Christian Science: Its Encounter with Lesbian/Gay America

Stores, Bruce. Christian Science: Its Encounter with Lesbian/Gay America. New York: iUniverse, 2004.

Stores, a self-identified gay Christian Scientist, explores the relationship between Christian Science Church headquarters and its underreported, turbulent relationship with sexual minorities from the 1950s to the early 21^st century. He recounts the history from a thoroughly researched perspective, but he admits his bias in favor of the lesbian/gay groups he represents. The first serious encounter that forced the issue with the Church came from Reginald Kerry whose very public accusations against the Church for sinfully harboring many homosexuals required a public response from the Church. Its position was that homosexuality was a moral condition that needed to be healed. But with the firing of Chris Madsen, a cub reporter for The Christian Science Monitor, due to her sexual orientation, the community of gay and lesbian Christian Scientists rallied behind her in a lawsuit against the Church. From that period, the issue turned from sexual morality to the illegal and moral inclination toward discrimination. Stores presents profiles of several people who opposed church membership for homosexuals. He argues that societal and economic pressures ultimately forced the Church to change its hiring policies. But as of the book’s publication in 2004, Stores argued further injustices toward lesbian and gay Christian Scientists need to be removed.

ISBN-10: 059532620X
ISBN-13 (Softcover): 978-0595326204