Same-Sex Attraction and the Church: The Surprising Plausibility of the Celibate Life

• The Gospel Coalition Top Books of 2015 in Christian Living

• Tim Challies' Top Books of 2015

• ProdigalThought.net's Top Reads of 2015

• Leadership Journal's Best Ministry Books of the Year

When Christians have same-sex attraction, how should the church respond?Pastor Ed Shaw experiences same-sex attraction, and yet he is committed to Scripture and the church's traditional position of fidelity in heterosexual marriage and celibacy in singleness. In this honest book, he shares his pain in dealing with these issues, but at the same time shows us that obedience to Jesus is ultimately the only way to experience life to the full.He shows that the Bible's teaching seems unreasonable not because of its difficulties, but because of missteps that the church has often taken in its understanding of the Christian life. We have been shaped by the world around us and urgently need to re-examine the values that drive our discipleship. Only by doing this in the light of the Bible can we make sense of its call on the lives of those who are attracted to their own sex.

Vaughan Roberts is rector of St. Ebbe's Church in Oxford, England, and author of God's Big Picture and Life's Big Questions. He is also a popular speaker at Spring Harvest and a founding member of "9:38" which encourages people to consider full-time gospel ministry.

Ed Shaw is the pastor of Emmanuel City Centre in Bristol, England, and part of the editorial team at www.livingout.org. He loves his family and friends, church and city, gin and tonic, music and books.