Queer Theology

“Turn the other cheek” is suuuch a “well known” passage but it’s so often quoted out of context. What else might Jesus be trying to teach us that we haven’t seen before? In this episode, Fr. Shay and Brian explore how this passage might inform activist work and even interpersonal dynamics. Referenced in this episode Jesus & Nonviolence: A Third Way by Walter Wink The Good Place Live episode with Sarah Ngu from Q Christian Fellowship Conference Luke 6:27-38 “But I say to you who are willing to hear: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer the other one as well. If someone takes your coat, don’t withhold your shirt either. Give to everyone who asks and don’t demand your things back from those who take them. Treat people in the same way that you want them to treat you.“If you love those who love you, why should you be commended? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, why should you be commended? Even sinners do that. If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, why should you be commended? Even sinners lend to sinners expecting to be paid back in full. Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing in return. If you do, you will have a great reward. You will be acting the way children of the Most High act, for he is kind to ungrateful and wicked people. Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate. “Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good portion—packed down, firmly shaken, and overflowing—will fall into your lap. The portion you give will determine the portion you receive in return.” Photo by Timothy Eberly The post Interpersonal Dynamics & Activist Strategies – Luke 6:27-38 appeared first on Queer Theology.

This passage is a reminder that God has an agenda — Jesus and the prophets proclaim a comforting message for some and a challenging message for others. In this episode, we peel back the flowery language that sometimes surrounds Jesus’s words and look at the heart of what he’s saying. Download the transcript (PDF) Luke 6:17-26 Jesus and his apostles went down from the mountain and came to some flat, level ground. Many other disciples were there to meet him. Large crowds of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon were there too.  These people had come to listen to Jesus and to be healed of their diseases. All who were troubled by evil spirits were also healed. Everyone was trying to touch Jesus, because power was going out from him and healing them all. Jesus looked at his disciples and said: God will bless you people who are poor. His kingdom belongs to you!  God will bless you hungry people. You will have plenty to eat! God will bless you people who are crying. You will laugh! God will bless you when others hate you and won’t have anything to do with you. God will bless you when people insult you and say cruel things about you, all because you are a follower of the Son of Man. 2Long ago your own people did these same things to the prophets. So when this happens to you, be happy and jump for joy! You will have a great reward in heaven. But you rich people are in for trouble. You have already had an easy life! You well-fed people are in for trouble. You will go hungry! You people who are laughing now are in for trouble. You are going to cry and weep! You are in for trouble when everyone says good things about you. That is what your own people said about those prophets who told lies. Photo by Brijesh Nirmal The post God has an agenda – Luke 6:17-26 appeared first on Queer Theology.

This week, we have a special episode of the Queer Theology podcast: our first ever live episode! Brian was at the Q Christian Fellowship Conference in Chicago, IL a few weeks ago to speak about polyamory on a panel about Christian sexual ethics (the very first openly polyamorous speaker at QCF and the first time polyamory was addressed from during an official workshop!) He was also invited to record Queer Theology live from the first-ever Brian M. Eckstein Podcast Stage. Sarah Ngu joined to discuss queerness, how we understand faith and the Bible, how we approach conversations of “is it OK to be LGBTQ?,” race and culture, implications queerness has on our faith journeys, one of Sarah’s favorite Bible passages, and so much more. Learn more about Church Clarity and their work to score churches on their clarity around actively enforced policies regarding LGBTQ people and women in leadership at churchclarity.org. If you want to connect with Sarah or Church Clarity, email sarah@churchclarity.org. Acts 17:26-27 From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. The post LIVE from Q Christian Fellowship Conference with Sarah Ngu of Church Clarity – Acts 17:26-27 appeared first on Queer Theology.

This week’s passage picks up where last week’s left off. We talk about the process of learning and growing and what it can be like to people and places from our past — how they can hold us back and how we can even end up holding them back. Read the transcript (PDF) Luke 4:21-30 He began to explain to them, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled just as you heard it.” Everyone was raving about Jesus, so impressed were they by the gracious words flowing from his lips. They said, “This is Joseph’s son, isn’t it?” Then Jesus said to them, “Undoubtedly, you will quote this saying to me: ‘Doctor, heal yourself. Do here in your hometown what we’ve heard you did in Capernaum.’” He said, “I assure you that no prophet is welcome in the prophet’s hometown. And I can assure you that there were many widows in Israel during Elijah’s time, when it didn’t rain for three and a half years and there was a great food shortage in the land. Yet Elijah was sent to none of them but only to a widow in the city of Zarephath in the region of Sidon. There were also many persons with skin diseases in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha, but none of them were cleansed. Instead, Naaman the Syrian was cleansed.” When they heard this, everyone in the synagogue was filled with anger. They rose up and ran him out of town. They led him to the crest of the hill on which their town had been built so that they could throw him off the cliff. But he passed through the crowd and went on his way. Photo by rawpixel The post How to be a more effective prophet – Luke 4:21-30 appeared first on Queer Theology.

This week’s Gospel reading opens with, “Many people have tried to tell the story of what God has done among us.” In this episode, we dig into what the Bible, what it is (and is not) trying to do, what Scripture meant in the time it was written, and what it might mean for us today. Mentioned in this episode How to read the Bible A new more in-depth course on how to read the Bible is coming later this year, join the mailing list to get notified! Reading Queerly Did Jesus come to die for our sins? Read the transcript (PDF) Luke 1:1-4 Many people have tried to tell the story of what God has done among us. They wrote what we had been told by the ones who were there in the beginning and saw what happened. So I made a careful study of everything and then decided to write and tell you exactly what took place. Honorable Theophilus, I have done this to let you know the truth about what you have heard. Luke 4:14-21 Jesus returned to Galilee with the power of the Spirit. News about him spread everywhere. 15 He taught in the Jewish meeting places, and everyone praised him. Jesus went back to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and as usual he went to the meeting place on the Sabbath. When he stood up to read from the Scriptures, 17 he was given the book of Isaiah the prophet. He opened it and read, “The Lord’s Spirit has come to me, because he has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor. The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers, and to say, ‘This is the year the Lord has chosen.’” Jesus closed the book, then handed it back to the man in charge and sat down. Everyone in the meeting place looked straight at Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “What you have just heard me read has come true today.” Photo by Raychan The post The story of what God has done among us – Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21 appeared first on Queer Theology.

Marriage as a metaphor for God’s relationship to us shows up again in this week’s lectionary reading from Isaiah. In this episode, we talk about the intersections of faith and sexuality, and how that plays out when it comes to marginalized people. In this episode Jesus is polyamorous (video) We expand on “What is it that is bigger than ourselves that we call God?” in this Skeptics Guide series How to read the Bible Queer Sex is Sacred queertheology.com/resources Isaiah 62:1-5 Jerusalem, I will speak up for your good. I will never be silent till you are safe and secure, sparkling like a flame. Your great victory will be seen by every nation and king; the Lord will even give you a new name. You will be a glorious crown, a royal headband, for the Lord your God. Your name will no longer be “Deserted and Childless,” but “Happily Married.” You will please the Lord; your country will be his bride. Your people will take the land, just as a young man takes a bride. The Lord will be pleased because of you, just as a husband is pleased with his bride. Photo by Caroline Veronez  The post Marriage Metaphors – Isaiah 62:1-5 appeared first on Queer Theology.

Referenced in this episode Picking a word of the year Setting spiritual resolutions Christianity & Polyamory resources Christianity & Polyamory course will reopen in early 2019 You can support this podcast on Patreon Brian will be speaking at the Q Christian Fellowship Conference – use discount code PODCAST19 for $10 off If there are any topics you’d like us to cover, resources that would be helpful, or questions you’d like answered, email connect@queertheology.com The post Getting Personal + 2019 Preview appeared first on Queer Theology.

In this passage, the wise people encounter the baby Jesus and are so transformed by their encounter, that they return another way. In this episode, we explore how queerness can mirror that experience and how each can inform the other. Referenced in this episode: Brian’s article on LGBTQ activism + the wise people meeting Jesus Is Christianity all about saying a prayer and getting into heaven? Matthew 2:1-12 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.” When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote: You, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah, because from you will come one who governs, who will shepherd my people Israel.” Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. 1When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route. Photo by Caleb Stokes The post Activist Epiphanies – Matthew 2:1-12 appeared first on Queer Theology.

Another year is coming to a close and in this episode we share some of our end of year practices and how we prepare for a new year. Referenced in this episode How to pick a “Word of the Year” Photo by Ian Schneider The post Closing out the year, preparing for the new year appeared first on Queer Theology.

The Bible has a few accounts of Jesus’s birth and the differences in the stories, plus the context in which they were originally told, can tell us some important things about the life, ministry, and legacy of Jesus. In this episode, we explore the story of Jesus’s birth then and what it means for our lives today. Mentioned in this episode: Mary, the Fierce Mother of God Sanctuary Collective The First Christmas Photo by Ben White The post Jesus’s Birth: Then & Now appeared first on Queer Theology.