James Rutland Wood asserts that God is calling The United Methodist Church to a mission for which it is uniquely suited: to lead contemporary people and societies to a culturally aware biblical faith. Such a faith interprets the Bible in the light of the culture of its authors and watches for the living word the God of the Bible speaks to each person in his or her own culture. Fulfilling this mission will shape the way people access the Bible; the way the Bible informs public policy; and, specifically, the way people and societies accept gay and lesbian persons.

This volume brings together sound biblical, theological, and sociological arguments. It calls for a faith that remains both biblically based and in touch with the contemporary cultural context and calls to The UMC to lead society to a culturally aware biblical faith.