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Copyright © 2020 Anthony Young Chon Copyright © 2020 Anthony Young Chon All rights reserved. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction. ADDRESSING ISSUES RELATED TO LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER (LGBT) SELF-IDENTIFYING CHRISTIANS IN THE ASIAN AMERICAN CHURCH __________________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary ________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Educational Ministry __________________ by Anthony Young Chon December 2020 APPROVAL SHEET ADDRESSING ISSUES RELATED TO LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER (LGBT) SELF-IDENTIFYING CHRISTIANS IN THE ASIAN AMERICAN CHURCH Anthony Young Chon Read and Approved by: __________________________________________ Andrew T. Walker (Faculty Supervisor) __________________________________________ Timothy Paul Jones Date______________________________ To Ruth, My best friend and love of my life, How precious you are for you are fully known And deeply loved by the great I AM and I. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PREFACE…………………………………………………………………………… vii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………… 1 Familiarity with the Literature………………………………………… 5 Affirming Literature………………………………………………. 5 Corrective Literature………...……………………………………… 7 Void in the Literature…………………………………………………… 8 Thesis…………………………………………………………………… 9 2. CULTURAL AND CONTEXTUAL ISSUES…………………………… 10 A Biblical View of Cultural Engagement……………………………… 10 Old Testament References………………………………………… 12 New Testament References………………………………………… 13 A Critical View of Western Contextualization…………………………. 14 Western Evangelicalism in the East……………………………… 17 East Asian Theological Studies…………………………………… 18 A Critical View of Eastern Contextualization………………………… 20 Engaging Simon Chan’s Writings………………………………… 23 Engaging Jackson Wu’s Writings………………………………… 25 Engaging Asian American Contextualization……………………… 29 iv Chapter Page Engaging Queer Contextualization………………………………… 35 Conclusion………………………………………………………… 40 3. QUEER THEOLOGICAL ISSUES….……………………….…………. 43 Review of Homosexuality and Christian Community………………… 43 Synopsis of Rainbow Theology…………………………………… 46 Critical Review of Rainbow Theology……………………………… 48 Synopsis of Radical Love…………………………………………… 60 Critical Review of Radical Love…………………………………… 61 Conclusion…………………………………………………………… 73 4. BIBLICAL ISSUES………………….………………….………………. 75 Objections and Responses…………………………………………… 76 Historical Perspective…………………………………………… 76 Modern Phenomenon…………………………………………… 80 Genesis 19…………………………………………………………… 85 Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 ……………………………………………… 90 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy…………………………………………… 94 Romans 1……………………………………………………………… 98 Conclusion…………………………………………………………… 103 5. THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS……….……….……….……….…… 105 Plausibility Structures……………………………………………… 106 Redeeming Language…………………………………………… 109 Redeeming Identity………………………………………………… 116 v Chapter Page Redeeming Friendship and Family………………………………… 121 Redeeming Marriage……………………………………………… 126 Celibacy…………………………………………………………… 127 Change…………………………………………………………… 129 Therapy………………………………………………………… 130 Marriage……………………………………………………… 133 Conclusion…………………………………………………………… 134 Appendix 1. A GLOSSARY FOR GENDER IDENTITY……………….……….…… 137 2. GAY, TRANSGENDER, AND IN CHRIST SCRIPTS…….……….…... 141 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………… 143 vi PREFACE During my time in ministry while working on this thesis I have been reminded multiple times that “brokenness is a bridge not a barrier.” Over the years the pain and tears that many congregation members shared with me in their struggle with their gender and sexuality is what bore this thesis. My hope and prayer is that this work the Lord has begun in and through me will not end here but will bear much fruit in bringing healing to the hurting. I am forever grateful for everyone who has encouraged me to pursue this study and have walked with me on this journey. I want to begin by thanking my beautiful wife, Ruth, who is my greatest fan. Thank you for your patience, support, and loving me through this process by taking care of everything especially our four kids, Hope, Hosea, Hudson, and Hosanna. You all bring immense joy to my life and I love you all to the moon and back. Second, Soo Hyuk Chon and Young Ja Chon, thank you for being my parents and never giving up on me. Even when it was difficult for you to accept my calling into full-time ministry it was the both of you who encouraged me to continue to pursue it when I gave up. Thank you for always praying for me and being an example of what it means to be faithful to Christ and the Church. Third, Michael Chon, thank you for being my older brother and bringing me to church. Without you, I would never have known the love of Jesus Christ. It is through you that I received the greatest gift I could have ever asked and dreamed of. Fourth, I want to thank the faculty at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I am grateful for my supervisor, Dr. Andrew Walker, for his wisdom and helpful insights on this topic. I could not have asked for a better professor to oversee my thesis. I also extend my thanks to Dr. Timothy Paul Jones and Dr. Theodore Cabal for making the vii Applied Apologetics program possible and for allowing me to take part in its first cohort. Lastly, I give my utmost thanks to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without you, I would not be alive today. Your Word has been the guiding light that has made me who I am today. May I always remember to trust in You with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding but in all my ways acknowledge You so that You would make my paths straight (Prov 3:5-6). Anthony Chon Naperville, Illinois December 2020 viii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION An emergence of revisionist literature by queer Asian theologians is challenging orthodox teachings on gender and sexuality in the Asian American Church. These unorthodox teachings have brought forth a dilemma in pressuring Asian American churches to be affirming of homosexuality and transgender identities. LGBT self- identifying Christians1 are leaving traditional evangelical churches as issues of shame have also caused friends and family members of LGBT self-identifying Christians to join affirming ministries. If the Asian American church desires to remain faithful to the Word of God and to care for the least of these then the church needs to learn how to reduce the marginalization of LGBT self-identifying Christians by providing clear biblical correctives and plausibility structures for its members.2 “Before there was Gay Shame, there was already gay shame.”3 These were the opening words of David M. Halperin at the Gay Shame conference in 2003. Halperin, who is considered a pioneer of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)4 studies, points to the fact that shame has always been a part of the gay identity. Shame is a key 1LGBT self-identifying Christians are defined in this thesis as people who experience same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria but do not identify as LGBT or engages in homosexual acts or transgender behavior as he/she strives to find his/her identity in Christ. 2This thesis affirms and is in line with the “Nashville Statement.” See The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, “Nashville Statement,” accessed October 13, 2020, https://cbmw.org/nashville- statement. 3David M. Halperin and Valerie Traub, eds., Gay Shame (Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 2016), 41. The Gay Shame movement emerged in response to the Gay Pride movement which suppresses all aspects of shame associated with homosexuality. Gay Shame seeks to reclaim shame in a way that does not ignore its history and culture but pursues to portray it in a new way. 4When referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender it will simply be LGBT. 1 component in understanding the plight of those who identify as LGBT. The systemic issue of shame that affects the LGBT community becomes even more complex for cultures that are shame based. For Asian Americans, shame is closely tied with their identity. A survey among Asian American college undergraduates discovered that “the avoidance of shame was found to be a strong motivating factor in determining their ethnic identification”5 and that “the process of ethnic identification is unique for Asian- Americans in that shame . is a culturally powerful motivating force in defining oneself.”6 Shame is deeply embedded into the fabric of what it means to be Asian American, therefore LGBT Asian Americans are “doubly oppressed”7 as a result of their race and sexuality. The journal of Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology published a study on measuring the multiple marginalization of LGBT adults who are people of color (LGBT-POC). This empirical research assessed the microaggressions8 experienced by LGBT-POC through a self-reporting scale. The study defined microaggressions as “brief, daily assaults on minority individuals, which can be social or 5Christine J. Yeh and Karen Huang, “The Collectivism Nature of Ethnic Identity Development among Asian-American College Students,” Adolescence 31, no. 123 (Fall 1996), 645-661. A total of 87 college students from a California university participated in the study and “40% of the sample described shame as an important factor in ethnic identity development” (656). 6Yeh and Huang, “The Collectivism Nature of Ethnic Identity Development,” 658. 7Kevin K. Kumashiro, “Supplementing Normalcy and Otherness:
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