Homosexuality & The Christian: A Guide for Pastors, Parents, and Friends

by Mark A. Yarhouse

This is a new resource on homosexuality for the Christian. The book looks at various questions that have been asked by people sorting out the complicated questions surrounding the topic of homosexuality, including a Christian perspective on it; what causes sexual orientation; whether sexual orientation can change; why sexual identity is a more constructive approach than focusing on sexual orientation; and so on. Look for this book to be published in September of 2010.

Study of Change Published

Ex-Gays? A Longitudinal Study of Religiously-Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation

by Stanton L. Jones & Mark A. Yarhouse

In 2007, Dr. Stanton Jones and Dr. Mark Yarhouse  published a longitudinal study of whether sexual orientation can change and whether attempts to change sexual orientation are harmful. InterVarsity Press has a number of helpful resources, including the paper that was read when the study was released in Nashville.

Read what a past president of the American Psychological Association had to say about the study:

Research in the controversial area of homosexuality is fraught with ideology and plagued by a dearth of science. This study has broken new ground in its adherence to objectivity and a scientific precision that can be replicated and expanded, and it opens new horizens for investigation…. I have waited over thirty years for this refreshing, penetrating study of an imperative, though controversial human condition. This book is must reading for psychotherapists and counselors, as well as academic psychologists studying human behavior and sexuality.

Nicholas A. Cummings, Ph.D., Sc.D., Former President, American Psychological Association; Distinguished Professor, University of Nevada, Reno; President, Cummings Foundation for Behavioral Health

The study has been updated recently, and a paper with findings from 6-7 years was presented at the American Psychological Association in 2009.

Sexual Identity Pamphlets

Sexual Identity: A Guide for Youth

by Mark A. Yarhouse, Trista L. Carr, Christine H. Hull, & Stephanie K. Nowacki-Butzen

This quick and easy to read resource is written to young people who experience same-sex attractions. It covers specific concerns young people may have as they navigate sexual identity confusion. It also gives a brief overview of what sexual identity therapy could be like for someone who may be struggling with sexual identity concerns.

Sexual Identity: A Guide for Parents

by Mark A. Yarhouse, Stephanie K. Nowacki-Butzen, Trista L. Carr, & Christine H. Hull

This pamphlet was created as a resource for parents of individuals who experience same-sex attractions. We recognize that this may be a difficult time for parents and families alike. We want you to have some understanding and practical tools that might help during this time. It can be overwhelming sorting through the massive amount of information available via technology and other sources. This pamphlet was designed to provide you with a direct and concise summary of information pertaining to sexual identity among youth.

Sexual Identity: A Guide for Youth Pastors

by Mark A. Yarhouse, Christine H. Hull, Trista L. Carr, & Stephanie K. Nowacki-Butzen

Many youth pastors have wrestled with how to approach the topic of homosexuality or sexual identity, and many struggle with where to turn for help in approaching it. This pamphlet was written to be a quick resource for you. Hopefully it will be something that you can pick up, read, and understand easily—especially with a topic that is does not seem at all easy.

Additional Books

Sexual Identity Synthesis: Attributions, Meaning-Making and the Search for Congruence

by Mark A. Yarhouse & Erica S. N. Tan

What does it mean to develop a sexual identity? What factors influence such an identity? How does religious identity inform a person’s sexual identity and vice versa? This book answers these questions with an eye for the development and synthesis of sexual identity among Christians who experience same-sex attraction. Those who are interested in the intersection of religious faith and sexual identity will be fascinated to learn about Christians who integrated their same-sex feelings into a gay identity and those who did not. In Sexual Identity Synthesis, Yarhouse and Tan introduce the reader to these two groups of people, and they allow them to ‘tell their story’. Contrasting concerns about authenticity and righteousness, as well as idolatry and integrity factor into sexual identity development and synthesis, as individuals from a common faith tradition sort out the complexities of how to achieve a level of congruence between how they live and what they believe. Yarhouse and Tan end the book with several practical suggestions for theory, research, and clinical practice. Indeed, scholars, clinicians, and religious leaders will benefit from the experiences of these persons of faith - some of whom identified and other dis-identified with a gay explanatory framework. Sexual Identity Synthesis is available through University Press of America (www.univpress.com).

Sexual Identity: A Guide to Living in the Time Between the Times

by Mark A. Yarhouse & Lori A. Burkett

This book is for the person who is struggling with same-sex attraction and behavior. It was written to be read on its own or in conjunction with a clinician who uses The Sexual Identity Clinic workbook. Written in a moderate tone, this book offers insights into sexuality and sexual identity and how these can be understood in the context of sanctification and redemption. At a practical level, readers will learn ways to track patterns of same-sex attraction, manage their environment, exchange old scripts that have shaped their sexual identity for new, and consolidate gains they have made in their sexual identity and behavior. The focus of this book is on helping people live in a way that is consistent with their beliefs and values regarding homosexual behavior. It is a practical resource for people who live in what Christians think of as the “time between the times,” when a person knows their victory is secure but anticipates the day then their victory is complete. Sexual Identity is available through University Press of America (www.univpress.com).

Homosexuality: The Use of Scientific Research in the Church’s Moral Debate

by Stanton L. Jones & Mark A. Yarhouse

How prevalent is homosexuality? What causes it? Is it a psychopathology? Can it be changed? Questions like these often accompany discussions of homosexual behavior. For answers we naturally look to scientific studies. But what does the scientific research actually show? More important, what place should this research have in shaping the church’s response? Stanton Jones and Mark Yarhouse help us face these issues squarely and honestly. In four central chapters they examine how scientific research has been used within church debates - in particular within Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal contexts. They then survey the most recent and best scientific research and sort out what it actually shows. Next they help us interpret the research’s relevance to the moral debate within the church. In a final chapter they make a strong case for a traditional Christian sexual ethic. Each chapter concludes with helpful discussion questions. Homosexuality is available through InterVarsity Press (www.ivpress.com).