LifeWay's Hatmaker Decision: What Evangelical Institutions Can Learn

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Christianity Today

Religion, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.3 • 622 Ratings

🗓️ 4 November 2016

⏱️ 36 minutes

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Summary

Best-selling author and blogger Jen Hatmaker’s books are no longer sold by LifeWay Christian Stores. Last week, the national Southern Baptist bookstore chain announced that it would no longer sell Hatmaker’s books because her perspectives on LGBT issues “contradict LifeWay’s doctrinal guidelines.” LifeWay’s announcement came several days after Hatmaker commented on same-sex marriage. “From a civil rights and civil liberties side and from just a human being side, any two adults have the right to choose who they want to love,” said Hatmaker in an interview with Religion News Service. “And they should be afforded the same legal protections as any of us. I would never wish anything less for my gay friends.” LifeWay’s assertion of its theological standards on LGBT issues offers Christians clarity in a post-Obergefell world, says author and writer Rosaria Butterfield. “It isn’t just enough to tip your hat to a creed that was buttressing the gospel at a different point in time,” said Butterfield. Organizations which require employees (and at times, other individuals affiliated with them) to sign a statement of faith remind people “that there’s actually a price to be here,” said Butterfield. Butterfield joined Morgan and guest host Ted Olsen, CT’s director of editorial development, to discuss the relevance of ancient creeds, how LGBT rights affect the future of evangelical institutions, and how the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decision affected society’s definition of personhood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you in part by The Apologetics Guy Show, the podcast that helps you find clear answers to tough questions about Christianity.
0:11.0	Learn to explain your faith with courage and compassion.
0:14.5	Join Moody Bible Institute professor Dr. Mikhail del Rosario at apologeticsky.com.
0:28.3	Music Michael Del Rosario at Apologeticsguy.com. Hey, everyone, it's Morgan Lee, and you're listening to Quick to Listen. Today, I am joined
0:34.0	by Ted Olson, Marcus out of town. Ted, long-time listeners, recognize your voice, I'm sure.
0:40.0	I hope so.
0:40.8	Every time you come, you have a different job title.
0:44.2	I'm still officially, yeah, I'm director of editorial development for Christianity today,
0:49.1	which means I basically oversee what we're publishing on the website and the magazine, those kinds of things.
0:55.9	All right. Well, you're going to be a really interesting voice today as we get into a conversation
0:59.6	about institutions and theological boundaries that Christians, Christian institutions in
1:05.4	particular set for themselves. So who's our guest? We got someone great. Rosari Butterfield. She is the author of one of
1:12.7	the most popular articles we've ever had on our website. It's still, I'm sure, this week. Every single
1:17.7	year. It's in the top 10. Always. And probably even this week is probably in the top 20 or 30. So you can look
1:23.6	that up by looking for my train wreck conversion. She is a former tenured professor
1:27.5	of English at Syracuse University, author of The Secret Thoughts of an Unlakely Convert. Her most
1:33.6	recent book is Openness Unhindered, Further Thoughts of an Uniquely Convert on Sexual Identity and Union
1:39.2	with Christ. Super happy to have her here. Hi, Rosaria. Hello. I'm so glad to be on this podcast with you both.
1:46.9	All right. Well, let's dive into the conversation of the week. So last week, Lifeway Christian
1:53.3	stores, which is a national Southern Baptist book chain, announced that it would no longer sell
1:58.1	Jen Hatmaker's books because her perspectives contradicted Lifeways
2:02.3	doctrinal guidelines. Lifeway Christian stores have about 2.7 million customers a year, and they're
	...

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