EVALUATION OF HOMOSEXUALITY IN EAST AFRICAN CULTURES

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INTRODUCTION

In the world in which we are living today many people, especially Christians, wonder why they should talk about homosexuality and lesbianism. For many years past, the Christian Church, especially in East Africa, considered itself more or less immune from many of the problems experienced in the world, particularly the Western world. As the church now continues to grow in numbers and expand its territories, however, these problems start to appear in the church also all over East Africa.

Target Audience and the Research Problem

This dissertation is written first of all for Seventh-day Adventist Church lay members, pastors, church administrators and the public at large in east Africa who are currently seeking for a fuller understanding of the teaching of Scripture regarding homosexuality.

Rejection Group

The heart of their rejection is the authority or the applicability of the Scripture or both. While they continue to work with the Bible as a religious document, they reject the Bible as the only normative rule of faith and practice. They concede that Scripture condemns homosexuality, but they argue that there is no need to take such teaching seriously.

The Method, Objective and Overview

Method. This research project is written from a Historical, Ethical, Cultural and Biblical perspective. I accept the Bible as normative for defining Christian beliefs and practices. Because the words of the Bible contain a divine message written by human authors who lived in specific historical situations, every effort must be made to understand their meaning in the historical context.

Acknowledgements
CHAPTER!
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Target Audience and the Research Problem
1.2 The Hypotheses
1.3 The Method, Objective and Overview
CHAPTER 2 WHAT IS HOMOSEXUALITY?
2.1 Definitions of Homosexuality
2.1.1 The Condition Separated from the Act
2.1.2 Homosexuality as Natural
2.1.3 The Psychological Thesis
2.1.4 Homosexuality as a Chosen Sin
2.1.5 Conclusion of the Definition of Homosexuality
2.2 The Causes of Homosexuality
2.2.1 The Genetic Thesis
2.2.2 Hormonal Factors
2.2.3 The Prenatal Thesis
2.2.4 Psychological Factors
CHAPTER 3 EVALUATION OF HOMOSEXUALITY IN EAST AFRICAN CULTURES
3.1 The Field Surveys of Homosexuality in East Africa
3.2 The silence and secrecy regarding homosexuality in East Africa
3.3 Selective Forms of (Homo-) sexuality rejected in East Africa
3.4 Homosexuality in East Africa (Kenya)
3.5 Homosexuality in East African Prisons
3.6 Homosexuality in East Africa and the Street Children
3.7 Morality in East Africa (Kenya)
3.8 The Immorality of the Churches in East Africa
CHAPTER 4 THE OLD TESTAMENT AND HOMOSEXUALITY
4.1 Old Testament Historical Background
4.1.1 Egypt
4.1.2 Babylon and Assyria
4.1.3 Cult Prostitution
4.1.4 Canaan and Hittite
4.1.5 Canaanite Practice
4.2 The Texts of the Old Testament
4.2.1 The Use of Scripture
4.2.2 The Bible as Opposed to Homosexuality
4.2.3 The Bible as Condoning Homosexuality
4.3 Old Testament Texts Cited With Reference to Homosexuality
4.3.1 The Case of Sodom
4.3.2 The Mosaic Laws
4.3.3 The Idolatry Thesis
4.3.4 The Outrage in Gibeah
4.4 Secondary Old Testament Texts Cited with Reference to Homosexuality
4.4.1 The Case of Jonathan and David
4.4.2 The Case of Noah and Ham
4.4.3 The Case of Ruth and Naomi
CHAPTERS THE NEW TESTAMENT AND HOMOSEXUALITY
5.1 New Testament Historical Background – The Classical Setting
5.1.1 Classical Greece
5.1.2 Lesbianism in Greece
5.1.3 The Development of Pederasty in Classical Greece
5.1.4 Charges of Homosexuality as Political Handicap
5.1.5 Plato and Pederasty
5.1.6 Plato’s Defence of Pederasty versus Sensualism and Licentiousness
5.1.7 The Androgynous Myth
5.1.8 Homosexuality in Greek Drama
5.2 New Testament Historical Background – The Hellenistic World
5.2.1 Pederasty and Prostitution in later Greek Practice
5.2.2 The Reaction of Hellenistic Judaism
5.3 The New Testament and Homosexuality
5.3.1 The Social Background of Early Christianity: Form and Content of Anti-Homosexual References
5.3.2 Christians and Social Structure
5.3.3 New Testament Vice Lists: Christian and non -Christian
5.4 Primary New Testament Texts Cited With Reference to Homosexuality
5.4.1 Natural versus Unnatural
5.4.2 Meeting the Gnostic Approach
5.5 Secondary New Testament Texts and Homosexuality
CHAPTER 6 Researcher’s Analysis
CHAPTER 7 Conclusion
Bibliography