At a time when several major Christian denominations are divided over LGBTQ inclusion, UnClobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality argues against the six “clobber” passages often used to oppress LGBTQ individuals. While seeking to align his head with his heart—and getting fired for doing so—Pastor Colby Martin discovered how the church has misused the Bible to falsely condemn the LGBTQ community. “For many non-affirming Christians, the Bible appears so clear on its stance towards homosexuality that the only reasonable conclusion for them is that affirming Christians, like myself, ‘must have missed’ verses,” Martin says. “I’ve written this book, in part, to show that I, and others like me, have surely not missed any verses.”
UnClobber reexamines each of those frequently quoted passages of Scripture, alternating with author Colby Martin’s own story of being fired from an evangelical megachurch when they discovered his stance on sexuality. “So walk with me, would you?” Martin asks. “As I go from a poster boy of Conservative Evangelicalism, to a conflicted theologian, to an open and affirming Christian, to a fired pastor, to a lost and searching spiritual sojourner, and finally to a co-conspirator for a faith community where the unimaginable comes to life.”
Including a Foreword from Glennon Doyle Melton, UnClobber breathes fresh life into outdated and inaccurate interpretations of what the Bible does and does not say.
Click here to read the Introduction. UnClobber is available for purchase through Westminster John Knox Press and other major retailers.
Colby Martin is Copastor of Sojourn Grace Collective, a progressive Christian church in San Diego. Colby blogs at www.colbymartinonline.com and posts his sermons at www.sojourngrace.com.