In this week’s edition of Newsweek, Richard Mouw, the president of Fuller Theological Seminary, penned an essay, “Less Shouting, More Talking,” in which he addresses the issues around Prop 8. It’s clear that he wrote it, in part, as a response to the infamous issue of Newsweek in which both Jon Meacham and Lisa Miller wrote about same sex marriage and Christianity.
Before I say anything else, let me be clear that I am very fond of Rich Mouw. He was the provost of Fuller when I was a student, and he has ably guided my alma mater in his presidential tenure. I took classes from him while at Fuller, and we’ve kept in touch since. He was even kind enough to endorse my latest book.
But I have some nits to pick with his essay. He begins by writing of tears welling up in his eyes on election day when he saw demonstrators on either side of the issue shouting at each other. He did not see this as a positive reflection of our democracy, but instead as something that saddened him.
His next paragraph, I must say, is the most confusing of the whole essay:
I voted for the ban. As an evangelical, I subscribe to the
“traditional” definition of a marriage, and I do not want to see the
definition changed.
Follow Patheos
Progressive Christian: