Rating: 
Summary: Emotionally Abusive
Review: This book posits the idea that gays are such because they failed to bond with their same sex prior to puberty -- with the load of blame heaped on the same-sex parent. Whether this is the cause of homosexuality is not my concern. This book invalidates homosexuals as if there were something wrong with being gay. Moberley says that later-life bonding with the same sex (platonically) can change one spontaneously into a heterosexual.I find her concepts to be emotionally abusive because she wants to rewrite the personalities of homosexuals, as if they had a mental disorder. Her treatment methods are immoral. If you are a gay who is conflicted, get some professional therapy to help you discover and accept yourself rather than being tortured by religious bigotry like this.
Rating:
Summary: Moberly misses the mark
Review: This book takes the position that homosexuality can be "cured." It follows radical Christian Right thinking. Moberly's book presents the argument that homosexuals suffer from stunted development ... and the "new Christian ethic" is simply to acknolwedge that. When gays "grow up" they can become heterosexual. She presents no case studies for her theories, no facts -- which leads me to believe she makes up her conclusions. She says that it could take decades for a homosexual to "grow up" into a heterosexual. For balance ... read Mel White's "Stranger At the Gate" or "What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality."
Rating: 
Summary: Dr. Moberly presents an Orthodox Christian perspective.
Review: This is a difficult book to absorb. I had to read it twice in order to appreciate the author's views and conclusion. I have an out-of-print version of the book. I do not know what details Dr. Elizabeth Moberly includes about her practical experience in the new version. I believe she is a practicing psychiatrist or psychologist who councils people. I assume she bases her conclusions on her experience with her clients. Even thought the book is challenging, I believe her conclusions are helpful for christians who are trying to better understand homosexuality. As someone who's sister is a homosexual, I had a reason for wanting to understand Dr. Moberly's views. That is why I was committed to reading it twice. As an Orthodox Christian, I am happy that another member of my church, who appears to be able to speak authoritatively on the subject of homosexuality, has published these ideas, and conclusions.
Rating:
Summary: Dangerously misleading
Review: This is the book that nearly every 'ex-gay' ministry has incorporated into their worldview. A book that has been the basis for many folk's struggles in 'reparative therapy'.
Moberly makes her case based on a review of a number of theories that were commonly held by psycologists in the early 1900's, theories that are generally not held by psycologists today. She has, to my knowledge, only written one other book on gender/sexuality and no longer researches this area. Her recommendations on the route to changing sexual orientation are the most contentious area of the book. These were based on her research of literature rather than mass interviews of those likely to be affected. There is no indication given that the vast majority of those attemting to change orientation (however hard), will fail, as she had not actually see her book's theories tested out in practice when it was first published.
The proof is in the fruit.
Since her book was published, many ministries with good intentions took her suggestions on board and channeled those of homosexual orientation through the paths outlined. Some ministries (e.g. Courage UK) were honest enough to admit that after years of trying they had not seen any of the orientation change promised, and they dropped the program as it was only creating frustration for those involved. Other psycologists, such as Jeffry Ford, also pointed out the failings in Moberley's theories.
I am one of those who spent years closely following the theories espoused by Moberley. In those years my sexuality did not change, neither did it change for any of the hundreds of others I met in such ministries. At most, it resulted in repressed homosexuals, more akin to asexuals.
These theories have now been tried and found wanting. The likelihood of change is now widely accepted to be exceedingly small - the reprints of this book should note this fact on the cover so that others are not misled.
If this affects you, read wisely and read widely to discover the real truth. This book is not the place to begin.
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