Mr. Holben has set out to "provide a straightforward, objective presentation of the spectrum of opinion held by professing Christians on the ‘issue’ of homosexuality." He denies that he is a scholar. However, after a thorough reading of his work, I would gladly give him scholar standing because he has done a monumental work of reading, studying and digesting the range of opinion on an emotionally charged subject that is not allowing any professing Christian to be a neutral in the discussions.

In the Preface and Introduction he makes it plain that the book is not about what he thinks. His goal is to provide knowledge and understanding for every serious reader. He is seeking to encourage dialogue and discussion, not to convince the world that he has the "correct" point of view.

The organization of the book is a strength, but it is also its greatest weakness. In fairness to Holben he admits to the weakness. The perspectives in today’s discussion cannot be reduced to six, and the list of questions cannot be reduced to twelve. The lines between the viewpoints are in fact very hazy. I identify myself as a born-again evangelical Christian in the Baptist tradition. I have struggled for understanding for over 30 years since I first discovered that I had self-identifying homosexuals in the congregations that I pastored. As I read the book, I personally identified parts of my understanding and attitudes in four of the six viewpoints. I suspect that other readers will find the same experience. If a reader suddenly discovers "I am a three," or "I am a five, rereading the material is in order.

One significant value of the book is that, as far as I know no one else has tried to do what Holben has attempted. He has tried to be truly fair to every point of view. In doing his work he has given the sexual orientation/practice dialogue a primer.

The book deserves a reading by a very broad range of Christians---professional church workers and lay people alike.

And who is Lawrence Robert Holben? It is not until the Afterword that he identifies himself as a Christian and a gay man. Other than that late word Holben never tells us much about himself. He is identified on the cover as a writer. Along the way we do discover his close connection with Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, and close friendship with people who teach there. This is an identification with the American evangelical movement, a part of the Christian community that has not done well in entering the much-needed discussion.

Howard Bess is a semi-retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer, Alaska. He has pastored American Baptist churches for over 43 years. He is a graduate of Wheaton College and Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. He is the author of Pastor, I Am Gay, a book that looks at the Christian Church—homosexuality issue from the perspective of a pastor whose commission is the ministry of reconciliation.