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Too Hot to Handle: A Denominational Sweep of Bisexual Erasure in the Church

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Abstract

This chapter provides sets the framework of reference for discussion of bisexuality and Christianity, by providing a summary of same-sex references in the Bible, including both the so-called ‘texts of terror’ and more affirming examples of potential bisexual role models in Scripture. This is followed by a denominational sweep of church literature on bisexuality in both the UK and USA, including the notorious Issues in Human Sexuality published by the Church of England in 1991, yet also more affirming publications from the Unitarian Universalists and the United Church of Christ in the United States.

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Correspondence to Carol A. Shepherd .

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Shepherd, C.A. (2019). Too Hot to Handle: A Denominational Sweep of Bisexual Erasure in the Church. In: Bisexuality and the Western Christian Church. Palgrave Studies in Lived Religion and Societal Challenges. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94679-5_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94679-5_3

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-94678-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-94679-5

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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