Tamara Love's 2016 McNair Cohort project examined changes in conservative and liberal biblical interpretations of same-sex relations among Protestants from 1965 to 2016. It analyzes how mainstream Protestant theology on same-sex marriage liberalized over time and coincided with cultural events like the 2015 Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide. The research concludes that theological shifts were influenced by cultural milestones in a relationship of reciprocal influence, as seen through court cases on civil unions and same-sex marriage.

1. Tamara Love
McNair Cohort 2016
Dr. Donna Ray
8/15/2016
The Legalization of Same-sex Marriage and Evolving Protestant Theology
The June 2015 Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage in the U.S. created a
critical tension between church and state. This decision directly reflects shifting cultural mores and
attitudes towards same-sex marriage over the last over the last half decade. This project examines
theological patterns and changes in the spectrum of conservative and liberal biblical interpretations
regarding same-sex relations by analyzing literature from 1965 through 2016. This research
demonstrates that the liberalization of mainline Protestant Christian theology regarding same-sex
marriage coincides with historical milestones in American history and concludes the liberal shift in
theology was influenced by cultural events, as evidenced by court cases involving same-sex marriages
and civil unions.
concludes the evolution of theology and culture was one of reciprocal influence, as
evidenced by court cases involving same-sex marriages and civil unions.