Q&R By Being LGBTQ Affirming, have we left historical, orthodox religion?

Question: What do you think of those who argue that by being affirming we are out of step with the orthodox historical, global christian understanding of marriage?

Response: The argument that affirming LGBTQ+ relationships puts us "out of step with orthodox historical Christianity" has a major flaw: there isn't actually a unified, ancient Christian understanding of marriage to be out of step with.

Here's why:

The Identity vs. Behavior Gap

Homosexuality as an identity wasn't even conceptualized in Western culture until the 1870s. When earlier church writers condemned same-sex relationships, they were responding to specific behaviors they associated with abuse, pederasty, or idol worship—not orientation or identity as we understand it today. (And unfortunately, many religious conservatives still make these harmful and inaccurate connections.)

The Historical Evidence Is More Complex

Interestingly, there's substantial historical evidence of same-sex unions being blessed within church history. Historian John Boswell's research, while debated, documented numerous examples of same-sex spiritual unions (called adelphopoiesis) being celebrated in churches, albeit understood through a pre-modern psychological framework.

So, to speak of the church’s orthodox and historical view on marriage is akin to speaking of the church’s historical or orthodox view on whether or not the sun revolves around the earth. For hundreds of years, the church taught that the earth was the center of the universe. It was wrong; it had always been wrong; and other societies and cultures knew it to be wrong. It took a long time for the church to realize it (and even had to go “against Scripture” to do so), but it finally did.

The Living Nature of Doctrine

The church has always recognized that our understanding of God's truth grows and develops. The ancient theological principle of Semper Reformandum ("always reforming") acknowledges this, as does the Catholic concept of doctrinal development through catharsis (reform) and chrysalis (growth). As Vincent of Lerins wrote in the 400s, there must be "improvement of our religion" as believers gain "penetrating understanding of spiritual realities."

"For there is a growth in the understanding of the realities and the words which have been handed down. This happens through the contemplation and study made by believers, who treasure these things in their hearts (see Luke, 2:19, 51) through a penetrating understanding of the spiritual realities which they experience." Dei Verbum 8

This isn't compromise—it's how faith has always worked. Just as the church had to revise its "biblical" understanding that the Earth was the center of the universe, we constantly reexamine our interpretations as we gain new understanding of God's creation.

There is no “historical” understanding of marriage, because new possibilities became available in our European/Western social imagination when we realized that sexual orientation might be a thing that exists. Just as there is no “historical” understanding of what party you should vote for or how best to populate the moon.

An Actually More Orthodox Approach

When we recognize that LGBTQ+ identities aren't rooted in abuse or idolatry but in how God created people, we can apply Christian principles of inclusion, found-family (a surprisingly radical-and-yet-understudied aspect of Jesus' ministry), and fidelity in new ways. This is hardly abandoning orthodoxy—it's embodying orthodox Christian values of love and justice in our context.

An Ironic Twist

Here's what really gets me: Those insisting that "one-man, one-woman" marriage is central to Christian orthodoxy are the ones adding novel requirements to the faith! This was never an issue that showed up in one friggin creed or ecumenical formula for thousands of years. Now groups are publishing new statements and claiming they're the ones preserving tradition? The theological nerve is impressive.

The path forward isn't about abandoning Christian orthodoxy—it's about thoughtfully applying orthodox Christian principles of love, justice, and human dignity to our growing understanding of how God created people. That's not just faithful to tradition; it's faithful to the God who is always doing new things.