Throughout the history of Christianity, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ("LGBT" or"queer") people have been condemned as unrepentant sinners who are in dire need of God's saving grace. As a result of this condemnation, LGBT people have been subjected to great spiritual, emotional and physical abuse and violence. This issue has taken on a particular urgency in light of the horrific string of suicides over the last year of young LGBT people who were subjected to harassment and bullying by their classmates.

Cheng argues that people need to be liberated from the traditional legal model of thinking about sin and grace as a violation of divine and natural laws in which grace is understood as the strength to refrain from violating such laws. Rather Cheng proposes a Christological model based upon the theologies of Irenaeus, Bonaventure and Barth, in which sin and grace are defined in terms of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.

This book will serve as a useful resource for all people who struggle to make sense of the traditional Christian doctrines of sin and grace in the context of the 21st century.

About the Author
The Rev. Dr. Patrick S. Cheng is associate professor of historical & systematic theology at Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, MA. He holds degrees from Union Theological Seminary, Harvard Law School and Yale College. He is the author of the highly regarded books Radical Love: An Introduction to Queer Theology and From Sin to Amazing Grace: Discovering the Queer Christ, both from Seabury Books.

Reviews

"Cheng takes us through a systematic re-working of the classical doctrines of sin and grace, and lands us in a place where, surprisingly, these ideas can once again sing with life for Christian LGBTQ persons. It's a serious and splendid book."
-Serene Jones, President and Roosevelt Professor of Systematic Theology, Union Theological Seminary in New York City

"This gifted theologian and teacher offers an accessible and compelling case for why LGBT persons (and others) need to take back the words 'sin' and 'grace.' Be forewarned: reading Cheng is likely to stretch your theological and moral imagination, but all for the good."
-Marvin M. Ellison, Willard S. Bass Professor of Christian Ethics, Bangor Theological Seminary; author of Making Love Just and co-editor of Sexuality and the Sacred, 2nd edition

Book Information
ISBN 9781596272385
Author Patrick S. Cheng
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Church Publishing Inc
Publisher Church Publishing Inc