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Fleming Rutledge is a preacher and teacher known throughout the mainline Protestant denominations of the US, Canada and parts of the UK. She is the author of seven books and has received a grant from the Louisville Foundation to complete a book about the meaning of the Crucifixion.
One of the first women to be ordained to the priesthood of the Episcopal Church, she served for fourteen years on the clergy staff at Grace Church on Lower Broadway at Tenth Street, New York City. Fleming and her husband celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2009 and have two daughters and two grandchildren. She is a native of Franklin, Virginia.
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Ruminations: Reynolds Price comes out, literarily speakingWednesday, May 13, 2009Reynolds Price comes out, literarily speakingThe writer Reynolds Price has attracted notice from many Christian readers, including myself, for his religious and, often, surprisingly theological thoughts. As The New York Times book reviewer Dwight Garner notes today, many of us did not notice that he is homosexual. This is by Price's own choice; in his new memoir/autobiography, he explains his silence on the subject this way: “I’ve been more steadily interested in exploring lives involved in complex families with lengthy histories which are endlessly subject to change and fate, and such lives are generally heterosexual.” (As a parenthesis he notes this, as well: “I’ve also observed that few readers are interested, over long stretches, in stories of homosexual life; and I’ve never scorned readers.” Garner observes that this is probably less true than it used to be.)As an admirer of some of Price's theological observations, I find him interesting. Our understanding of homosexuality is still in flux, and the common practice of reverting to the well-worn biblical passages prohibiting homosexual acts has not proven to be convincing to most people; indeed, the more we do it, the more it turns people off. The God-given distinction between male and female which is so central to the Genesis account of creation points to more fruitful ways of approaching the question while still leaving some space for alternatives. I do not mean to suggest that Price is ashamed of his gay life-- quite the contrary. He describes his latest memoir, Ardent Spirits, as one of "high adult happiness." I have not yet read it yet--though I plan to--but the excerpts quoted in the review suggest a deeply reflective and nuanced perspective which is quite different from the usual gay manifesto. Thus Price writes, “Sex between men is, in one pure sense, the ideal male sex act, productive of possible affection and a quick intense pleasure — an act that’s profoundly different from female sex, likely as that often is to result in the commencement of a child’s life.”
Permanent Link for this Post: http://www.generousorthodoxy.org/ruminations/2009/05/reynolds-price-comes-out-literarily.htm |
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5 Comments:
The voices who have yet to be heard seriously are the gays and lesbians who are fully committed to being Christian while not being in denial of their (unchosen) sexual orientation. Much of the Christian world rejects us because we are gay. Much of the secular world rejects us because we are Christian.
Many of us have smarted under the thoughless use of the so-called "clobber texts". Most Christians find some comfort in knowing that as one, we have been "consigned to disobedience so that God may have mercy on all" (Romans 11:32) We're in on it together. Pain is inflicted when Christians, under the guise of faithfulness to Scripture use "clobber texts" to consign others to a special ghetto within that "consignment to disobedience"--a place of "special" condemnation.
Many Christians feel we simply made poor choices, are the products of defective parents(who isn't??) and give us no real options. They drum us out of the military, deny us any real possibility of recognized relationships. That's starting to change though it is done in SPITE OF Christian opposition.
This is often enough to drive us out of our faith communities. Do they find comfort in driving us out? Does their spirit reflect God's?
In my own faith community, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, it is difficult, but not impossible to live with integrity. We have resources, though not from our church. Our church home is consistant with many other conservative churches.
Fleming, in my faith community, the seventh day Sabbath is a metaphor for rest, salvation in Christ. We have it now by faith, but one day it will be by sight.
The Sabbath, like Advent, begins in the dark. (..the evening and the morning..." Day is preceeded by night.
As a gay Christian, I look forward to the day when every tear will be wiped away, every hurt healed.
Andrew Dykstra,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Andrew, thank you for this beautifully written and thoughtful commentary. I am thinking through all of this on a daily basis.
Fleming
"For The Bible Tells Me So" is a very moving video I wish you would watch and review for this site. It tells the stories of several (mostly) conservative Christian parents and how they came to terms with having gay or lesbian children. They range from the parents of Bishop Gene Robinson to the conservative African-American parents of a lesbian daughter. Parts of it are heart-breaking; always taking their Christianity seriously and respectfully. Nothing teaches like experience; undigested "religious" thought must be re-processed.
Peggy Campolo (wife of Tony Campolo) humorously exposed the misnomer "gay lifestyle" for what it is. "Madonna and I are both heterosexual women, but we do NOT share a lifestyle!"
Andrew Dykstra
Dear Rev. Rutledge, I think your observation about the practice of reverting to well-worn biblical passages prohibiting homosexual acts not proving convincing to most people is sociologically astute and well made.
But it also raises the question of how we may best appropriate the teaching of Holy Scripture today. I think that this is a question upon which Christians are called to reflect deeply and continually, and I understanding that this is exactly what you seek to do. To my mind, the use of Scripture to 'clobber' already vilified minorities can never be right.
Yet I have a genuine question arising from my reading of your original post. It is this: What, if anything, do you think is worth affirming in the sentiment expressed by Price in the quotation commencing "Sex between men is..."? Or did you write the paragraph in which that quotation appears just for the sake of balance?
Sincerely,
Colin Gale
Dear Mrs. Rutledge,
Until this Rumination, I must say I had never heard of Reynolds Price. When you said that Reynolds Price came out of the closet in his latest autobiographical book, I was very intrigued. Since then, I have become much better acquainted with Price and I thank you for introducing him.
I look forward to reading "Ardent Spirits" soon. As C. S. Lewis famously said, "We read to know we are not alone."
I started with Reynolds Price's book "Clear Pictures" about his life up to adulthood. I wondered how he would speak about his adolescence and never mention that he was gay. How can this be unspoken in this book? Reynolds Price does not say in this book that he is gay; neither does he pretend a strong interest in the opposite sex. His reticence speaks eloquently to those with ears to hear. This certainly would have been an ideal book in which to talk of his growing self-awareness. While his orientation is not all there is to know about him, it is quite central--to the same extent as yours is to you.
"Fleming and her husband celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2009 and have two daughters and two grandchildren."
This is your statement on your home page and it is far from reticent. It is no disrespect to your readers to share your joy in such a long (and I hope happy) marriage. It is not considered to be revealing too much information.
It is usually only lesbians and gays who are reticent/secretive about their private lives because they are the exceptions in society. When they share personal information similar to yours, it is considered inappropriate, too much information. Why do they need to announce they are gay? Why do we need to know? Why do they impose on us such personal information? Surely this is a double standard: it is only "too personal" if it differs from the majority.
Since then, I have also read "A Whole New Life" his account of surviving an excruciating battle with cancer.
"The Tongues Of Angels" is such a fine read! Right now, I am reading his first novel, "A Long and Happy Life."
Soon, I will take a break from Reynolds Price and read some more N. T. Wright.
Andrew Dykstra - Toronto - Canada
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