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From Condemnation to Compassion: Rethinking Biblical Views on Same-Sex Relationships




From Condemnation to Compassion: 

Rethinking Biblical Views on Same-Sex Relationships: 

A Review of UnClobber.


CITE

Sutton, G. W. (2025). From Condemnation to Compassion: Rethinking Biblical Views on Same-Sex Relationships: A Review of UnClobber. Interdisciplinary Book and Film Reviews.


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REVIEWER: Geoffrey W. Sutton


Book Summary

UnClobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality by Colby Martin is a highly acclaimed pastoral memoir of an evangelical clergyman who came out of his theological closet when his denomination’s doctrinal stance regarding homosexuality no longer made sense.  Christians have used six Bible verses to clobber same sex attracted believers into submission—or perhaps chased them out the door. Martin examines each of those texts and offers support for a view that frees queer Christians from condemnation so they may experience godly love and flourish in a Christian community. As we hop with him over hundreds of years of biblical literature, we also experience Martin’s shorter spiritual journey, which led to an intrafaith conversion and its attendant unemployment. Eventually, he embarked on a new theological and career path characterized by an integration of “head and heart”.

Those familiar with the conservative Christian view opposing same-sex relationships will recognize the texts Martin attempts to unclobber. He begins by focusing on the inhospitality of the Sodomites who desired to have sex with Lot’s male guests and reject the offer of his virgin daughters. Despite the rapacious desire, Martin, like others, tell us the story is a condemnation of extreme inhospitable treatment of guests.

Martin’s next focus is on abomination—that formidable term used in the Leviticus rule against male-on-male sex (18:22, 20:13). In addition to exploring the concept abomination, Martin draws attention to the other markers of holiness. On one hand, he does not address the seriousness represented in the death penalty, but on the other hand he challenges readers to wonder why it is only an abomination for men and not women to participate in same-sex sexual activity.

Now the big one. How could anyone be more explicit than Paul’s missive to the Romans, which pours shame on same-sex sex in the first chapter? Martin views the focal verses in the context of a discourse exposing the prejudice against the Gentiles before examining verses 26-27 in more detail, which explores the meaning of words and the cultural context. He opines that the verses do not apply to people attracted to others of the same sex. He concludes with a bold rewrite of verse 16:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes … to the straight, the gay, the lesbian, the bisexual, transgender, and queer.” (p. 70)

The final two clobber verses are 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10, which are undone in the final chapter. First, Martin reminds us that these contain the word homosexuality making the condemnation obvious to any readers. Next, he discusses the Greek words that led to the damning and imprecise term homosexuality. Martin opines that Paul condemns sexual exploitation.

Comments and Reflections

I recommend this book to anyone puzzled by the biblical texts that form the foundation for Christians who condemn homosexuality. Whether readers agree or disagree with Martin’s textual analysis, he offers a cogent and highly readable alternative to traditional interpretations of those texts, used or misused, to condemn same-sex marriages.

Initially, I considered Martin’s title strange. Why would an educated man use the word "homosexual"? After finishing the book, I think I understand. Conservative American Christians still have the term in their Bibles and still voice their anger with the homosexual agenda. Beyond the title, I had difficulty with his use of the initialism LGBTQ because the surface meaning of the “clobber” texts deals primarily with gays and lesbians. By focusing on the texts, he has not addressed gender identity and the different sexuality of those who identify as BTQIA+. Nevertheless, the book appears to fill an important need.

In general, Martin appears to identify with the progressive Christian movement, at least as far as the contemporary divisive issue of LGBTQIA+ inclusiveness is concerned. However, his view of the Timothy text (p. 23) regarding the authority of the Scriptures surely poses a challenge for those who go to such lengths to undo the surface meaning of texts that firmly separate one Christian group from another based on diverse authoritative interpretations. It’s not clear where Martin’s boundaries lie when it comes to reframing other texts, including those Christians use to insist on sex-based binary and ungendered Christian identities tied to the creation narratives and the ignoring of other sex or gender terms throughout the Scriptures.

Not surprisingly, given his education and profession, Martin does not deal with the psychological aspects of the texts. This is not a criticism. Few of us have expertise in other disciplines. I only mention psychology because Martin does refer to Beck’s book, Unclean (2011), which deals with some of the same topics I addressed in A House Divided (2016). Essentially, the immorality charge levied at same-sex sexuality includes a deep and pervasive feeling of disgust, adding an emotional barrier to inclusivity that is not addressed by cognition alone. To the extent that strong emotions fuel Christian aversion to their understanding of homosexuality, we may expect rejection of inclusivity to persist long into the future, as the biblical texts may only serve to justify their deeply held emotional distaste.

REFERENCES

Beck, R. (2011). Unclean: Meditations on Purity, Hospitality, and Mortality. Wipf and Stock.

Martin, C. (2022). UnClobber: Rethinking our misuse of the Bible on homosexuality | Expanded edition with study guide. Westminster John Knox Press.

Sutton, G. W. (2016). A house divided: Sexuality, morality, and Christian cultures. Pickwick

Book Author

Colby Martin is a pastor, author, and leading voice in progressive Christianity. He has been a pastor for over 20 years, with his first decade spent within the evangelical world and the past 12 years in post-evangelical, progressive Christian churches and spaces. Colby is the author of two notable books: UnClobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality and The SHIFT: Surviving and Thriving after Moving from Conservative to Progressive Christianity.

Review Author

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Evangel University, holds a master’s degree in counseling and a PhD in psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His postdoctoral work encompassed education and supervision in forensic and neuropsychology. As a licensed psychologist, he conducted clinical and neuropsychological evaluations and provided psychotherapy for patients in various settings, including schools, hospitals, and private offices. During his tenure as a professor, Dr. Sutton taught courses on psychotherapy, assessment, and research. He has authored over one hundred publications, including books, book chapters, and articles in peer-reviewed psychology journals. His website is https://suttong.com

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