Gay Christians, God and the church | David Bennett, Taylor Telford & Billy Hallowell

Embark on a journey with host Billy Hallowell exploring a deep friendship between two academics with wildly opposing views but who both attest to the boundless love of God on this week’s podcast. This week’s Unbelievable features an insightful discussion featuring two individuals with contrasting LGBTQI+ faith journeys as they delve into the intersection of faith, sexuality, and the Bible. The debate is between two gay Christians who have arrived at distinctly different interpretations of the Bible's teachings on sexual ethics, marriage, and human relationships. As a young man Dr. David Bennett perceived Christianity as an adversary to LGBTQI+ freedom. Shaped by early encounters with prejudice and homophobia, he embraced life as a gay activist. Opposite David is Dr. Taylor Telford, an academic theologian whose journey led her from an evangelical upbringing to a progressive perspective, especially concerning gay marriage. Taylor serves as the Associate Pastor for Imaginative Worship at a PC(USA) congregation in Spokane, WA, and as adjunct faculty at Whitworth University and The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. David Bennett's transformative conversion to Christianity, unfolded in a gay bar in his native Australia, and propelled him on a profound theological quest that ultimately led him to embrace an historically orthodox sexual ethic. Identifying as gay, a Christian, and living a celibate life, David is currently a postdoctoral research fellow and theologian at the University of Oxford, England. As the Anglican's General Synod meets this coming week and it appears gay and lesbian/ same-sex attracted Christians whatever their theological convictions are upset with the way Bishops have suggested implementing the Prayers of Love and Faith (PLF) in the Church of England, this is an unmissable episode of Premier Unbelievable. Read David's story https://www.amazon.co.uk/War-Loves-Bennett-David/dp/0310538106/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1699556413&sr=8-1 • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate