A Thorn in the Flesh: How Gay Sexuality is Changing the Episcopal Church

(Paperback, 2nd edition)

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At the time of its 2012 vote to bless same-sex marriages, the Episcopal Church became the largest U.S. denomination to officially sanction same-sex relationships and welcome LGBTQ+ membersunlike the Worldwide Anglican Communion, of which it is a part, that continues to condemn homosexuality. In this revised and updated edition of A Thorn in the Flesh, Rev. Carol Addington Hall, who helped lead the fight for the recognition of marriage equality, tells the riveting story of how this contentious issue has been used to further conservative political agendas, both here and abroad. She describes in vivid detail how African and Asian churches have been drawn into a conflict that began in the United States in the Episcopal Church, and raises vital questions of whether people with different understandings of authority and truth, from vastly different cultures, can live in harmony. The book also describes the exodus of conservative Episcopal Churches that left the denomination in protest after the 2012 vote to form the separatist Anglican Church in North America, which currently has 120,000 members across 977 congregations.

A Thorn in the Flesh is an ideal volume for anyone who wants to understand the current divisions within the Episcopal Church and the broader Anglican Communion with respect to issues of sexuality, gender identity, and marriage equality.

Author Bio

Rev. Caroline Addington Hall is former priest-in-charge of an Episcopal parish in California and vice-president of Inter-Anglican Affairs for Integrity, an organization that works for the full inclusion of gay and lesbian Episcopalians, and a frequent contributor to the blog Walking with Integrity. Hall and her spouse were among the first gay couples married in California when marriage became legal for same-sex couples in 2008.