Authors: ‘No doubt’ God has ‘a plan for the well-being of LGBTQ people’

by Westminster John Knox Press | Special to Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE — Westminster John Knox Press announces the Tuesday release of “Modern Kinship: A Queer Guide to Christian Marriage” by David and Constantino Khalaf.

As a Christian, gay couple, David and Constantino Khalaf struggled to find relational role models throughout their dating, engagement and the early months of their marriage. There was little guidance for queer couples of faith, so they began writing the blog Modern Kinship.

Now in their new book, “Modern Kinship,” the Khalafs explore the unique challenges queer couples face on the road from singleness to marital bliss in a book that’s part personal reflection, part commentary, and full of practical advice for couples of all orientations.

Chapters tackle subjects such as meeting your partner’s parents, healing from the wounding of faith and family, planning a wedding to suit your specific vision and deciding when and how to have children. With a foreword from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Held Evans, “Modern Kinship” offers not only advice, but also the stories of others in the queer community, shedding light on the potential for all kinds of queer Christian relationships.

Matthew Vines, author of “God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Marriage,” states, “[The Khalafs] offer practical insight and wisdom for LGBTQ Christians seeking to find their way in the world of dating, love, sex and marriage. They also show how the faithful witness of same-sex Christian couples can enrich and inform the practice and understanding of marriage for all Christians, regardless of sexual orientation.”

“There is no doubt in our hearts that God has a plan for the well-being of LGBTQ people that is compatible with the way he created us,” the Khalafs write. Discover how each of us is built for kinship in this groundbreaking marriage resource for couples of all orientations now available through Westminster John Knox Press and other major retailers.

David and Constantino Khalaf are a married couple based in Portland, Oregon. They write the blog Modern Kinship to provide a model and guide for other LGBTQ Christians pursuing lifelong partnerships. Their writing also appears at the Gottman Institute, a leader in relationship counseling and advice.