God Believes in Love

August 13, 2012
Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, refutes the arguments against same-sex marriage in a straightforward and simple but never condescending manner. Each of the 10 chapters answers one question, covering topics such as why heterosexuals should care about gay marriage, biblical teachings on homosexuality, the definition of marriage, and the claim children need two opposite-sex parents. These answers are designed for believing, religious individuals who may be undecided on the issue. Robinson’s mix of reasoned logic, personal experiences, church teachings, and social science research may not convince the most ardent opponents, but it will provide proponents convenient, compact ways of addressing challenges. Each chapter stands independently, thus allowing readers to choose topics of most importance to them, but also leading to some repetition. Some answers also arrive more obliquely than others, answering both the main question and a related but unstated objection. The underlying tone is one of compassion and genuine hope for meaningful shift toward acceptance of same-sex unions. Robinson’ s case is not radical but rather gentle with moments of humor. Such an approach seeks to defuse the debate and provide readers a solid entrance into the LGBT-affirming worldview of liberal Protestantism. Agent: Doug Abrams.

August 15, 2012
Reasoned argument for gay marriage by one of its most famed proponents. Ever since openly gay clergyman Robinson was elected as an Episcopal bishop in 2003, he has been one of the most visible champions of gay rights and gay marriage. Here, he attempts to persuade others of the viability and legitimacy of gay marriage through a point-by-point approach. Beginning with a brief retelling of his own personal story, he moves on to ask why this topic has so suddenly come to the forefront of debate. Then he tackles a series of questions that have been brought up against gay marriage: "Doesn't Gay Marriage Undermine Marriage?" "Don't Children Need a Mother and a Father?" etc. Robinson's strength is his willingness to see these questions from another perspective. He charitably realizes that, to many people, the concept of homosexuality is foreign and even distasteful; rather than condemning such viewpoints, he reasons with readers. While many of his arguments concern such issues as respect, civil rights and family dynamics, Robinson also discusses issues of faith and theology. He counters arguments taken from Scripture against homosexuality and points out that Jesus was silent on the issue. Beginning and ending his work with the statement that he believes in marriage, Robinson's points often seem highly focused on family values. "At the end of the day," he writes, "this is a very conservative argument being made for gay marriage." Nevertheless, his reasoning may not move conservative Christians (or conservatives of other faiths). Robinson approaches the topic with a view of separation of church and state ("In simple shorthand, the State marries and the Church blesses") that will not be shared by many of his opponents. Sober and well-structured, but still preaches to the choir.

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April 15, 2012

Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church and the first openly gay person elected to the historic episcopate, Robinson grounds his argument in favor of gay rights and gay marriage in the Bible that he loves. With a 50,000-copy first printing; inevitably a controversy stirrer despite the devout tone.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2012
With anti-gay-marriage amendments on the November 2012 ballots in Minnesota, Maine, and possibly Maryland, this pro-gay-marriage brief by the Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire couldn't be more timely, or more authoritative, for Robinson is in a gay marriage himself. After considering Why gay marriage now? (for an exhaustive answer to which, see Linda Hirshman's Victory, 2012), Robinson fields direct and personable chapters on the standard elements of the gay-marriage debate: why straight people should care, why civil unions aren't a satisfactory alternative, what the Bible actually says about homosexuality, why Jesus would approve of gay marriage, how gay marriage would change the traditional definition of marriage, whether gay marriage undermines marriage per se, whether disapproving churches will be oppressed by gay marriage, gay marriage's impact on children, and whether gay marriage is a matter of civil rights or of validating bad behavior. Whole books exist on most of those topics, but Robinson does yeoman's work at arguing them all concisely and placing the love of God foremost in readers' minds as it is in his.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)