The Apostle Paul on Homosexuality A Critical Analysis
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
In recent times, more homosexual people are becoming open with their sexuality. Given this observation, this study aims to investigate the connection between the Christian Bible and homosexuality within the Christian faith. Using critical analysis, this study analyzed the historical background of chosen Bible texts through the exegetical method. The immediate context of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans in A.D. 57 regarding homosexuality was examined and compared with the situation in today’s world. For instance, Paul’s upbringing could have impacted his writing and thoughts on homosexuality, as some parts of his letter were quoted or paraphrased from contemporary philosophers of his time. Moreover, the social sexual construction in Tarsus, the city where Paul was raised, had a strong masculinity affinity linked with power and domination, which may have had an influence on this letter to his audience. The findings of this study attempt to address certain questions pertaining to the handling of issues between homosexual people and the church, which includes considerations for the church to prepare itself to respond biblically to homosexual members.
Article Details
Copyright: Asia-Pacific International University reserve exclusive rights to publish, reproduce and distribute the manuscript and all contents therein.
References
Abbott, L. (2010). Life and letters of Paul the apostle. Nabu Press.
Anagnostou Laoutides, E., & Charles, M. B. (2018). Herodotus on sacred marriage and sacred prostitution at Babylon. Kernos, (31), 9–37. https://doi.org/10.4000/kernos.2653
Barker, K. L. (1995). The NIV Study Bible. Zondervan Pub. House.
Dodd, C. H. (1952). The ethics of the new testament. In R. N. Anshen (Ed.), Moral Principles of Action: Man’s Ethical Imperative (pp. 544–545). Harper Bros.
Campbell, W. (n.d.). Jews in Rome. https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/tools/ask-a-scholar/jews-in-rome.
Clapp, S. (2006). The gift of sexuality: Empowerment for religious teens. LifeQuest.
Conybeare, W. J., & Howson, J. S. (1976). The life and epistles of Saint Paul. W.B. Eerdmans Pub.
Current World Population. (2020, November 1). https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
Diamant, J. (2021, May 28). The countries with the 10 largest Christian populations and the 10 largest Muslim populations. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/04/01/the-countries-with-the-10-largest-christian-populations-and-the-10-largest-muslim-populations/.
Foucault, M., 1926–1984. (1978). The history of sexuality. Pantheon Books.
Guzik, D. (2018, August 22). Romans Chapter 16. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/romans-16/)
Hall, M. (2018). A historical and hermeneutical approach to the vice-lists: A Pauline perspective. Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology, 3(1), Article 5. https://digitalshowcase.oru.edu/spiritus/vol3/iss1/5
Hallett, J. P. (1998). Roman sexualities. Princeton University Press.
Hays, R. B. (2007). Reading the Bible with eyes of faith: The practice of theological exegesis, Journal of Theological Interpretation, 1, 5–21.
Hersch, K. K. (2010). The Roman wedding: Ritual and meaning in antiquity. Cambridge University Press.
Judge, E. A. (1972). St. Paul and classical society. Aschendorffsche Verlagsbuchhandlung.
Lee, W., & Yi, J. (2020). South Korean evangelical narratives on North Koreans and homosexuals. Journal of Homosexuality, 1–27.
Levin-Richardson, S. (2019). The brothel of Pompeii: Sex, class, and gender at the margins of Roman society. Cambridge University Press.
Lyons, B. H., Walters, M. L., Jack, S. P., Petrosky, E., Blair, J. M., & Ivey-Stephenson, A. Z. (2019). Suicides among lesbian and gay male individuals: Findings from the national violent death reporting system. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 56(4), 512–521.
Marcovich, M. (1996). From Ishtar to Aphrodite. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 30(2), 43. https://doi.org/10.2307/ 3333191
Mark, J. (2019, July 18). Tarsus. https://www.ancient.eu/Tarsus/
Mohler, Jr. R. A. (2004, August 5). Criminalizing Christianity: Sweden's Hate Speech Law. https://albertmohler.com/2004/08/05/criminalizing-christianity-swedens-hate-speech-law.
Nkosi, S., & Masson, F. (2017). Christianity and homosexuality: contradictory or complimentary? A qualitative study of the experiences of Christian homosexual university students. South African Journal of Higher Education, 31(4). https://doi.org/10.20853/31-4-891
Osborne, G. R. (2017). Romans: Verse by verse. Lexham Press.
Plöderl, M., Wagenmakers, E. J., Tremblay, P., Ramsay, R., Kralovec, K., Fartacek, C., & Fartacek, R. (2013). Suicide risk and sexual orientation: A critical review. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 42(5), 715–727.
Prentiss, A. D. (2010). For the Love of God?! Is there a place for Gay Christians between Faith and Fundamentalism? VCU Scholars Compass. https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/88/
Remafedi, G. (1999). Sexual Orientation and Youth Suicide. Jama, 282(13), 1291. doi: 10.1001/jama.282.13.1291-jms1006-6-1
Richlin, A. (1992). The garden of Priapus: Sexuality and aggression in Roman humor. Oxford University Press.
Ricketts, C. (2020, April 16). The growth of Christianity in the Roman Empire. https://www.historyhit.com/the-growth-of-christianity-in-the-roman-empire/
Roggemans, L., Spruyt, B., Droogenbroeck, F. V., & Keppens, G. (2015). Religion and negative attitudes towards homosexuals. YOUNG, 23(3), 254–276. https://doi.org/10.1177/1103308815586903
Schreiner, T. R. (2018). Romans. Baker Academic, Baker Publishing Group.
Skinner, M. (2014). Sexuality in Greek and Roman culture. Wiley-Blackwell.
Springett, R. (1990). Homosexual activity in Romans 1. Journal of the Adventist Theological Society, 51–69.
Subhi, N., & Geelan, D. (2012). When Christianity and homosexuality collide: Understanding the potential intrapersonal conflict. Journal of Homosexuality, 59(10), 1382–1402.
Tarsus and the Apostle Paul. Bible Study. (n.d.). https://www.biblestudy.org/biblepic/tarsus-birthplace-of-apostle-paul.html.
Tay, P. K. C., Hoon, C. Y., & Hui, J. Y. (2018). Integrating religious and sexual identities: The case of religious homosexual men in Singapore. International Journal of Sexual Health, 30(4), 337–353.
The Infographics Show. (2019, September 29). What made Emperor Nero the most evil man [Video]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6klHvO4EPG8
Trammell, J. Y. (2015). “Homosexuality is bad for me”: An analysis of homosexual Christian testimonies in Christianity today magazine. Journal of Media and Religion, 14(1), 1–15.
Watson, A. (2016, October 18). It was an ancient form of sex tourism. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20161017-it-was-an-ancient-form-of-sex-tourism
Williams, C. A. (2010). Roman homosexuality. Oxford University Press.