1946 The Culture Shift Tour Queer Theology & Church Power: Rev. Dr. Charlie Bell on Faith, Truth & the Future
In this episode of 1946: The Culture Shift Tour – UK, Rocky Roggio and Josie Peres sit down with Rev. Dr. Charlie Bell, an Anglican priest, psychiatrist, and theologian whose work bridges science, faith, and identity.
Charlie offers a deeply layered conversation exploring:
• What queer theology actually is — and why it matters
• How the Church of England, as an established church, shapes national culture
• The tension between institutional power and pastoral care
• The differences between UK and US church systems
• How biblical interpretation — including the 1946 mistranslation — continues to impact LGBTQ+ lives
This episode goes beyond surface-level inclusion conversations and asks bigger questions:
What is the Church for?
Who does it serve?
And how can it change?
A powerful conversation about truth, responsibility, and the future of faith.
🔗 Watch and listen:
Dr. Charlie Bell
Anglican priest, psychiatrist, theologian, academic
Deep Dive Topics
Interdisciplinary Identity
• Medicine + theology + psychiatry
• Moral responsibility and human behavior
• Biological vs ethical frameworks
Church of England & Power
• Established church explained
• Relationship between church and state
• National responsibility vs doctrinal exclusion
• Marriage, pastoral care, and public life
UK vs US Church Comparison
• Episcopal Church vs Church of England
• Decentralized vs centralized systems
• Cultural vs legal influence of religion
Queer Theology
• Definition and core principles
• Challenging fixed identity categories
• Re-reading scripture through lived experience
• Expanding theology beyond binaries
Scripture & Interpretation
• “Owning the text”
• Moving beyond defensive readings
• Asking new theological questions
1946 & Translation Impact
• The historical introduction of “homosexuality” into scripture
• Long-term theological consequences
• Institutional reinforcement of interpretation
Institutional Tension
• Public vs private belief among clergy
• Structural resistance to change
• Naming truth within systems
Hope & Future Vision
• What change could look like
• Why staying matters
• The role of queer voices in shaping the future Church
Links:
Church & Theology
Church of England
https://www.churchofengland.org
St John the Divine, Kennington
Affirming Catholicism
https://affirmingcatholicism.org.uk
St Mellitus College (ordination training)
Academic & Medical
King’s College London
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Girton College, Cambridge
Queens’ College, Cambridge
Domuni Universitas
Books & Publications
Light to Those in Darkness (forthcoming)
(Published via academic/religious press – keep general unless official link released)
Routledge (academic publisher often referenced)
Film & Podcast
1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture