Publication Date
Spring 4-19-2024
School
School of Divinity
Major
Theology and Apologetics
Keywords
evangelism, theological aesthetics, same-sex attraction, evangelism to LGBTQ+, beauty, friendship, romance, sexuality, masculinity, apologetics, biblical theology
Recommended Citation
Kemp, Austin Tucker, "Rainbows Around the Throne: Theological Aesthetics in Evangelism to Same-Sex Attracted Men" (2024). Senior Honors Theses. 1354.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/1354
Abstract
Cultural barriers and worldview differences between American evangelicalism and the LGBTQ+ movement have historically hindered evangelism to same-sex attracted men. Although recent Christian theologians have offered wisdom for including same-sex attracted believers in the church and for combating prevailing secular worldviews, evangelistic strategies to reach gay unbelievers remain underdeveloped. This thesis identifies five desires common within the population of same-sex attracted men (beauty, friendship, romance, sexuality, and masculinity) and proposes a method of evangelism which targets these desires using theological aesthetics to communicate the beauty of the gospel creatively and compellingly. A focus on aesthetic apologetics, aesthetic community, and aesthetic biblical theology can demonstrate that the God of the Christian gospel is beautiful, satisfying, and worth trusting.
