Just As I Am

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY JUN 1, 1992

The first openly gay man to be ordained an Episcopal priest extends an inspirational invitation to Christian homosexuals to renew their religious ties. Williams's own story--which includes being squeezed out of the Episcopal clergy and contracting AIDS--serves as a take-off point for a dialogue with gays who seek spiritual sustenance but are estranged from organized religion by their sexuality. The author, who is Boston-based, grapples with the question of why God permits so many people to die of AIDS, presenting anecdotal evidence that faith has the power to delay or even prevent the disease's final reckoning. In a theological survey he labels ``The Bible and Homosexuality 101,'' Williams (emulating the feminist biblical approach) looks for hidden positive references to homosexuality and reinterprets the biblical prohibition against men lying with each other. Campy asides like ``what's a liturgy queen to do?'' actually add to the impact of the book, which despite its casual tone presents a provocative gay challenge to standard theology. ( June )