Review: "What does the Bible really teach about Homosexuality?" by Kevin DeYoung

This is a convincing and well-written book on why the orthodox reading of the Bible on sex and relationships is right. It's much more readable than longer books on the subject and it's written with real clarity and grace - De Young doesn't come across as if he's trying to win an argument or has an axe to grind, just a genuine desire for people to hold to the truth.

The first half of the book goes through the key passages (Gen. 19; Lev. 18; Lev. 20; Rom. 1; 1 Cor. 6; 1 Tim. 1) in the Bible that mention homosexuality, but crucially De Young starts with the creation narrative in Genesis 1 and 2 which sets the pattern of God's design for us as beings created male and female in the image of God.

The second half of the book covers common objections from our culture (and even within the church). These objections range from more intellectual ones such as "What about Gluttony and Divorce?" to objections with more of an emotional pull such as "The God I worship is a God of love" or "It's not fair". De Young presents these objections fairly and then typically sets out two or three arguments briefly explaining why each objection fails to stand up to scrutiny.

This is not the most thorough book on the subject, but is engagingly written, biblical, well-balanced and relevant to our culture. It's a very helpful reference book for every thinking Christian.

For small groups or individuals wanting to work through this book as a resource, there is a helpful free study guide to download. To get a taste of the book, here is a free excerpt.

Here is a video where De Young explains some of the arguments from his book:

"What does the Bible really teach about Homosexuality?" by Kevin DeYoung
Published in April 2015 by IVP
128 pages
£7.99