book. The Bible and Homosexuality *Countryman, L. William, Dirt, Greed & Sex: Sexual Ethics in the New Testament and Their Implications for Today, (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1988) A serious, and radical, proposal that New Testament sexual ethics are vital to us - and that the New Testament rejects notions of purity which have come to pervade much Christian discussion. Edwards, George R, Gay/Lesbian Liberation: A Biblical Perspective, (New York: The Pilgrim Press, 1984) England, The Rev. Michael E., The Bible and Homosexuality, 4th ed, (Gaithersburg MD: Chi-Rho Press, 1994, 1st ed. 1979) This is produced by the Metropolitan Community Church. England discusses how to approach the Bible as a source of faith and revelation. Although he addresses all the standard "proof texts", he refuses to be bound to these few verses. Rather, somewhat effectively, he sets them in the context of overall biblical interpretation, without resorting to special- pleading. Indeed he argues that wielders of proof-texts against gays have the real interpretative problem. *Helminiak, Daniel, What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality, (San Francisco: Alamo Square Press, 1994) Gay Roman Catholic priest and biblical scholar summarises and presents in easily digestible form for the non-expert the findings of Boswell, Scroggs and Countryman. Horner, Tom, Jonathan Loved David: Homosexuality in Biblical Times, (Philadelphia: Westeminster, 1978) Long and thorough discussion of all the important Biblical texts. *Robin Scroggs, The New Testament and Homosexuality: Contextual Background for Contemporary Debate, (Philadelphia: Fortress Press: 1983) In depth coverage by a straight Biblical scholar. Concludes that the NT has nothing to say on homosexuality. One of the best books on the subject. It's also quite short! Theology and Homosexuality Batchelor Jr., Edward, ed., Homosexuality and Ethics, (New York: The Pilgrim Press, 1980) Selections from a variety of authors, inlcuding Aquinas, Barth, Pittenger and Ruether. Comstock, Gay David, Gay Theology Without Apology, (Cleveland, OH: The Prilgrim Press: 1993) Comstock is a Congregationalist minister and chaplain at Weslyan University. These essays are thoroughly pro-gay and he is willing to attack Biblical homophobia. Inter alia, there are interesting discussions of Biblical bias, Leviticus as a harsh book, Jonathan and David, and so on. Goss, Robert, Jesus Acted Up: A Gay and Lesbian Manifesto, (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1993) Radical gay theology, wanting to look to Christ the Liberator. Much better than its title implies. *Grammick, Jeaninne and Pat Furey, eds., The Vatican and Homosexuality: reflections to the "Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral care of Homosexual Persons", (New York: Crossroad, 1988) Text of the 1986 letter plus extensive commentary and discussion by a number of lesbian. gay and straight writers. Harvey, John F., The Homosexual Person : New Thinking in Pastoral Care, (San Francisco : Ignatius Press, 1987). Fr. Harvey is the founder of Courage, an organization which attemptes to persuade its members to forego sexual relations. He represents current Catholic conservtive views on homosexuality. He does not believe, by the way, that homosexuals can be changed into heterosexuals. He has been saying the same things since the 1950s. *McNeill, John, The Church and the Homosexual 4th ed., (Boston: Beacon, 1993, first ed. 1976) Classic work by a former Jesuit priest, and a former frequent celebrant with Dignity/NY. Looks at scripture, moral theology, and pastoral ministry to lesbian and gay people. The fourth edition (1993), and the revised introduction include an analysis of the 1992 Republican Party Convention, along with analyses of recent documentation from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF - Vatican). Moore, Gareth, The Body in Context : Sex and Catholicism, (London: SCM, 1992) The author is a Dominican priest at Oxford. While he is careful not to reject the Church's teaching itself on these matters, he does reject most of the arguments used to justify it (e.g. the "objective disorder" stuff). Moore's general approach is to come to the most radical conclusions by taking the radical nature of tradition most seriously rather than as a support for current prejudice. *Scanzoni, Letha, and Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, Is the Homosexual My Neighbor? "Another Christian View", (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1980) A good plain introduction to all the major issue. Less "academic" than some other suggestions.. *Sullivan, Andrew, "The Catholic Church and the Homosexual: Alone Again, Naturally", The New Republic, 11/28/94 Sullivan is the gay British Catholic editor of The New Republic. This article is both a personal history and a major critique of Catholic teaching. Lesbian and Gay Spirituality Bouldrey, Brian, ed., Wrestling with the Angel: Faith and Religion in the Lives of Gay Men, ( New York: Riverhead, 1995) Contains Jewish, Hindu, Muslim and Mormon, as well as Christian accounts. Curb, Rosemary and Nancy Manahan, eds, Lesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence, (Naiad Press, 1985) Accounts by former and current Lesbian nuns of their lives and experiences. Great pictures. Glaser, Chris., Come Home!: Reclaiming Spirituality and Community as Gay Men and Lesbians, (San Francisco : Harper & Row, 1990) Gramick, Jeannine, ed. Homosexuality in the Priesthood and the Religious Life, (New York : Crossroad, 1989) *McNeill, John, Taking a Chance on God: Liberating Theology for Gays, Lesbians and Their Lovers, Families and Friend, (Boston: Beacon, 1988) Dignity/New York members recognised much in this book from Fr. McNeill's poweful sermons their over the years. Argues that both tradition and Scripture support same-sex love and a positive gay identity is compatible with Christian faith. Includes an interesting chapter on the relationship between Mary and the gay community. McNeill, John, Freedom, Glorious Freedom, (Boston: Beacon,1994) Fr. McNeill's latest book which explores the freedom of being gay and Catholic. *Nugent, Robert, ed., A Challenge to Love: Gay and Lesbian Catholics in the Church, (New York: Crossroad, 1987), Important and indepth essays on social, theological and pastoral perspectives on homosexuality. Articles by Gregory Baum, Margaret farely, Matthew Faix, John McNeill, Daniel Maguire, Gabriel Moran, Evelyn and james Whitehead, Mary Hunt and Basil Pennington. O'Neill, Thomas, Sex with God, new. ed. (?: Wexford Press, 1994) Poems discussing faith, AIDS, gay love and the Catholic Church's condemnations. Stuart, Elizabeth, Daring to Speak Love's Name: A Gay and Lesbian Prayer Book, (London: Hamish Hamilton, 1992) A collection of prayers and liturgies for gay people, with prayers for celebrating gay relationships, housewarmings, coming-out, partings, healings and death. Wolf, James G., ed. Gay priests, (San Francisco : Harper & Row, c1989).The book consists of a long chapter discussing the results of a survey of 101 gay priests, followed by four chapters, written anonymously, by gay priests. Wolf estimates 40-60% of the American RC clergy are gay, with a higher percentage among seminary students.