Robert A.J. Gagnon, a biblical scholar who became one of the most outspoken and polarizing opponents of same-sex practice in a generation of debates within his and other Protestant denominations, has resigned from the faculty of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
The seminary is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), a denomination that debated sexuality for decades before deciding in 2011 to ordain non-celibate gays and lesbians and in 2015 to authorize same-sex marriages in its churches. Mr. Gagnon, an ordained elder in the denomination, spoke out often against such liberalizing trends.
The seminary and the professor “mutually agreed to end their relationship” effective this past Monday, the East Liberty school said. Mr. Gagnon, 59, was a tenured professor of New Testament and had been on the faculty for 23 years.
“We appreciate the contributions Professor Gagnon has made to our students and the community during his time here and we wish him the best in his future endeavors,” a seminary statement said.
I had the opportunity to hear his presentation at “Mere Anglicanism” a few years ago. He refuted every argument that I had ever heard put forward by revisionist TEc priests and bishops, and it was obvious that here was a man who knew the subject far better than those seminary trained clergy who were pushing the same sex marriage/blessing agenda in TEc. He would have thrashed them in a debate, but as we have come to know, the subject is not up for debate, it is only up for emotionally based opinion.
Join me in praying that he will be able to carry on the debate and will be effective in convincing young minds of the rightness of what the Bible tells us about God’s intention for human sexuality.
I wonder what his plans are? There’s an evangelical Anglican seminary in the area.