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Christian Association for Psychological Studies Books
Listening to Sexual Minorities: A Study of Faith and Sexual Identity on Christian College Campuses
Students arrive on campus with various boxes of belongings to unpack, some heavy, some tidy, some more valuable, some more private. For many students, two of these boxes could be labeled "My Faith" and "My Sexuality"--and these two can be among the most cumbersome to handle. How to balance the two without having to set one down? How to hold them both closely, both securely, but still move forward to settle in with new friends in a new environment? How to keep from dropping one or the other, spilling its embarrassing contents for all to see? Such can be the struggle for any student, but especially for any sexual minority who identifies or struggles with an LGB+ identity or same-sex attraction on a Christian college campus. For these students their faith and their sexuality often feel both tender and in acute tension. Who is God making them to be? What do they need to grow in to develop faithfully, and what might they need to leave behind? How can they truly flourish? The research team of Yarhouse, Dean, Stratton, and Lastoria draw on their decades of experience both in the psychology of sexual identity and in campus counseling to bring us the results of an original longitudinal study into what sexual minorities themselves experience, hope for, and benefit from. Rich with both quantitative and qualitative data, their book gives an unprecedented opportunity to listen to sexual minorities in their own words, as well as to observe patterns and often surprising revelations about life and personal development both on campus and after graduation. Listening to Sexual Minorities will be an indispensable resource not only for counselors and psychologists but also for faculty, student-development leaders, and administrators in higher education as well as leaders in the church and wider Christian community who want to create an intentional environment to hear from and contribute to the spiritual flourishing of all.
326 pages, Paperback
Published April 24, 2018
16 people are currently reading
215 people want to read
About the author
Mark A. Yarhouse
23 books69 followersMark A. Yarhouse is a professor of psychology and the director of the Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity at Regent University. He is also part of a group practice in the Virginia Beach area, providing individual, couples, family, and group counseling. Dr. Yarhouse received his PsyD from Wheaton College and has worked collaboratively on a number of books. He and his family live in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 8, 2021
For years, Mark Yarhouse has been the leading conservative evangelical scholar for LGBTQ+ issues. While he does not describe himself as affirming theologically, his practical academic understanding of sexual identity has led him to a perspective that’s a step up from most conservative conversations on the issues. Listening to Sexual Minorities is the result of a series of studies done by him and his team (Janet Dean, Stephen Stratton, and Michael Lastoria). The book does exactly what it claims, which is to simply listen to the viewpoints of sexual minorities on Christian college campuses.
That last phrase is quite important. Christian college campuses. The students being studied are in an environment which is usually not openly-affirming, and indeed may not be fully affirming themselves. The three main studies that comprise the book are a 2009 study done in tandem with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, a 2013 study supported by the Association for Christians in Student Development, and a longitudinal study supported by the ACSD.
Listening to Sexual Minorities is not a narrative style book. It is an academic study and the tone and content reflect that. Although the title is uses the most “listening,” the book’s focus is more on the data than the stories. While the results of interviews are included, the tone remains academic. It reads more like a dissertation than a typical non-fiction book. I don’t say that as a positive or negative, but rather to note that individuals expecting this to be a book of stories and memoir will find themselves disappointed. This is an academic treatise and it reads like it.
I appreciate that the authors, though perhaps not being affirming, make no attempts to moralize or pick apart the answers given by those in the study. They fairly, impartially, and truthfully record what they are told. The only problem that results from such academic aloofness is…well…the aloofness. Listening to Sexual Minorities is devoid of any sort of passion or emotion and its conclusions—that Christian colleges and universities should support their students regardless of sexual identity—is rather banal and basic. Such is academia, but it’s a bit disheartening that, after three hundred pages of dense research, the conclusion is “love your neighbor.” Not a bad conclusion, mind you, but a bit generic.
Listening to Sexual Minorities deftly steps around the issue of S-I-N, which some on the right will see as the major oversight of the book while others on the left are clutching pearls at the thought it would even be considered. The authors are not theologians and I respect their ability to remain within their academic expertise. Overall, the fact that it isn’t a larger issue shows how much progress has been made in respecting sexual minorities in the past forty years or so.
In the end, this is a book for academics, researchers, and those within the Christian college atmosphere to better understand their students and what support they need. I wish the authors had been more directed and specific in their conclusions or made more specific suggestions for providing a welcoming atmosphere for sexual minorities, or in detailing how sexual minorities can thrive in a non-affirming context.
That last phrase is quite important. Christian college campuses. The students being studied are in an environment which is usually not openly-affirming, and indeed may not be fully affirming themselves. The three main studies that comprise the book are a 2009 study done in tandem with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, a 2013 study supported by the Association for Christians in Student Development, and a longitudinal study supported by the ACSD.
Listening to Sexual Minorities is not a narrative style book. It is an academic study and the tone and content reflect that. Although the title is uses the most “listening,” the book’s focus is more on the data than the stories. While the results of interviews are included, the tone remains academic. It reads more like a dissertation than a typical non-fiction book. I don’t say that as a positive or negative, but rather to note that individuals expecting this to be a book of stories and memoir will find themselves disappointed. This is an academic treatise and it reads like it.
I appreciate that the authors, though perhaps not being affirming, make no attempts to moralize or pick apart the answers given by those in the study. They fairly, impartially, and truthfully record what they are told. The only problem that results from such academic aloofness is…well…the aloofness. Listening to Sexual Minorities is devoid of any sort of passion or emotion and its conclusions—that Christian colleges and universities should support their students regardless of sexual identity—is rather banal and basic. Such is academia, but it’s a bit disheartening that, after three hundred pages of dense research, the conclusion is “love your neighbor.” Not a bad conclusion, mind you, but a bit generic.
Listening to Sexual Minorities deftly steps around the issue of S-I-N, which some on the right will see as the major oversight of the book while others on the left are clutching pearls at the thought it would even be considered. The authors are not theologians and I respect their ability to remain within their academic expertise. Overall, the fact that it isn’t a larger issue shows how much progress has been made in respecting sexual minorities in the past forty years or so.
In the end, this is a book for academics, researchers, and those within the Christian college atmosphere to better understand their students and what support they need. I wish the authors had been more directed and specific in their conclusions or made more specific suggestions for providing a welcoming atmosphere for sexual minorities, or in detailing how sexual minorities can thrive in a non-affirming context.
May 10, 2018
A set of findings and explanation of findings regarding the life, faith, health, outlook, and situation of students who identify as sexual minorities at Christian colleges.
The authors cite their own studies as well as other studies done in the field to assess the condition of sexual minorities on Christian college campuses. They define sexual minorities as those who self identify as LGBTQ or questioning. They interviewed a set of them twice over the period of a couple of years to assess any changes which may have taken place. The issues covered everything from how they had come to believe/accept their sexuality, how they came to identify the way they did sexually, why they came to a Christian college, their faith and its standing in light of their sexuality, how well or poorly they felt accepted, the resources available to them, their mental health, and how well they transitioned out of the Christian college environment into another college or into the workplace.
The results are not necessarily what one would expect. Many of the students maintained their faith and wished to find ways to honor their faith while living with their sexuality. Few students expected the schools to change or adapt their general stance toward sexual behaviors; they instead wished for greater resources to be able to work through issues relating to their sexuality and not be marginalized on account of them. Over time more and more are finding greater acceptance and awareness of the situation; overall it seems many Christian colleges are attempting to work with the times in terms of helping sexual minority students while upholding their standards regarding sexual behavior.
The framework of identity, disability, and vocation seems to have value. The work is dense with statistics, display of evidence, and sociological terminology, making it a bit more challenging to read, but beneficial inasmuch one can see the ground upon which the authors are making their conclusions and recommendations.
A worthwhile read to be able to learn more about how young people seek to be faithfully Christian while grappling with their sexuality.
**--galley received as part of early review program
The authors cite their own studies as well as other studies done in the field to assess the condition of sexual minorities on Christian college campuses. They define sexual minorities as those who self identify as LGBTQ or questioning. They interviewed a set of them twice over the period of a couple of years to assess any changes which may have taken place. The issues covered everything from how they had come to believe/accept their sexuality, how they came to identify the way they did sexually, why they came to a Christian college, their faith and its standing in light of their sexuality, how well or poorly they felt accepted, the resources available to them, their mental health, and how well they transitioned out of the Christian college environment into another college or into the workplace.
The results are not necessarily what one would expect. Many of the students maintained their faith and wished to find ways to honor their faith while living with their sexuality. Few students expected the schools to change or adapt their general stance toward sexual behaviors; they instead wished for greater resources to be able to work through issues relating to their sexuality and not be marginalized on account of them. Over time more and more are finding greater acceptance and awareness of the situation; overall it seems many Christian colleges are attempting to work with the times in terms of helping sexual minority students while upholding their standards regarding sexual behavior.
The framework of identity, disability, and vocation seems to have value. The work is dense with statistics, display of evidence, and sociological terminology, making it a bit more challenging to read, but beneficial inasmuch one can see the ground upon which the authors are making their conclusions and recommendations.
A worthwhile read to be able to learn more about how young people seek to be faithfully Christian while grappling with their sexuality.
**--galley received as part of early review program
November 14, 2020
Listening to Sexual Minorities by Mark Yarhouse, et. al, desires to “unpack the tensions that exist for Christians who are navigating sexual-identity questions in their own lives and who are part of faith-based institutions, whether a Christian college or church or a ministry.” (8) Yarhouse suggests there are three lenses through which questions surrounding sexual identity are viewed. The three lenses, integrity, disability, and diversity, function as frameworks for the discussion of “the tensions between faith and sexuality.” (9) Presenting the results of a longitudinal study of students termed ‘sexual minorities,’ (11) Yarhouse presents “the experiences of these Christian sexual minorities” (15) and gives suggestions for those who desire whole-hearted engagement.
Opening the book with the definition of the three lenses, Yarhouse asks if it might be possible for an institution to design policies in one framework while fostering collegiate life in a different framework. American higher education seems to desire to cultivate an environment of freedom of exploration. Often this type of freedom comes into conflict with the telos of Christian Liberal Arts Education (CLAE). Yarhouse’s study and comparative research highlight a gap between what CLAE believes is offered and what students experience. In chapters 1-3 and 8, Yarhouse successfully presents a dense amount of research concluding CLAE has often left ethical discipleship out of their telos.
Opening the book with the definition of the three lenses, Yarhouse asks if it might be possible for an institution to design policies in one framework while fostering collegiate life in a different framework. American higher education seems to desire to cultivate an environment of freedom of exploration. Often this type of freedom comes into conflict with the telos of Christian Liberal Arts Education (CLAE). Yarhouse’s study and comparative research highlight a gap between what CLAE believes is offered and what students experience. In chapters 1-3 and 8, Yarhouse successfully presents a dense amount of research concluding CLAE has often left ethical discipleship out of their telos.
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July 10, 2020"When we think of Christian College, we probably don’t begin by wondering how many students there are LGBT+
In fact, if it weren’t for the current cultural climate and the ubiquity of social media, we might assume that LGBT+ students simply attend other colleges, rather than attending Christian schools. This, combined with other factors, has resulted in a blind spot on the part of both the general Christian population and College/University decision makers when it comes to serving LGBT+ students who attend these institutions. Listening to Sexual Minorities: A Study of Faith and Sexual Identity on Christian College Campuses works to correct at least a part of that."
Read the rest here: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/schaeff...
In fact, if it weren’t for the current cultural climate and the ubiquity of social media, we might assume that LGBT+ students simply attend other colleges, rather than attending Christian schools. This, combined with other factors, has resulted in a blind spot on the part of both the general Christian population and College/University decision makers when it comes to serving LGBT+ students who attend these institutions. Listening to Sexual Minorities: A Study of Faith and Sexual Identity on Christian College Campuses works to correct at least a part of that."
Read the rest here: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/schaeff...
December 29, 2018
This should be of interest to clinicians and researchers seeking to appreciate the experience of sexual minorities in conservative Christian colleges and universities. In addition to describing the experience, the authors include recommendations for a supportive environment and hypotheses for future research.
November 8, 2019
Lots and lots of information in this one, which can be a smidge overwhelming (and perhaps a little redundant) at times. However, this book says many important things and is a worthwhile read for anyone seeking to understand sexual minorities better, especially in the context of Christian college campuses.
February 25, 2019
good insight and reasearch into the complexity on the intersectionality of faith and sexuality
March 31, 2020
Highest recommendation! This book will challenge your thinking and give you a new perspective!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews