The uneasy pieces of this book are well-written, challenging and stimulating. They come from the pen of Australian biblical scholars within the Anglican communion, who are skilled in both exegesis and hermeneutical theory. Each essay addresses the question of homosexuality in the Bible, looking at passages in the Old Testament and the New Testament which are often used as a basis for rejecting homosexuality in Christian ethics. Each essays argues, on the contrary, that there is no biblical warrant for condemning either a homosexual orientation or a faithful and committed homosexual relationship. The book, as a whole, makes it crystal clear that both sides of the debate take seriously the Bible as the inspired word of God, and both are seeking to discern the Scriptures in order to hear Gods voice speaking to us today.
In 'Five Uneasy Pieces', Mark Gibney offers an assessment of the role of the US in the wider world, contrasting the policies that have been adopted with those that he argues would constitute a more ethically based relationship with other nations.
The New York Times bestselling author of Identity Crisis brings you five short stories of gritty and dark crime fiction. If you enjoy stories of psychological suspense, sometimes with a twist of dark humor, these five are sure to satisfy. This edition of the anthology includes a BONUS sixth story that's a send-up of numerous Alfred Hitchcock films. How many references can you find? Praise from others "FIVE UNEASY PIECES packs a nasty punch that will keep mystery fans enthralled." —Simon Wood, author of TERMINATED "In her first collection of short works, FIVE UNEASY PIECES, 2010 Derringer Award nominee Debbi Mack creates modern-day noir worlds where voyeurism and sleuthing are as natural to its inhabitants as breathing. Never content to leave well enough alone, Mack’s fascinating cavalcade of off-kilter protagonists spy and insinuate themselves into other people’s lives – to mostly tragic effect. Recommended." —J.T. Cummins, author of COBBLESTONES "Each [story] rings true as a tuning fork, whether for dialogue, setting, or depth. A lean collection of gems." —Jeremiah Healy, author of OFF-SEASON and THE CONCISE CUDDY "Mack really packs twists and surprises into these five shorts." —C.J. West, author of THE END OF MARKING TIME 1.“Deadly Detour” -- a female spy's assignment goes horribly wrong when a pregnant young woman abducts her at gunpoint. The strange girl takes the woman on a detour that has deadly consequences and bodes well for no one. 2. “The Right to Remain Silent” -- Dan Marinelli is a prosecutor who smells something off about the case he just won. Finding out the truth leads to more trouble than he bargained for. 3. “A Woman Who Thinks” -- Dr. Morris Fein wants to help his therapy patient, Lila, with her debt problem. However, Lila has an agenda they haven’t discussed during their sessions. One that doesn’t bode well for the good doctor. 4. “The People Next Door” -- When you live a cheap apartment with thin walls, what you overhear or notice about the neighbors may be cause for alarm. Especially if your spouse eggs you on about it to the point you have to prove it: a philosophy that doesn’t always pan out well. 5. “Sympathy for the Devil” -- When the beautiful, but naïve, Lainie thinks her husband’s cheating on her, she tries to hire a cheap private eye straight out of Central Casting. Lainie’s situation takes an even more unfortunate turn when she returns home to find her husband in bed, but not sleeping or with another woman. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Debbi Mack is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sam McRae Mystery Series and other novels. In addition, she's a Derringer-nominated short story writer, whose work has been published in various anthologies. Debbi formerly wrote book reviews for Mystery Scene Magazine. She writes screenplays and is interested in filmmaking. Debbi also has a podcast called The Crime Cafe, where she interviews crime fiction, suspense, thriller, and true crime authors. Debbi enjoys reading, movies, travel, baseball, walking, cats and good espresso--not necessarily in that order. You can find her online at www.debbimack.com and debbimacktoo.wordpress.com.
Sexegesis: An Evangelical Response to Five Uneasy Pieces on Homosexuality is written by a collaboration of Australian biblical teachers and experienced pastors addressing the vexed issue of homosexuality.‘Sexegesis’, or sexual interpretation, shows that the traditional reading of Scripture, as against homosexual practice but for homosexual people, still makes best sense of the Bible text. This is contrary to the more liberal revisionist reading of Scripture in Five Uneasy Pieces. The Bible’s teaching on sexuality is unambiguous as it is life-affirming – both for homosexuals and heterosexuals. This book skillfully balances biblical clarity with pastoral sensitivity, compelling all Christians to engage in genuine dialogue with it and with each other.
You Will Not Want to Miss this Memoir! An Intimate and Honest Look into the Life of an Addicted, Depressed, Obsessive-Compulsive, Gay Stutterer Larry Lindstrom, born on Groundhog Day 1955, grew up in suburban northern New Jersey. Read about Larry's childhood living in a "house on the corner" in Pequannock, NJ growing up in the 1960s. He encounters a new world at the age of 18 when he loses his father, and at the age of 29, his mother. Eighteen years later he would lose his younger brother. Larry seems to drive in the fast lane, discovering addictions to sex, alcohol, marijuana, and food. Depression takes hold and puts up many roadblocks to growth. The road ahead is looking impassable. He discovers a strange set of obsessions and rituals that begin to control his thinking and his behavior. It feels like his car is out of control. He labels this as OCD. Larry makes many friends, but fears betraying them with his secret life of homosexuality. Unable to fully embrace the gay community, he suffers in silence trying to fit in. The outcome is inevitable, failure, and frustration. As a final pothole in the road of life, Larry is plagued with a stutter, a speech disability, that seems to draw the spotlight to his inadequacies. It seems Larry is forever driving to the gay and exciting life of the city, or clinging to his comfortable memories of his hometown. A passion develops for driving that mirrors his search for his true identity. He likes adventure and finds it, all while discovering who he really is and where he will eventually wind up. It is a blinding road at times but Larry perseveres. Larry wrote his memoirs over a ten-year period that reveals the challenges and growth he experienced as he was writing. This is a book that shows how one man endures a life of addiction, depression, OCD, gay identity, and stuttering. Different from all the rest, Larry gives it his best, to find peace, within his "Five Uneasy Pieces."
There has been considerable debate in recent years in the Anglican Church of Australia about issues of sexual diversity. To this end, two collections of essays have been published. The first, Five Uneasy Pieces, addressed the texts that have frequently been used to argue against the legitimacy of homosexual expression within Christian life and leadership. The book demonstrated clearly that the texts that have been interpreted to slam gay and lesbian people are in fact misused, with little or no regard either for ancient context or for contemporary hermeneutics. However, as all biblical liberationist projects have demonstrated, it is not enough to invalidate oppressive uses of selected texts. The obligation is to establish Scripture's hospitable inclusion of those who have been subjected to such oppression. This is more than a generalized divine invitation to the world; it requires a retrieval of those texts that actively embrace gays and lesbians. Hence, a second collection followed, Pieces of Ease and Grace. This collection broke significant new ground in the way the Bible can contribute to contemporary debates. The collection utilized a range of methodologies and unlocked authentic, significant and original readings that restored the Bible to a pastoral and transformative support for those whose self-identification was not shaped by heterosexual normativity. However, the project has raised significant issues for wider theological analysis, as well as calling for general theological reflection that can address historical, systematic and ecclesial concerns for supportive, inclusive recognition of those who identify as and with gay and lesbian people of faith. A third volume is therefore prepared focusing theological analysis for the benefit of reflection in the Anglican Church and beyond. Given recent developments in Ireland and the potential repercussions in Australian politics, it is clear that the Church needs to harness its thinking and its actions in relation to its place within society.
The previous volume of essays, Five Uneasy Pieces was warmly received. People of faith and spirituality were looking for liberating understandings of the Bible in engagement with their own sexualities and those of friends, family and beyond. The book demonstrated clearly that oppressive uses of selected texts from the Bible were invalid. But more is needed. The obligation upon scriptural scholars is to establish scripture's hospitable inclusion of those whose sexual identities have been subjected to such oppression. Pieces of Ease and Grace retrieves biblical texts as actively embracing gays and lesbians within the community of faith. Their stories profoundly intersect with those of scripture. Here is a collection of biblical essays on sexuality and welcome that restores the Bible as a book of grace to those whose sexual identities had previously been lost, or condemned, in interpretation.
Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri shares her stories of awkwardness in this insightful and supremely funny debut. Most twentysomethings avoid awkwardness. Not Alexandra Petri. She auditioned for America’s Next Top Model. She lost Jeopardy! by answering “Who is that dude?” One time, she let some cult members baptize her, just to be polite. Alexandra Petri is a connoisseur of the kind of awkwardness most people spend lifetimes avoiding. If John Hodgman and Amy Sedaris had a baby. . .they would never let Petri babysit it. Here, the Washington Post columnist turns her satirical eye on her own life—with hilarious results. And she’s here to tell you that interesting things start to happen when you stop caring what people think.
This book relates the unique experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+) people in Australian Pentecostal-Charismatic Christian churches. Grounded in the theoretical contributions of Michel Foucault, Judith Butler, Lewis Coser, and others, the book exposes the discursive ‘battleground’ over the ‘truth’ of sex which underlies the participants’ stories. These rich and complex narratives reveal the stakes of this conflict, manifested in ‘the line’ – a barrier restricting out LGBTQ+ people from full participation in ministry and service. Although some participants related stories of supportive—if typically conservative—congregations where they felt able to live out an authentic, integrated faith, others found they could only leave their formerly close and supportive communities behind, ‘counter-rejecting’ the churches and often the faith that they felt had rejected them.
