Is homosexuality unnatural? Does the Bible condemn it? Does it matter whether gay people are “born that way”?
For the past two decades, John Corvino—also known as “The Gay Moralist”—has traversed the country responding to such questions with precision, sensitivity, and good humor. In this compact yet comprehensive book, he compiles his insights while offering a fresh plea for thoughtful moral engagement.
A must-read for anyone concerned about LGBT people and the debates surrounding them.
Click here to read an excerpt from Chapter 6 at Salon.
John’s interview with Gay Star News.
John’s interview with Kirkus Reviews.
Praise:
“[Corvino’s] work is unfailingly patient and laced with humor…an essential and accessible read for any interested parties.”
– Publishers Weekly (full review here)
“[Corvino] writes in plain language leavened with wit, sentiment, and personality.”
– Booklist
“Corvino’s writing style is readable and informed by intelligence and wit. He is also respectful of opposing views and deals with them fairly. Well worth reading, this book sensibly organizes ethical objections to homosexual behavior, takes the time to refute them, and clarifies how defenders of homosexual rights should respond to them.”
– Library Journal
“Chapter by chapter, Corvino systematically addresses all of the arguments commonly used against homosexuality in general and same-sex marriage in particular and essentially decimates them. . . .Even for someone who isn’t a massive non-fiction reader, I found this book to be extremely interesting, engaging and yes, even enjoyable.”
– Belle’s Bookshelf (full review here)
“[A]rticulate, succinct, and…spot-on.”
– Dig Boston (full review here)
“John Corvino has written a wonderful, deeply exhilarating book. Its virtues of rigor, fair-mindedness, subtlety, and clarity should be everywhere in our public culture, but in fact they are sadly rare. Read Corvino not only to learn about moral arguments concerning homosexuality—and you will learn a lot, regardless of your ethical starting point—but also to be reminded that it is possible for people who deeply disagree to argue respectfully, fairly, and with empathetic imagination and even a sense of humor. This is public philosophy at its very best.”
– Martha C. Nussbaum, Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics, University of Chicago
“John Corvino’s new book, What’s Wrong with Homosexuality?, is stunning in its clarity and logic. Corvino’s is that rare combination of a brilliant and logical mind, and a warm and human heart. . . . Anyone interested in seriously arguing against the acceptance of gay people and our relationships will have to contend with the brilliantly articulated, rational and coherent case made in this book.”
– The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, IX Bishop of New Hampshire
“John Corvino is a philosophically sophisticated, lucid writer who makes a serious effort here to engage those (like me) with whom he disagrees. He argues aggressively, to be sure, but does not resort to calling his critics names or impugning their motives. Moreover, he is commendably willing to come to grips with challenges to the presuppositions and implications of the position he holds. He is, in short, a worthy intellectual opponent in the debate over the ethics and meaning of sex and marriage.”
– Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University