A Time to Embrace: Same-Gender Relationships in Religion, Law, and Politics

As rhetoric continues to heat up on both sides of the debate over same-gender unions, clearly reasoned statements are in short supply. Watching this debate unfold, William Stacy Johnson found that he could be silent no longer. In A Time to Embrace Johnson presents a brilliant analysis of the religious, legal and political stakes in the debates over gay marriage, civil unions, and the place of committed gay couples in a democratic society. The book begins by laying out the church’s seven different responses, from outright prohibition to full ecclesial consecration, testing the arguments of each along the way. Johnson then focuses on gay rights in recent court battles, detailing the arguments made from both liberty and equality. Finally, he assesses the different types of gay marriage and civil union arrangements and suggests how deliberative democracy can create a society in which all citizens can rely on principles of equality and liberty. Weighing the pros and cons from across the moral and religious spectrum, A Time to Embrace is a thought-provoking and well-argued treatment of one of the most controversial issues in the West today. This book is sure to stir readers to reflect more deeply on religious truth and the meaning of marriage.