Binding and Unbinding the Conscience: Luther's Significance for the Plight of a Gay Protestant

Abstract

Capetz reviews the significance of Luther's polemic against celibacy in the light of the decision of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to amend its constitution and require that gays and lesbians vow celibacy as a condition of holding office in the church. His historical investigations lead him to draw parallels between Luther's anguished attempts to live as a celibate monk and the dilemmas he experiences as a gay man. While the institution continues to disavow the radical potential inherent in its own tradition, Capetz, like many others, feels compelled to follow Luther and leave the monastery behind, along with the religious ideals it represents, in order to engage in the bold experiment of creating new models of Christian life.