The naturalness of gay love and desire is witnessed in this book through generously given insight into the hearts of gay people. The author interprets written texts of 40 men identifying as both Catholic and gay, including some who have left the Church after suffering disciminatory love, exclusion, and personal injury. He sets the words and stories of these writers---their acts of love---in illuminating context, witnessing to the intimate connection between love and salvation. The Church claims to love gay people, while judging gay expressions of love, apparently without reference to the lived experience of gays. The author fully documents the mechanics of these arguments, and the power relationships permitting them to prevail. (He also discusses the role of gay priests, and injustices done to them.) As a theology student, I find this thoroughly researched and sensitively written book a valuable resource, revealing what has been hidden, giving voice to those silenced, and understanding to the movement of the Holy Spirit through hearts and bodies and acts of love.

This book, in itself, is a great act of faith in the Holy Spirit and an act of love for both the Catholic Church and for queer Catholics who have been so hideouly oppressed and lately even scapegoated by that same institution. McGinley's writing is superb, at times lyrically beautiful. His scholarship is immense. For example, he understands postmodernism so well he actually transcends it. And his compassion is so real that, at times, it is almost heartbreaking. McGinley is absolutely convincing that there can be no adequate Christian theology on sexuality, and specifically on queer sexuality, without taking into account the real life-in-Spirit experiences of sexually active Christians. I am profoundly grateful to the author for offering us this book. Jim Marion, author of "Putting on the Mind of Christ, The Inner Work of Christian Spirituality."