What If God Doesn’t Take These Feelings Away?

A review of Rachel Gilson’s “Born Again This Way: Coming Out, Coming to Faith, and What Comes Next”

There is a misunderstanding in the broader world, mostly due to Christians themselves and their actions, about how the Christian gospel relates to homosexuality and same-sex attraction. While other books have beautifully illustrated a true gospel concept of sexuality (Holy Sexuality and the Gospel; Gay Girl, Good God), Rachel Gilson adds a necessary volume with Born Again This Way. Within these limited pages (less than 150 actual reading pages), she lays out a theology of sexuality, marriage, and singleness that is true to Biblical revelation. She also tells her own story, which she does not expect to be used as a panacea but instead just one story among many for those with same-sex attraction. That is why she tells others’ stories as well within these pages. However: her message is clear: coming out and coming to faith is just the beginning. Same-sex attraction usually doesn’t go away just because you’ve had a salvation experience.

Let me back up with a little context. I have never wrestled with same-sex attraction, but I have come to realize through personal experience in the church that it needs to be discussed quite a bit more. There are more people with same-sex attraction…