Emergence International
Encyclopedia
Emergence International is a worldwide community of Christian Scientists
(not to be confused with Scientology
) and their families and friends, with the purpose of supporting lesbian
, gay
, bisexual
, and transgender
(LGBT
) people and to advocate for change in the Christian Science movement.
and United Kingdom
. The first conference for representatives from some of these groups met in Chicago
in 1983. Following a second conference in 1985, several participants decided to develop a national identity for gay Christian Scientists and Emergence International was born.
Church of Christ, Scientist
The Church of Christ, Scientist was founded in 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, by Mary Baker Eddy. She was the author of the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Christian Science teaches that the "allness" of God denies the reality of sin, sickness, death, and the material world...
(not to be confused with Scientology
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
) and their families and friends, with the purpose of supporting lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
, and transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
(LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
) people and to advocate for change in the Christian Science movement.
Mission and name
The name derives from a quote by Mrs. Eddy: "Emerge gently from matter into Spirit. Think not to thwart the spiritual ultimate of all things, but come naturally into Spirit through better health and morals and as the result of spiritual growth."History
By the late 1970s, groups of GLBT Christian Scientists were meeting in no fewer than six cities in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The first conference for representatives from some of these groups met in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1983. Following a second conference in 1985, several participants decided to develop a national identity for gay Christian Scientists and Emergence International was born.
Activities
The organization hosts an annual conference where papers, workshops, and a unique worship service are presented. Conferences are held in various cities in the United States.See also
- Homosexuality and ChristianityHomosexuality and ChristianityChristian denominations hold a variety of views on the issues of sexual orientation and homosexuality, ranging from outright condemnation to complete acceptance. In accordance with the traditional values of Abrahamic religions, most Christian denominations welcome people attracted to the same sex,...
- List of Christian denominational positions on homosexuality
- List of Christian Science tenets, prayers, and statements
Further reading
- Bruce Stores. Christian Science: Its Encounter with Lesbian/Gay America. ISBN 059532620X
External links
- Emergence International — official website