Description based on print version record.

Sexuality in the early church: from Paul to Augustine -- The good of marriage -- Contemporary revisions of Augustine's theology of marriage. Elizabeth Stuart : theology of friendship. Adrian Thatcher : theology of progressive relationship. Eugene Rogers : sexuality and the Christian body. Robert Song : covenant and calling -- Mapping the debate.

"The contemporary church's debate on the discussion of same-sex individuals and their relationships has devolved into diametrically opposed positions. Rather than resolving the argument, the conversation between the two sides reflects the impasse that is taking place in denominations across the West. It is clear that the dispute cannot be resolved while couched in these terms. In this timely work, Steven Schafer invites the reader to move beyond the terms of the current debate toward the underlying doctirnal concerns so often glossed over by that discussion. This book is a work of hermeneutics that engages the contemporary discussion on the legitimacy of same-sex relationships with the grand theological narrative handed down by the church. By placing four contemporary revisionists in dialogue with the work of Augustine, the book provides language and theological avenues to reframe the debate and contributes to the church's ongoing discernment"--back cover.