Abstract
Colby Martin has written a tremendously helpful and eminently readable book for pastors, church leaders, and everyday Christians in the pews on a topic that continues to be relevant. UnClobber is a great resource for individuals, small groups, and churches as a whole that are willing to ask important questions and reconsider “what the Bible really says” about sexuality.
Martin himself is a straight, white, cis-gender pastor who found himself asking questions about sexuality and Scripture at a time when he served as a worship pastor in a sizable evangelical congregation. Throughout the book, Martin describes his own journey of studying biblical texts and changing his own mind and how that experience created significant tension and challenges within his context serving in a church. His story is interesting and engaging, and the narrative he tells propels the book forward. One can easily finish this book in a couple of sittings. While Martin has clearly done a significant amount of research in writing this book, it is far from dry and academic. Martin’s own story is raw, authentic, and compelling in a way that invites readers into their own journey of open and sympathetic engagement with Scripture.
Chapters on his personal journey and the conflict it provoked in his church alternate with chapters on “the Clobber passages” of Scripture: Genesis 19, Lev 18:22 and 20:13, Rom 1:26–27, 1 Cor 6:9, and 1 Tim 1:10. These chapters are the heart of the book, in which Martin shares the fruits of his own study on each passage. While each chapter is rooted in exegetical study, with an awareness of historical and literary contexts as well as the Hebrew and Greek languages, they are still quite accessible to a broad swath of readers. Martin is able to puncture the interpretive certainty that many churches, denominations, and individuals have developed around these passages. He opens up alternative interpretive possibilities for each passage, smoothing the way for full welcome and inclusion for LGBTQ+ persons within churches.
As might be expected, Martin’s discussion of the various passages is a bit uneven. For me, his argument on Genesis 19 (the story of Sodom and Gomorrah) was extremely compelling. He even advanced what was a novel idea for me: Because the emphasis in this passage is on hospitality and “welcoming the stranger,” this particular passage could even be used positively to advocate for extending full inclusion and welcome to those who churches have long ostracized. The chapter on Leviticus, however, did not leave me convinced that everyone would be persuaded by his argument. While I thought his discussion was helpful in some senses, he also left out some other well-known interpretive arguments of these passages others have advocated. If this book is the only volume one reads on this topic, the two Clobber passages in Leviticus may continue to be a sticking point for some readers.
For some, Martin’s own identity as a straight, white, cis-gender male will be a weakness of this book. Martin writes from his own place of privilege as someone who could study this subject primarily from an intellectual point of view, rather than as one who has had to grapple with their own sense of acceptance and belonging within a faith tradition on account of their sexuality or gender identity. On the other hand, this same weakness will be a strength for other readers: He writes as a pastor who has engaged in serious study and changed his mind.
The scope of the book is necessarily limited. While Martin will acknowledge the exclusion of LGBTQ+ persons from churches, he almost exclusively addresses arguments that have been used against full inclusion for lesbian and gay persons. Readers in search of a broader discussion that includes consideration of gender identity and other aspects of sexuality will have to look elsewhere.
One very positive aspect of this book is the discussion guide included. It helpfully sketches a weeks-long series that can be used by Sunday school classes, small groups, leadership teams, and others in studying and discussing these texts together. Indeed, this guide may be the main benefit of this book: serving as a vital resource for congregations and groups of people willing and courageous enough to have these necessary conversations.
Martin himself wonders in the Afterword if a book on this topic is still relevant. Especially within more progressive Christian circles, some might think these conversations are behind us and that such a book is no longer worthwhile. Nevertheless, signs point to quite the opposite. He notes, “In almost every year that it’s been out, UnClobber has sold more copies than the year before” (p. 178). In my own experience leading a group in my progressive congregation in which all people are welcomed and affirmed as full members and leaders within the church, this book was very well received. We tripled our average group attendance when we offered a discussion series on this book! It turns out that people still have questions and a strong desire to talk about what has been such a painful and divisive area of conversation in congregational and denominational life. While a whole host of books and other resources out there are helpful for groups, I readily recommend this one to all who are serious about understanding Scripture in a new light and eager to build a more inclusive church.