Christianity and Homosexuality: Some Adventist Perspectives is a collection of essays dealing with the increasingly significant issues related to people who have a homosexual orientation and the way Christian churches relate to them.

For Des and Gill Ford, what is “the Baby?” It is the package of distinctive messages to the world for which, they believe, God raised up the Seventh-day Adventist church.

Just a reminder of this month's book and film club selections. If you haven't had a chance to read the book or view the film, act quickly! You can find all of the upcoming selections, here. Our discussion starts after Labor Day.

Book: Christianity And Homosexuality: Some Seventh-day Adventist Perspectives Edited by David Ferguson, Fritz Guy and David Larson
Film: For The Bible Tells Me So 

If the book of Job were written by a contemporary middle aged guy from Oregon, chapter 5 verse 90 might read:

No longer concerned or caring about what to call God and energized by his ire, he walked up to the door and decided to bang loudly and see what happened, but just as he raised his fist to do so, the door flew open, and he was looking directly into the face of a large beaming African-American woman. [1]

Estonia is a small country, one of three Baltic States between Russia and Europe. Its strategic location has subjected it to almost continuous occupation throughout its long history. Gaining independence in 1920 the Estonians had less than two decades of freedom before World War II began. Then the Soviet Union invaded and, except for a short Nazi occupation, Estonia was firmly held behind the Iron Curtain for the next 50 years.

Editor’s Note: After 32 years, Prophetess of Health has been republished. To mark this event, Spectrum interviewed Ron Numbers about the book, his experience of Adventism, and the church’s response to this historic book. Additionally, I chose a classic review from a cluster of reviews originally published in 1977 to help us revisit the topic. 

I felt a mixture of emotions leading up to these Olympics. Given the human rights record in China, and particularly given the ongoing conflict in Darfur and the continued tensions over Tibet, I wasn't sure what to think. I even participated in the torch protest in San Francisco when the torch stopped here briefly on its only American visit (ended up not ever seeing the torch as the organizers diverted the course at the last minute).

In reviewing this book, I’ll resist the temptation to tell you the story of how the author, Nathan Brown, made me buy it, and the story of his deep discontent with the book’s title and the sunflower on the cover, and even the completely irrelevant story of how he ran a red light, got a ticket, and had to take a breathalyzer test while driving me around Perth. I’ll cut straight to the heart of the matter: it’s an engaging, well-written, thought-provoking book, and you should read it.

In the climax of Babette’s Feast, the title character prepares an extravagant meal, the like of which I have never seen. My general requirements for food are “healthy,” “easy,” and “quick.” But when friends talk about the Slow Food movement and signature moments where extraordinary food has been a catalyst, I recognize that lentils on rice is not the only way to go.

Some people know a lot about church and some know a lot about lying face-up in a field, alone, feeling the divine presence. And once in a while you find someone who knows a lot about both, and speaks fluently the languages of both.

Barbara Brown Taylor is one of those people.