Paper: Re-Revised Outline

I. The Christian & The Homosexual: Can These Communities Co-Exist?

1. Introduction focusing on the "issue" of homosexuality within the Church community. The Christian community must rethink its views towards homosexuality. Thesis: Within this paper, I will demonstrate that the Christian community has used rhetoric & social stigma to ignore, marginalize and ostracize the homosexual community. Furthermore, I will attempt to use the countercultural model of contextual theology to bridge the communication gap and express the Gospel message between the Christian and homosexual communities.


2. My experience with the gay community. How personal relationships change ones understanding of homosexuality.


3. Public discussion of the subject of homosexuality has been controlled mostly by ideological extremes: the extreme gay left and the extreme antigay right.

II. Models of Contextual Theology by Stephen B. Bevans: Countercultural Model

1. Define countercultural model.


2. A place of centrality is given to the Gospel within this model.


3. The core of the Gospel, according to Jesus, is “love”.

III. What are some ways the Christians community can address the issue in a progressive and practical ways?

1. Jay Bakker & Sundance Channel’s One Punk Under God documentary series.


2. Communities like these are a practical embodiment of the countercultural model of contextual theology discussed earlier.


3. Conclusion: “Brokenness” is indeed a hidden virtue. The Church needs to embrace and support this group of people, not despite scripture and tradition, but in light of scripture and tradition. Is the church welcoming the uninvited?

Paper: Revised Outline

1. The topic that I will write about is on homosexuality and how this subculture is ignored marginalized, or ostracized by the Church as a whole.

• Discuss the gay, lesbian, and transgender community
• The gay community as a culture
• The gay community in culture
• The gay community spiritually

• Discuss the church community
• The church views historically towards other marginalized subcultures
• The church views historically towards the gay community
• Discuss homosexuality as it relates currently to the church community
• Questions of inclusion and exclusion
• Issues of the power
• Separation in the church
  

2. Discuss the few diverse church communities that are including the gay community through the “Countercultural Model” as presented by Bevans would be the best model to present the Gospel.

• The Bible needs to be looked at in context
• Church should cross all cultures not condemning a culture of a certain sexual orientation
• Stress the insufficiency of all humanity
• Gospel is to for all people
  

• Church would be accepting of all sexual orientations and promote community awareness and integration
• Church would promote diversity in the leadership including age diversity
• Encourage participation in cross cultural events

Paper: Outline

The topic that I will write about is on homosexuality and how this subculture is ignored marginalized, or ostracized by the Church as a whole. I will discuss the gay, lesbian, and transgender community and how the church community has viewed the gay community historically, discussing questions of inclusion and exclusion. A few diverse church communities that are including the gay community will be mentioned. I think I'll use the “Countercultural Model” as presented by Bevans as it seems to be the best model to bridge the message of JC between the Church and the gay community. I will outline how the Bible needs to be looked at in context, the Church should cross all cultures not condemning a culture of a certain sexual orientation<, further stressing the insufficiency of all humanity, Jesus' message is for all people, the Church should be accepting of all sexual orientations and promote community awareness and integration, and the Church should promote diversity in the leadership including age diversity, encouraging participation in cross cultural events.