Review: “Is God anti-gay" (2nd Edition) by Sam Allberry

If you’re like me, when "Is God Anti-Gay?" by Sam Allberry was first published in 2013, you found it a helpful and informative read. I was surprised when an updated version was recently released. But what are the differences in the two editions?    

Changes

Thankfully Sam hasn’t changed his stance or theology, but his terminology. Rather than using the descriptor ‘homosexual’, he now uses ‘same-sex attracted’ (SSA). The original book was 91 pages long, this is 121 pages. Sam explains that the focus in the world has shifted in the last 10 years from asking, “What does the Bible says about gay people?” to “Is Christianity good news at all for gay people?” The objection is that Christianity can’t be good news for gay people, but Sam wisely points people to Jesus first before explaining why it is. He has added more questions: “Does Jesus ever mention same-sex relationships?” and “Aren’t people just born this way?” The end of chapters now have more space to answer each question.

Suitable for a non-Christian ?

The fundamental issue when dealing with questions from non-Christians about same-sex relationships is the gospel and Sam plays out various scenarios. I think that this book would be good to give to a non-Christian friend who may want to know what Christians believe on the subject. Sam also does a good job of explaining how the gospel impacted his own life, how his same-sex attraction affected his walk with Jesus and how Jesus is the answer to all his struggles. I would also recommend investing in this book for literature stands at church, even if you have the original.

Worth the money?

The question is whether for £6.99 it is worth the upgrade? That is a decision for you to make, but my overall opinion would be if you have the original book, you’re not missing out on much if you don’t upgrade. But if you want to see the changes and read the new parts, then obviously buy the updated version, but perhaps wait for a sale!
 

This article was originally published in the Summer 2023 edition of the TFT magazine, Ascend. Click the button below to download your copy.