A Low View

It’s been more than a dozen years since I graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary. Despite being considered more “progressive” than other Evangelical institutions, Fuller still defines marriage as a covenant union between one man and one woman. The school has a “sexual standards” link on its website stating that “homosexual forms of explicit sexual conduct to be inconsistent with the teaching of Scripture.” Fuller expels students who do not follow these guidelines.

Fuller and many Evangelical churches justify their position with what they call a “high view of scripture.” History tells us that the high view of scripture supports hierarchies. It has justified supremacy for centuries. Christianity is the one right religion. America is the greatest country on the planet. White folks are more deserving than everyone else. Women are supposed to submit to men—and non-binary folk aren’t even acknowledged. If it’s not male-and-female monogamy, the coupleship is condemned or questioned. Why? Because the bible says so.

For the first 20 years of my journey of faith and conscience, I confess that the high view of scripture held me hostage to homophobia and other hierarchies. I’m still in a process, but I didn’t throw the bible out with the bathwater. I read it with a perspective from below. I learned the low view of scripture from Jesus and other freedom fighters who read the bible close to the earth, close to reality, close to the suffering and oppressed, close to those who are condemned and questioned around every corner, close to God—who sides with those the world deems foolish, weak, low and despised. Jesus’ low view of scripture flipped the hierarchy upside-down—and people wanted to kill him for it.

Pride month is an opportunity for Fuller and non-affirming churches to become born again—to break free from being held hostage to the high view of scripture. The challenge for these institutions is that the high view props up their relationship to wealth, power and privilege. When pastors and professors take the low view, it leads to love and liberation, the opposite of power and privilege. Then people leave. Just a small taste of what it feels like for LGBTQ+ folx who are ghosted and gaslit (and worse) their entire lives. It’s long past time for Fuller to become fully affirming and face the social consequences. Just like Jesus.