The Bible Difficulties and Answers Podcast

Leviticus 18:22–24 — Barrenness and the Homosexuality Debate

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Episode 197 examines whether Leviticus condemns homosexuality because it allegedly threatens Israel's fertility. Lance Smith walks through the text, historical context, and scholarly responses to argue the prohibition centers on holiness and covenant boundaries, not a population agenda.

The episode contrasts traditional and progressive readings, addresses the death‑penalty argument, and emphasizes pastoral care and grace while clarifying the biblical case.

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  1. Geisler, Norman L., and Thomas Howe. The Big Book of Bible Difficulties. Baker Books, 1992. Available at: https://a.co/d/7shn4hI 
  2. Gagnon, Robert A. J. "The Meaning and Continuing Relevance of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13." SOR Faculty Publications and Presentations, Liberty University, 2015. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/sor_fac_pubs/180
  3. Schlimm, Matthew R. "Homosexuality in Leviticus: A Historical-Literary-Critical Analysis." Journal of Men, Masculinities and Spirituality 8, no. 2 (2014): 195–211. https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/jmurj/vol8/iss2/7
  4. Wilber, David. "Yes, Leviticus 18:22 Explicitly Prohibits Homosexual Activity." David Wilber (blog), April 11, 2022. https://davidwilber.com/articles/yes-leviticus-explicitly-prohibits-homosexual-activity
  5. Mohler, R. Albert, et al. The Bible, the Church, & Homosexuality. Family Research Council, 2005. https://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF05K11.pdf
  6. Loader, William. "Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 in Discussion with the Debate on Homosexuality." Scriptura 112 (2023): 1–15. https://scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1010-99192023000100007
  7. Thurston, Mark. "Out of Order: A Queer Reading of the Holiness Code." Theology & Sexuality 28, no. 1 (2022): 1–15. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1476993X221104182
  8. "Holiness Code." Anglican Taonga, November 2015. https://anglicantaonga.org.nz/features/bible/holiness_cose
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