Alastair Roberts, Mere Orthodoxy, LGBTQ Theology, and Hypocrisy

Note: This post originated in a thread on Twitter documenting Alastair Roberts’ double standards when it comes to tolerating sin in associations following his attempt to alienate Stephen Wolfe through Wolfe’s association with Thomas Achord.

Mere Orthodoxy, which claims to be “Scripturally rooted, but creedally informed” has published multiple articles by Tara Isabella Burton, who has called herself a “queer woman.”

Alastair Roberts is a regular contributor to Mere O & his wife Susannah Black Roberts is an editor.

Here’s an introduction to Burton and her relationship to Mere Orthodoxy:

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Here’s an interview Burton did titled “‘Social Creature’ Author Tara Isabella Burton On Toxic Female Friendships, Queer Sex, & NYC Nightlife.”

She says: “I’ve had so many intense, insane, obsessive friendships and relationships with women over the years”

“Women against whom I’ve defended myself, for whom I’ve felt a mixture of the desire to possess and the desire to be them. Some were just friends, some I’ve dated or had relationships with, and some were something in between, never quite articulated.”

In Burton’s novel, Social Creature the interviewer notes that:

“AND her two sexy AF women leads have sex with each other at the opera (a la Bette and Alice) – we’ll get to that part in the interview, don’t you worry, my darling lezzies.”

As you can see on Mere Orthodoxy’s author page, they promote the fact that she wrote this book:

What is this book? As previously mentioned, it’s about a lesbian relationship – and it goes into graphic detail about that relationship, including homosexual encounters. Click here if you want to see for yourself.

Now, to be fair, Burton now calls herself a “Christian”

And she is now married to a man.

However, a record of her 1) repudiating homosexuality or 2) denouncing her pro-lesbian book, “Social Creature” is nowhere to be found.

Nor had she at the time that Mere Orthodoxy – under Jake Meador‘s editorship, published her.

She still promotes it on her page, TaraIsabellaBurton.com.

This is relevant since Davenant Institute’s Brad Littlejohn, commenting on the Roberts’ controversy, said the conversation about acceptable associations is “absolutely the conversation Christians and conservatives need to be having right now.”

And Littlejohn is deeply associated with Mere Orthodoxy.

In fact, here is a video that shows Brad, Alastair, and Jake together, promoting Davenant.

https://twitter.com/mrinternetsir/status/1597685383466471424

But make no mistake about it: Mere Orthodoxy has also been a joint venture between these men for years.

But another man is critical here, another key Mere Orthodoxy figure, one who supports Revoice: Matthew Lee Anderson. Anderson has served on the Revoice Advisory Board for years. Revoice speakers have promoted ideas such as bringing “queer treasure” into heaven.

And speaking of friendships, Susannah Black Roberts is close, personal friends with Burton.

All of this raises serious questions about how deeply sympathetic of, and welcoming to, homosexuality that Mere Orthodoxy, The Theopolis Institute (where Roberts is also employed) and the the Davenant Institute are, as shown by the associations of their respective figures, such as Susanna, Alastair, Jake, and Brad.

The question remains: So why was Mere Orthodoxy, Jake Meador, Susannah Black Roberts, and Alastair Roberts publishing articles by Burton? Why would they list her fiction book about a homosexual sexual relationship on her author bio page?

Additionally, considering how important podcasts have been positioned in the conversation about discerning who holds what views it should be noted that Burton has appeared on the Mere O podcast Mere Fidelity twice. Neither time was she challenged on her views on sexuality.