Author: David Bennett
Bennett was in his teens when he came out as gay to his parents. Despite their support and acceptance, Bennett felt like he didn’t quite understand why he was as he was and what his place in the world was to be.
Later on came acceptance and Bennett was very active in the LGBTQ+ community, campaigning and protesting for their rights and entering into romantic relationships with other men. His questions of how his identity fit in the Christian world were put aside.
Until he encountered Jesus while at a bar. And so his true journey towards acceptance really begun. He strove to find the answers to his conundrum, to reconcile his sexuality with his interpretation of Scripture. It was alright for him to be gay, God had made him that way for a reason. But was it alright for him to act on his desire? The answer, Bennett thought, was “no”. He became celibate.
Bennett has dedicated most of his adult life to finding answers to his existential questions and arrived at a certain conclusion. His journey wasn’t an easy one. In A War of Loves he traces his journey and lets us into his thought process which led to his final decision-making.
Whether you agree with the views set out in this work of non-fiction or not, there is no denying how powerful Bennett’s tale is. A War of Loves takes the reader on a journey into the author’s psyche. Bennett has clearly and sensitively put down on paper how he, a now devout Christian, came to reconcile who he is with his interpretation of Scripture.
A War of Loves has done something very important – it might have provided people struggling to reconcile sexuality and religion with a way to understanding, with the hope of finally achieving some peace of mind!
> Naomi Round
