Book review: In God’s Image: Christian Witness to the Need for Gay/Lesbian Equality in the Eyes of the Church, by Robert Warren Cromey

The GLBTRT has been reviewing books and movies in its newsletter since the early 1990s. Trace the evolution of queer publishing through these historic reviews. This review was originally published in Vol. 3, No 3, Fall 1991.

Cover of In God's Image: Christian Witness to the Need for Gay/Lesbian Equality in the Eyes of the ChurchCromey, Robert Warren. In God’s Image: Christian Witness to the Need for Gay/Lesbian Equality in the Eyes of the Church. Alamo Square Press, 1991. Paper. $9.95. (ISBN 0-9624751-2-2)

A timely and personal book revealing the anger and frustration of one Episcopal cleric, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in San Francisco, who believes the church should wake up and accept the presence of gays and lesbians as gifts of God. Following on the coattails of Bishop Spong’s Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, Reverend Cromey seems to express sincere anger and frustration at not being able to perform marriages or union ceremonies for committed gay or lesbian couples within the church. He makes several references to “we can bury them, but we can’t marry them” kinds of actions taken by the church and recounts his own battle with the Episcopal Church at performing such a union ceremony.

What the reader will gain here is not a scholarly approach to canon laws and rules, but a true, sincere, passionate plea for the spiritual fulfillment of gays and lesbians through the sacrament of marriage. Through many accounts of AIDS-related deaths of lovers, Reverend Cromey points out that only in the gay and lesbian community has he ever witnessed such a strong bond and loyalty when it came to facing death and dying. One goes away from reading this book feeling that, to Reverend Cromey, there truly is no such thing as Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female, gay and straight, for to him all are one person in God’s image.

It would be an excellent addition to any adult collection accenting social responsibility and reform.

Reviewed by Charles Whitlow
AT&T Tax Ubraries
Morristown, New Jersey

Share

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Follow Me

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.