Robert A. J. Gagnon (born July 31, 1958) is an American theological writer, professor of New Testament Theology at

Houston Baptist University Houston Christian University (HCU), formerly Houston Baptist University, is a private Baptist university in Houston, Texas. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas (Southern Baptist Convention). Its Cultural Arts Center hou ...

(since 2018), former associate professor of the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

at the

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (PTS) is a Presbyterian graduate seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1794, it houses one of the largest theological libraries in the tri-state area. History Pittsburgh Theological Seminary was formed ...

(1994-2017), an expert on biblical homosexuality, and an elder in the

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...

. He holds a BA from Dartmouth, an MTS from

Harvard Divinity School Harvard Divinity School (HDS) is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school's mission is to educate its students either in the academic study of religion or for leadership roles in religion, gov ...

, and a PhD from the

Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of t ...

. Gagnon's primary fields are

Pauline theology Pauline Christianity or Pauline theology (also Paulism or Paulanity), otherwise referred to as Gentile Christianity, is the theology and form of Christianity which developed from the beliefs and doctrines espoused by the Hellenistic-Jewish A ...

and sexuality. Gagnon has focused on the issue of

The Bible and homosexuality There are a number of passages in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament that have been interpreted as involving same-sex sexual activity and relationships. The passages about homosexual individuals and sexual relations in the Hebrew Bible ar ...

. Gagnon has been described by theologian James V. Brownson as "the foremost traditionalist interpreter" on this topic, and has published several books and articles about the subject. Gagnon's work on homosexuality is derived from Old and New Testament texts dealing with sexuality. Gagnon's arguments are based on reproductive biology and gender complementarity, in which Gagnon presents and interprets modern scholarship on the ancient texts. Gagnon's use of arguments based on "

natural law Natural law ( la, ius naturale, ''lex naturalis'') is a system of law based on a close observation of human nature, and based on values intrinsic to human nature that can be deduced and applied independently of positive law (the express enacte ...

" has been criticized by Jack Bartlett Rogers as applying a "nonbiblical standard" and claiming "that all people who are homosexual have willfully chosen that behavior and therefore can successfully change their sexual identity," although Gagnon responds that this is an "outrageous misrepresentation" of his views. In the coauthored book ''Homosexuality and the Bible'', Gagnon presents a conservative side of the debate on homosexuality and the church, while Dan O. Via, Professor Emeritus of New Testament at

Duke Divinity School The Divinity School at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, is one of ten graduate or professional schools within Duke University. It is also one of thirteen seminaries founded and supported by the United Methodist Church. It has 39 regular ...

, presents an opposing view. In his paper ''Why the 'Weak' at Rome Cannot Be Non-Christian Jews'', Gagnon disputes work by Mark D. Nanos, who argues that Paul the Apostle was a

Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...

-observant follower of

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in t ...

. One of the authors of ''The Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization'', ''New Dictionary of Christian Apologetics'', ''Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible'', and ''Oxford Handbook of Evangelical Theology''.

Works

Thesis

Books

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Articles and chapters

References

External links

Dr. Robert A.J. Gagnon (Official website)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gagnon, Robert A. J. American theologians 1958 births Living people Dartmouth College alumni Harvard Divinity School alumni Princeton Theological Seminary alumni American Calvinist and Reformed theologians American Presbyterians Pittsburgh Theological Seminary faculty Houston Christian University faculty Tufts University faculty Middlebury College faculty