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Fuller Theological Seminary says it still believes marriage is between one man and one woman

A statement on gay marriage by leaders of the Fuller Theological Seminary has prompted concerns among some Christian scholars about the future direction of the evangelical school.

The seminary, based in Pasadena, California, recently reaffirmed its stance that marriage is “a union between a man and a woman and sexual intimacy within the context of that union,” the Religion News Service reports.

However, an email from seminary president the Rev. David Goatley to alumni added that the Board of Trustees recognizes “faithful Christians” may hold a different view.

Some Christian scholars saw the statement as a sign of erosion from biblical truth.

Thomas Kidd, a professor of church history at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Missouri, said he believes the statement is the first step toward Fuller abandoning its position on marriage and sexuality.

“Without major course correction, you can be sure that Fuller will stop hiring those who affirm traditional marriage,” Kidd wrote on X.

Ed Stetzer, dean of Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, an evangelical Christian institution in California, shared his concerns.

“If history is our guide, this problematic decision will be one in a series of steps moving further away from orthodoxy,” he wrote recently at Church Leaders, later adding, “(And, to be clear, affirming same-sex marriage is outside the bounds of biblical orthodoxy.)”

The seminary appears to be taking a “split the baby” approach, which “would essentially allow Fuller to formally align itself with the orthodox view—while recognizing the legitimacy of unorthodox beliefs of other groups and denominations,” Stetzer wrote.

But Stetzer said the Bible is clear about marriage and sexuality: There is no middle ground.

Denny Burk, a professor at Boyce College, a Southern Baptist institution in Kentucky, had an even stronger response, writing on X that the statement and Goatley’s defense of it amount to “permission to affirm what God abominates.”

Goatley, in his email last week to alumni, said the Board of Trustees made the decision after years of “consultation, feedback, and dialogue.”

During their May 18 and 19 meeting, the trustees “reconfirmed the institution’s commitment to its historic theological understanding of marriage and human sexuality—a union between a man and a woman and sexual intimacy within the context of that union,” Goatley wrote.

“At the same time, we acknowledge that faithful Christians—through prayerful study, spiritual discernment, and lived experience—have come to affirm other covenantal forms of relationship,” he wrote.

Additionally, he said: “Fuller Seminary has historically shunned ideological polarities. We continue to seek another way—a Fuller way—that is a critical contribution to the church and the world.”

Goatley also responded to the criticism at Church Leaders last week, reiterating Fuller leaders’ belief that “faithful Christians” may disagree about marriage and sexuality.

“… we acknowledge that faithful Christians—through study, discernment, and lived experience—have come to different conclusions about covenantal relationships,” he wrote.

This statement “does not weaken our commitment to historic Christian teaching,” rather it “reflects our effort to engage complex realities with theological integrity and pastoral sensitivity,” Goatley wrote.

“Engaging today’s complex issues requires a faithful, sometimes messy, commitment to Scripture, the cross, conversion, and public witness. Many believers hold to the traditional Christian view of marriage while also loving and listening to friends, family members, and neighbors who see things differently,” he wrote.

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IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: A Bible stands upright; KnowHimOnline/Flickr

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