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Coming out stories framed as faith narratives, or stories of spiritual growth

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Abstract

The tension between religion and sexuality is particularly pronounced for gay and lesbian people who are often “caught in the middle” between a constitutional sexual orientation and a religious body that rejects it. This paper demonstrates how gay men can be helped in trying to integrate these deeply human and intrinsic parts of themselves, using a developmental approach first articulated by Robert Kegan. It argues that such development is often reflected later in theological language: in this case, in these men's coming out narratives, which are often framed as stories of spiritual growth.

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Correspondence to David J. Roseborough.

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Roseborough, D.J. Coming out stories framed as faith narratives, or stories of spiritual growth. Pastoral Psychol 55, 47–59 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-006-0031-4

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