“A powerful, at times brilliant, brief for Christian churches blessing same-sex unions. . . . Jordan traces the history of Christian thought about marriage . . . and insists that there is no fixed, transhistorical Christian ideal. . . . Since the early church only grudgingly allowed Christians to marry, same-sex unions may be no more a departure from previous Christian understandings of marriage than today’s enthusiastic endorsement of heterosexual marriage. . . . This is not merely a contribution to gay studies; any Christian who wants to think more clearly about marriage should read Jordan.”

Publishers Weekly

“Documenting his case colorfully from both popular media and scholarly sources, [Jordan] askes: If all that marriage entails is following the etiquette advice from a professional wedding planer, what is the point? Jordan digs deep as he examines the historical and theological origins of Christian marriage.”

Craig L. Nessen | Christian Century

"Blessing Same Sex Union is an impressive display of learning and a clear warning against the dangers of mass marketing and the false certainty so characteristic of the Christian right."

Daniel A. Burr | Gay & Lesbian Review

"A thoughtful and provocatively sustained analysis of gay marriage, Jordan’s book will undoubtedly cost him a few friends."

Wade Edwards | Virginia Quarterly Review

"Jordan’s brilliant reading of logic within current debates of history, Christian theology, and contemporary wedding culture effectively challenges what many hold to be true about ’blessing same-sex unions’. . . . One of the great strengths of this examination is Jordan’s . . . ability to point to the odd and sometimes surprising confluence of commercialism, homophobia, Christian theology, state power, and sexism (to name just a few) embedded in so many of the contemporary discourses of gay marriage."

Thomas A. Foster | H-Net Book Review

"For this straight Christian, the honest insights into gays’ own understanding of their unions, and the mingling of these with insights of deep faith and love, made for a compelling read. This comedy of manners deserves to be taken seriously."

Adrian Thatcher | INTAMS