Eugene Peterson Retracts Affirmation of Same-Sex Marriage

From Eugene Peterson's Literary Agent. Various articles can be found in links at the bottom-

Dear friends and supporters of Eugene Peterson,

Eugene is a long-time client of Alive Literary Agency who is best-known as the translator of THE MESSAGE Bible, and the author of the recent AS KINGFISHERS CATCH FIRE and numerous works on spiritual theology. You may be aware of his recent interview by Religion News Service on topics ranging from his mortality, current events and homosexuality. The interview—rare at this stage of his life at 84–was circulated broadly and generated significant controversy because of his one-word response to a very hypothetical question as to whether he would perform a wedding ceremony for a gay Christian couple if he were pastoring today—something he hasn’t done in more than a quarter century. In discussing the interview with him, he told me he was taken by surprise by the query, but that after a long and awkward pause, he responded with an uncharacteristic and simple yes.

On further reflection and prayer, as he says, he would like to clarify and change his response. He has asked me to circulate his revised statement as follows:

Recently a reporter asked me whether my personal opinions about homosexuality and same-sex marriage have changed over the years. I presume I was asked this question because of my former career as a pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA), which recently affirmed homosexuality and began allowing its clergy to perform same-sex weddings. Having retired from the pastorate more than 25 years ago, I acknowledged to the reporter that I “haven’t had a lot of experience with it.”

Statement here-

http://aliveliterary.com/eugene-peterson-issues-revised-statement-following-religion-news-service-interview/

From RNS-

http://religionnews.com/2017/07/13/eugene-peterson-backtracks-on-same-sex-marriage/

Christianity Today-

http://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2017/july/eugene-peterson-actually-does-not-support-gay-marriage.html

Patheos-

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/revangelical/2017/07/13/eugene-peterson-retracts-affirmation-sex-marriage.html