5.0 out of 5 stars A VERY WELCOME AND VERY BRAVE BOOK

A.C. · 15 June 2017

(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } Father James Martin is a writer who has the rare talent of making the Christian faith exciting and challenging and thought provoking. He has a unique brand of humour, spirituality and faith which makes the books a pleasure to read and provides much to think about later.In BUILDING A BRIDGE he takes on the challenge of the relationship between the Catholic, Church and the LGBT Community, and he does it with grace and charm, pointing out that we are all together on the same bridge and it is by walking together with love and respect that we can understand one another and build a fruitful relationship.Fr Martin provides a series of biblical meditations which help us to examine our lives as Christians but with particular reference e to the LGBT community.

5.0 out of 5 stars What a marvellous book

P.R. · 29 September 2017

What a beautiful written text which allows you to feel that Jesus loves everyone? Some beautiful prayers and passages. There is a long way to go however, that has maintained my dignity and faith, not only do LGBT deserve to be part of the church. But still the hierarchy of pro-life should be respected, the church should be open for everyone and I pray it will

4.0 out of 5 stars A pink elephant in the room

R.E. · 30 December 2017

A Catholic teacher and spiritual writer of stature writes the shortest possible book, around 50 tiny pages plus an appendix of Scripture passages, about the largest and most problematic topic, love and all its echoes and continuations. The aim is a limited one and well conceived, there just has to be a way church ministers and gay people can talk peacefully to one another instead of the present dialogue of the deaf. I think of the way bishops stir up activism on the political front without ever asking themselves why the pressure is on to introduce gay marriage: it is because couples are on the rebound from centuries of rejection and criminalisation. Of course they now see it in terms of parity of esteem and of course the biblical approach seems strange and anachronistic to them. Catholics, however, can hardly avoid starting from there: at the heart of things there is a vision of the love of man and wife overflowing into the family and through the family to the world. What bishops are writing pastorals about for the feast of the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Other Catholic writers have wanted to advance the centrality of this teaching yet still find positive ways of talking about a different love. I thought Fr James might be going to venture on that discussion but he sidesteps. His approach is seen, for example, on page 21, where he ventures a comparison: if a diocese wants to talk to business leaders it is not deterred by the fact that some businessmen misuse their opportunities and are crooks, because of course not all of them do that.. But the analogy with gay sex does not hold, evidently. If some gay people have sex they are not admitting to misusing their opportunities, but rather to making the best of them, thank you. But eventually the morality aspect has to be tackled, as critics have pointed out. I like this book but perhaps I shall enjoy the next one even more. I have also reviewed Mark Dowd's Queer and Catholic: there, I felt more at ease with the direction of the argument. We still have a long way to go!

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have book. Realy centers the question, ...

L.S. · 29 January 2018

A must have book. Realy centers the question, and gives a very human and profound note on this important matter. The "elephant in the room" was seen, listen, compreended and talked about. As any brige it goes both ways and unite what was appart. Bravo Father Martin!

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing

P.g. · 22 September 2017

Fact that God loves all of us, no matter who you are or you sexual orientation. This book proves it, well worth a read

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended

D. · 4 December 2017

A book for it's time, written by a man full of compassion and sincerity. I would recommend this book to all those who have difficulty in dealing with this sensitive subject.

5.0 out of 5 stars Building bridges at local and national levels.

R.D.B. · 17 October 2017

Superb! A great way to start looking for s new vision of inclusion.

3.0 out of 5 stars A bridge this size is a challenging project

J. · 20 July 2017

There is a temptation to base comments on this book on your level of agreement with the case that the author makes. Increasingly there is a divide between the liberal and the conservative wings of the Christian church in relation to this issue. In the last few decades public opinion on LGBT issues has moved significantly and much of the church has been left behind. In this climate James Martin endeavours to bridge the gap making a case for dialogue and better understanding. It is a valiant effort that is carefully and thoughtfully written and it certainly has been effective in initiating discourse but there is a danger that it satisfies neither group. Martin presumes that the reader is willing to consider new ideas and willing to change their attitudes and behaviour. Those who buy the book may fit this description but there will be others who willl find it particularly difficult to contemplate change. He is careful not to get into Catholic teaching on LGBT issues but without this the short book will struggle to convince the sceptics.

A thoughtful call for respectul engagement, dialogue and an end to polemics and stereotypes

J.M.W. · 15 July 2017

(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } In this small but potent book, Father James Martin (a respected Catholic commentator, speaker and journalist) has opened up an important public space for conversation between the official Catholic Church and many Catholic members of the LGBTQ community who feel alienated, condemned, excluded or rejected by their own religious family. Drawing upon years of discussions with LGBTQ Catholics, he demonstrates sensitivity to their struggles and their pain, and clearly "gets" it, in terms of the reasons why many of them have given up on Catholicism---or on religion generally. In a gentle, respectful but challenging way, Fr Martin invites both "sides" to come together, to genuinely listen to each other, and to move beyond stale polemics and inaccurate stereotypes and prejudices, and to model more clearly a community of reconciliation, mutual respect and understanding, finding new ways to live out the Gospel, even while living with the tensions of different understandings of how sexuality and faith intersect. Both sides, he argues, must abandon the more confrontational stances of the past, and must find a few, richer language in which to speak to each other with authenticity, humility and openness. This book incarnates a kind of pastoral openness and accompaniment that is refreshing and encouraging to see, but which is very much in keeping with the words and actions of Pope Francis. Father Martin understands the unique ways that LGBTQ Catholics can support and enrich the Church, but he recognizes that it will take time, patience and continued openness to build the kind of bridge he seeks, where LGBTQ Catholics can feel like full, loved, respected members of the Catholic community, and in which there is no longer an instinctive anti-Church perspective on the part of many Catholic LGBTQ folks. The final section of his book consists of a series of Scriptural reflections---Biblical passages that cast light on the lived reality of many LGBTQ Christians, and he includes helpful questions for personal reflection and discussion. Father Martin deserves great praise for his courage in using his own public voice to initiate what will hopefully be a new stage in these conversations. He has taken a great risk in doing so (and will inevitably attract considerable venom and criticism), but his efforts are deeply appreciated, and I hope and pray they can be a catalyst for deeper discussion and the kinds of healing and hope that are much needed. Slowly but surely, that bridge is being built. Thank you!

A great guide for the LGBTQIA ministry!

M.F.P. · 28 March 2024

This book is a great breakthrough indeed! In the Roman Catholic World where there is minimal or absolutely no information on how to guide a dedicated Catholic priest, religious and animator in ministering to LGBTQIA Catholics, I think ‘Building A Bridge’ is like a stream in a very arid desert.Fr. James Martin has done a great service to those of us who wish to work in the LGBTQIA Catholic Ministry by writing this sobering and humbling book. Neither is it anti-LGBTQIA nor anti-institutional. Instead, it is exactly like what is stated in the title – it is a bridge between the two where a respectful dialogue and mutual understanding can take place. This book is especially beneficial to those who are part of the clergy or those who are religious to understand this beautiful community of LGBTQIA Catholics better.The book is divided based on the three core equations one can cultivate while ministering to the community, namely respect, compassion, and sensitivity. The book is a heartening plea to both sides to come to a meeting point of sorts on the basis of the community feeling shared by Jesus with his Church irrespective of all prejudices and bias. For Jesus, community feeling and a welcoming attitude always came first, especially to those on the margins or even beyond that. The testimonies given by friends, family, and allies of LGBTQIA Catholics in this book are heartening to read and yet leaves the reader on an optimistic and uplifting note. I was especially taken up with the way an otherwise externally heterosexual church married couple continued remaining faithful to each other even after one of them transitioned into another gender. That in itself proves that the sacrament of marriage is more than what meets the eye.It is not a textbook of dry facts or statistics, but it does bring out the severity of the hate being meted out to LGBTQIA Catholics especially in the USA. It is a spiritual book and can be used in guided prayer, as a spiritual direction exercise manual and as a prayer manual for those involved. I loved the gospel and Biblical passages used at the end of the book in its revised edition to aid in community prayer and worship. In fact, it has been a long time since a prayer book seemed to speak to my soul, and the prayers penned by Fr. James Martin in this book have managed to really brighten my day, even though per se I am not an LGBTQIA individual. I’m just a keen ally.My favourite part of the book was actually the fact that Fr. James did not mention the numerous death threats, hate mail, curses, social cancelling and other negatives he received after he penned the first edition of this book or when he entered this ministry in the first place. It made me respect the man and made me see the face of Jesus through his words of empathy, love, compassion, and sincerity. He just casually mentions about the same in the beginning in one sentence and then just brushes it off, which as we know is not how easy it has been for him in this challenging ministry, especially for those of us who have been following the proceedings of the 2023 Synod carefully.God bless your efforts Fr. James Martin S.J.! Thanks for the guidance, and I hope to meet you some day. ‘Building A Bridge’ gets 5 stars from me.

Interesting, but wanting

H.G.M. · 11 July 2021

The Church is always enriched by people looking for new ways to reach out to those in the peripheries, or who have long been away from her voice. Fr. James Martin certainly has praiseworthy goals in making this outreach to people in LGBT communities, and by deepening reflection on the call of the Cathecism for 'respect, sensibility, and compassion' for people in these situations--which is often overlooked or set aside by most people who only give importance to the part of the paragraph outlining the immorality of same-sex conyugal activity.Having said this, even if Fr. Martin doesn't make any proposition contradicting Church teaching in this book, he does comes very close to sinning by omission by never trying to give any friendly, open, explanation of the Church teaching about these issues. It is disrespectful to the Church and the Gospel to hide its teachings on the closet. Fr Martin would have knocked it out of the park by using his clearly God-given charisma in order to explain the teachings of the Church in a compassionate, understandable way (which is something we very urgently need). What a missed opportunity..In sum, I don't agree with several of Fr Martin's concrete pastoral proposals for this book (nor with some of his implied premises), but I find the intention beyond what he is doing to be a valuable one--there are obviously some insights of truths that may be gathered from here.I wouldn't give this book to a practicing catholic struggling with same-sex attractions (maybe Eve Tushnet's "Gay and Catholic" book would be a better pick for that), but maybe I would to a secular LGBT friend who hasn't even considered coming closer to the Church and for whom this book would at least be an encouragement to start praying and reaching out to God.

A hope, but still many, many things to do...

L. · 16 June 2017

Well, an important step. But many, many things to do. It lacks on the side of inclusion concrete and effective proposal other than pity.

Transformation happens in community

M. · 27 September 2017

This is a book that has generated quite a bit of controversy, so I decided to do my own due diligence. It is a short, edifying read.The book is divided into 3 sections, the Bridge section, the Meditation and Reflection section, and a short prayer section at the end.Fr. Martin’s approach is organized around the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Pt. 3, Sec. 2, Ch. 2, Article 6) paragraph No. 2358 in which it is stated that LGBTQ individuals are to be treated with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. In context, the previous paragraph (No. 2357) states the Church’s moral position: Under no circumstances can (LGBTQ) activity be approved. It’s important to distinguish between the moral position, and the pastoral position. No. 2357 is the moral position, No. 2358 is the pastoral position. The book is primarily pastoral in nature.In the Bridge section, a chapter is devoted to each of the three virtues, respect, compassion, and sensitivity, from the perspective of both the LGBTQ community, and the Church. A bridge is not one-way, after all, as Fr. Martin observes. More importantly, showing these virtues to each other honors the Biblical doctrine of Imago Dei, and Jesus’ teaching to love your neighbor as yourself, and to love your enemy.Showing respect to the LGBTQ community involves recognition of existence, calling LGBTQ what they want to be called, and acknowledging their gifts and talents. Showing respect to the Church requires hearing (with the implication of obeying) the authoritative teaching of the church.Showing compassion to the LGBTQ community is comprised of listening to them, standing with them, sorrowing and rejoicing with them. Showing compassion to the Church means seeing Church leaders as God sees them, as anointed, though imperfect servants.Showing sensitivity to the LGBTQ community means being aware of their feelings, and being aware of what wounds them, then avoiding such language/action/attitudes. Showing sensitivity to the Church means using discrimination in the attachment of meaning to official pronouncements of the Church, in context.In a summary chapter entitled Together on the Bridge, Fr. Martin points out that the bridge is desirable for trust, forgiveness, reconciliation, unity and love, and that it is all supported by the power of the Holy Spirit. Implicit is the assumption that being together on the bridge, in Christian community, is a worthy goal.The Meditation and Reflection section contains 10 short meditations on key Scripture passages that Fr. Martin has found helpful in his ministry to the LGBTQ community. Among the ten are such things as the Biblical importance of naming for honoring all Imago Dei; finding acceptance in knowing that all of God’s children are “fearfully and wonderfully made”; finding strength in God (Psalm 62); finding hope in the risen Christ; and examining one’s “darkness” in the “sunshine of God’s love.” Each meditation concludes with questions for reflection, geared both to LGBTQ individuals, Church leaders, and allies.The final section contains a Prayer for use by the LGBTQ community, particularly when feeling the sting of rejection and despair.As mentioned earlier, Fr. Martin’s book is primarily pastoral in nature. Building A Bridge is not a book about who is right and who is wrong about homosexuality. Discernment police on either side of the debate will not find the book satisfying. However, the book is a valuable resource for bridging the divide, with plenty of completely Scriptural exhortation for both Church leaders, the LGBTQ community, and allies.Having said that, there are several moral implications, on both ends of the bridge, that each faction will have trouble with, respectively. Fr. Martin alludes to this in his Together on the Bridge summary: “Some of this may be hard for members of the LGBTQ community to hear. Some of this also may be challenging for Church leaders to hear.” If we are to meet in the middle, there are compromises that will need to be made by both sides.The first of these implicit compromises hinted at in the book is the moral issue, homosexuality as sin. This particular compromise will require more sacrifice on the part of the LGBTQ individual than for the Church. On the LGBTQ side of the bridge, it must be accepted that the Magisterium is unlikely to concede that homosexuality is not a sin, ever. The tradition and Biblical witness is too strong. This is implied in the section on Respect for the Church, as well as in the meditation about self-examination. On the other side of the bridge, the Church must avoid singling out homosexuality as a more “disordered” sin than, say, divorce and remarriage without annulment, premarital sex, adultery, even the use of birth control.The second compromise implicit in the book is the value and worth of all Catholics in God’s eyes. This compromise will require more sacrifice on the part of the Church than for the LGBTQ community. Fr. Martin advocates strongly for the acceptance of LGBTQ individuals in the Church community, up to and including lay service, and even comes close at points to affirmation that God has made LGBTQ individuals the way they are for a purpose. This is implied in the discussion about respect for the spiritual gifting of LGBTQ individuals, as well as in several of the meditations that relate to self-acceptance. On the other hand, he also advocates strongly for LGBTQ submission to and respect for Church leaders, tradition, and doctrine.This is a book directed specifically to a Catholic audience. It is worth pointing out that Catholic acceptance of LGBTQ as Christians hinges on their baptism/confirmation in the Church, not heterosexual identity. In the evangelical context, the vast majority of churches currently rejects LGBTQ Christians as a contradiction in terms. In other words, in most evangelical minds, it is not possible for someone who self-identifies as LGBTQ to also be a Christian. Although this is theologically erroneous from an orthodoxy point of view, it is nonetheless a reality that will unfortunately prevent most Evangelicals from finding any merit in the book.Overall the book is an excellent resource for those who have a passion for LGBTQ inclusion in the Church. The concepts could easily be adapted to other traditions, even the evangelical tradition. There may, of necessity, be limits to what that can look like in a Church, but there’s no Biblical warrant for complete exclusion of the LGBTQ community. Fr. Martin imparts a lot of Holy Spirit-filled wisdom about how to go about doing this. Contrary to his critics, I found the book to be thoroughly orthodox.From a personal standpoint, the approach advocated in the book is long overdue. I agree that there is value in being together on the bridge. Transformation happens in community, in relationship with other Christians, and with God. It is time for the Church to stop ostracizing specific groups of sinners. It is time for the Church to extend community to all. The best place for all sinners, including LGBTQ individuals, is in Christian community. I highly recommend the book for those who feel called to serve and be served in the LGBTQ context.