ScroggsâÃÂàThe New Testament and Homosexuality presents a most linked history of homosexuality and how we can see its presence in the New Testament as having been influenced greatly my Greek and roman times. Scroggs is skilled in taking past events and showing their influence over the New TestamentâÃÂÃÂs creation. From Plato to Paul and erotikos to Leviticus; Scrogg traces any form of homosexuality. Often though, this form seems to be rooted in pederasty (the love of boys). It seems that Greek and Roman times had an incredible influence on ancient biblical writers. They seemed concerned more with homosexuality in the sense of men and boys with a strict emphasis on men looking at boys in a sexual fashion. I feel that the best Scroggs does is to illuminate past Greek models, their influence on Christian models, and leave the reader with a nice history lesson of situations that existed then and can exist now in the realms of pedophilia.
In all cases, the idea of homosexuality he raises with past references cannot be linked to todayâÃÂÃÂs world with homosexual relationships being quite different from the examples he brings forth, namely the Greco-roman times. TodayâÃÂÃÂs homosexual relationships are more like heterosexual ones, in respect that there are two adults who care for one another and expect to be cared. Scrogg does bring this idea up in the conclusion of his book, but I must explain that I am not taking that idea with him; I shared it before I came to the end.
ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ According to Scroggs, homosexuality during Greek and Roman times was mostly marked with an older man loving a younger boy who may or may not sexually fulfill desires of the older man in exchange for wisdom or material objects. However, he does bring forth the ideas that...