The Man Jesus Loved: Homoerotic Narratives from the New Testament

by Theodore W. Jennings Jr.

Homosexuality has been at the forefront of debate in the church for the last quarter century, with biblical interpretation at its heart. In The Man Jesus Loved, Jennings proposes a gay affirmative reading of the Bible in the hope of respecting the integrity of these texts and making them more clear as well as more persuasive. This reading suggests that the exclusion of persons on the basis of their sexual orientation or same-sex practices fundamentally distorts the Bible generally and the traditions concerning Jesus in particular.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Queer, LGBT, Theology, Christianity, History

246 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2003

Reviews

[Petralina Rae Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A most compelling queer reading of the New Testament. The entire book is an exploration of the question ‘was Jesus gay.’ It explores every facet of the question from the problematic nature of the modern 20th century concept of gay and ‘homosexual’ relationships, to the more profound relationships Jesus had with individuals, groups, and the social values that surrounded him. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone with any kind of relation to the Jesus tradition. From the believer to the agnostic. I believe even members of other religions can learn something and have their eyes opened to a different way of seeing Jesus and the ancient world of Christianity.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly Amazing.
Funny and enlightening. Everyone needs to read this.

[John Pabon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review #17 of my 52 week book challenge: The Man Jesus Loved⠀⠀

Oh boy, I'm gonna catch hell for this one.

The interpretation of historical texts often changes based on the contemporary context and lenses through which they are read. For millennia, books have been used to justify causes like slavery, war, and gender suppression. They have also then been used to free, calm, and empower. The Bible is not immune to this.

This book looks at one of history's most important and controversial figures - the disciple Jesus is said to have loved above all others. Citing a cannon of literature, including Q, Bentham, Aelred, and Montefiore, Jennings rereads the Gospel of John through an LGBTQI lens. His ultimate question - was Jesus gay? - may seem sensationalistic, but for those who read the book his approach is measured and hyper-rational.

I'll leave it to you to find out what he concludes.

To find out why I started my 52 week book challenge, what I've been reading, and how you can get involved, check out my original LinkedIn Publisher article or follow me.

[Ellis Billington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impeccably researched, and much more expansive of a scope than the title suggests. Honestly, I think that was a really good move on Jennings' part--reel people in with the promise of an exploration of the Beloved Disciple and queerness in John, and certainly fulfil that promise... but also spend the latter half of the book exploring queer Jesus in other gospels, because there's certainly ample and overlooked evidence there too. I definitely walked away from this book with WAY more knowledge about (and respect for) the gospel of Mark than I had before. I'll be thinking about this book for awhile.

[Rachel Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really glad I've been reading more nonfiction lately, because this book was just delicious. It reminds me of being in my theology class freshman year of college, having conversations about different readings of Genesis. The organization of the book was clear, the analysis of the text was extremely thorough, and it addressed so much more than just homoeroticism (not to diminish the homoerotic analysis, which was fantastic). Such an interesting read.

[Tynan Brooks]

Draws on some interesting evidence, and does help me to notice elements of the Gospels that I hadn't before, but there are many leaps of logic that I can't get over. Glad I read it without writing it off as blasphemy, though.

[Wade]

While the first part of the book does devote itself to speculation on the identity of the 'man Jesus loved' in the Gospel of John, and to the nature of their relationship, the rest of the book is also a study of the attitudes revealed in the gospels and other New Testament texts toward sexuality that deviates from the presumed norm of heterosexual marriage and family life. The author suggests that the traditional assignment of 'the man Jesus loved' as the apostle John is incorrect, and that Andrew or Lazarus are more likely candidates. His reading of the text does not rule out an erotically mediated relationship, and suggests that such a reading is a less tortuous one than those that only see the relationship on a platonic or spiritual level. Other texts that are treated in this work include the centurion and his boyfriend, the 'naked youth' in Mark, and eunuchs. More generally, the attitude of Jesus towards (biological) family, marriage, and wedding are examinied.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thorough researched book. Author brings new perspective, insight, and illumination to various quotes from the biblical texts in reference to sexuality, marriage, and the historical figure of Jesus. This might be a bit overwhelming for anyone orthodox in Christianity. Must be read with an open and curious mind. It really brings forward the true Jesus tradition.

[faisan]

i'll finish this one day trust