This important new work addresses the tensions and divisions in social work between conservative Christian religious beliefs and lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB)students, practitioners, faculty members, and clients. Authors representing a diverse range of sexual orientation and religious and professional identities explore the debate regarding freedom of religious expression and full sexual orientation affirmation. Their discussions provide a deeper understanding of the complexity of topics such as social identity, oppression, power and privilege, human rights and social justice, attitudes and prejudice, and ethics and the law. The book also discusses multiple ways of resolving some of the conflicts, including intergroup dialogue and sociodrama. -- Provided by publisher.

Although the LGBT movement has made rapid gains in the United States, LGBT people continue to face discrimination in faith communities. In this book, sociologist Jonathan S. Coley documents why and how student activists mobilize for greater inclusion at Christian colleges and universities. Drawing on interviews with student activists at a range of Christian institutions of higher learning, Coley shows that students, initially drawn to activism because of their own political, religious, or LGBT identities, are forming direct action groups that transform university policies, educational groups that open up campus dialogue, and solidarity groups that facilitate their members' personal growth. He also shows how these LGBT activists apply their skills and values after graduation in subsequent political campaigns, careers, and family lives, potentially serving as change agents in their faith communities for years to come. Coley's findings shed light on a new frontier of LGBT activism and challenge prevailing wisdom about the characteristics of activists, the purpose of activist groups, and ultimately the nature of activism itself. For more information about this project's research methodology and theoretical grounding, please visit http://jonathancoley.com/book

In an age where neither society nor the church knows what to do with gay Christians, Greg Coles shares his story—a story about a boy in love with Jesus who, at the fateful onset of puberty, realized his sexual attractions were persistently and exclusively for other guys. This honest, hopeful account shows life through one man's eyes and assures all people: "You are not a mistake."

"The first edition of this book (1999, Free Press) provided the first comprehensive framework of knowledge, values, and skills for addressing spiritual diversity in social work at a time when this topic was little known or accepted. The second edition (2010, Oxford University Press) was revised and expanded to reflect the significant growth of interest in spirituality within social work and other helping professions, in the USA and around the world. This third edition builds on that foundation and much expanded multidisciplinary and international work on the topic during the past eight years, including our own. In particular, this edition includes case examples and insights from a new third author, Hwi-Ja Canda, based on her 30 years of experience as a social work practitioner, in order to make the professional applications of our framework even more vivid and practical. The main new features of the third edition are: - Reorganization of content to enhance flow of ideas and guidelines for practice, including expansion of content on assessment and practice with two added chapters in Part III - Twice as many case examples and vignettes from personal and professional experiences, organized into 40 Scenarios throughout the book - Significantly expanded transdisciplinary literature review throughout the book - Increased integration of the strengths perspective throughout - Increase of international perspective, including analysis of worldwide professional codes of ethics - More exercises to engage the reader in personal and professional growth - Significant refinements of sections on human diversity, religious perspectives, and addition of 12 Steps perspective in Part II"--

Social Work Practice with LGBTQIA Populations provides an overview of key issues for social workers working with LGBTQIA clients. Each chapter considers clients' experiences in different social and interpersonal contexts. This text encourages students to think critically about the barriers and discriminations clients might face in their lives and how social workers can be equipped to address these issues. Students are challenged to develop approaches that extend support to these clients and that remove structural barriers that clients face within the systems they encounter. Utilizing intersectionality theory, students will gain an understanding of the risks and protective factors unique to this population in social work contexts.

Gender and sexual identity are immensely complicated topics. An expert on human sexuality, Mark Yarhouse offers a Christian perspective of transgender identity that eschews simplistic answers, engages the latest research and listens to people's stories. This accessible guide challenges Christians to rise above the politics and come alongside individuals navigating these issues.

Reinterpretations of key Bible texts related to sexual orientation, written by a Harvard student, present an accessible case for a modern Christian conservative acceptance of sexual diversity.

This text broadly examines many important aspects of effective and affirming practice methods with the LGBTQ community, along with considering health, mental health, history, and policy factors. The content was written by social work scholars, educators, practitioners and students to reach across professions (e.g., social work, health, mental health) and across audiences (e.g., students, faculty, researchers, and practitioners).

This book explores the intersection of conservative Christian values and contemporary theories and expressions of gender identity, i.e. transgender and genderqueer identities. More specifically, it examines the conflict between beliefs about religious liberty and transgender rights. It also proposes a pluralistic morality, allowing for both faith-based values and scientific discoveries about gender to resolve that conflict. Along the way, Dirk de Jong explores various contextual issues: The increase in the number of people who identify as trans or nonbinary, the differences between biblical and queer conceptualizations of gender, the impact of religious freedom policies on transgender rights, the controversy around Title IX exemptions in higher education, the emergence of trans advocacy in conservative Christian communities, and the role of dialogue in social transformation efforts with respect to gender.

Sometimes, grace gets messy. Caleb Kaltenbach was raised by LGBT parents, marched in gay pride parades as a youngster, and experienced firsthand the hatred and bitterness of some Christians toward his family. But then Caleb surprised everyone, including himself, by becoming a Christian…and a pastor. Very few issues in Christianity are as divisive as the acceptance of the LGBT community in the church. As a pastor and as a person with beloved family members living a gay lifestyle, Caleb had to face this issue with courage and grace. Messy Grace shows us that Jesus’s command to “love your neighbor as yourself” doesn’t have an exception clause for a gay “neighbor”—or for that matter, any other “neighbor” we might find it hard to relate to. Jesus was able to love these people and yet still hold on to his beliefs. So can you. Even when it’s messy. “Messy Grace is an important contribution to the conversation about sexual identity for churches and leaders. Caleb's story is surprising and unique, and he weaves it together compellingly. He states his views clearly, leaves room for disagreement, and champions love no matter where you are in this conversation.” —Jud Wilhite, Sr. Pastor, Central Christian Church