Queer Theology

In this week, we look at … how Jesus takes no shit! parallels between the conversation Jesus has with the elders and the conversations queer people are often asked to have with straight, cisgender Christians what it means for queer folks to guard ourselves and guard our hearts how to recognize when a question is not asked in good faith — and what to do when that happens what needs to be present in order for a conversation to happen what Brian learned from a three hour conversation about Leviticus with a seminary student how “questions” about LGBTQ identity and experience can actually be tricks and moving goal posts it’s ok to not have conversations that are designed to trap you Read the transcript (PDF) Matthew 21:23-27 When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people came to him as he was teaching. They asked, “What kind of authority do you have for doing these things? Who gave you this authority?” Jesus replied, “I have a question for you. If you tell me the answer, I’ll tell you what kind of authority I have to do these things. Where did John get his authority to baptize? Did he get it from heaven or from humans?” They argued among themselves, “If we say ‘from heaven,’ he’ll say to us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But we can’t say ‘from humans’ because we’re afraid of the crowd, since everyone thinks John was a prophet.” Then they replied, “We don’t know.” Jesus also said to them, “Neither will I tell you what kind of authority I have to do these things. The post Jesus takes no sh*t – Matthew 21:23-27 appeared first on Queer Theology.

In this episode, we look at… is this passage about when you say “the prayer” to accept Jesus and then get into heaven? the economic themes that run through the Hebrew and Christian scriptures God’s generosity God’s generosity extends beyond salvation, it also includes physical and economic well-being is salvation scarce? and where does its value come from? what about those passages where God divides people? belief vs behavior why we are talking about back-to-basics this month continue this conversation with us in Sanctuary Collective Join us on a live webinar this Thursday, September 21 at 8pm eastern. Register for free here. Read the transcript Matthew 20:1-16 “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 After he agreed with the workers to pay them a denarion, he sent them into his vineyard. “Then he went out around nine in the morning and saw others standing around the marketplace doing nothing. He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I’ll pay you whatever is right.’ And they went. “Again around noon and then at three in the afternoon, he did the same thing. Around five in the afternoon he went and found others standing around, and he said to them, ‘Why are you just standing around here doing nothing all day long?’ “‘Because nobody has hired us,’ they replied. “He responded, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and give them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and moving on finally to the first.’ When those who were hired at five in the afternoon came, each one received a denarion. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But each of them also received a denarion. When they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, ‘These who were hired last worked one hour, and they received the same pay as we did even though we had to work the whole day in the hot sun.’ “But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I did you no wrong. Didn’t I agree to pay you a denarion? Take what belongs to you and go. I want to give to this one who was hired last the same as I give to you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you resentful because I’m generous?’ So those who are last will be first. And those who are first will be last.” The post The Generosity of God – Matthew 20:1-16 appeared first on Queer Theology.

In this episode, we talk about… this month our theme is “back to basics” of Christianity and of queer theology “The First Crack” how one of Brian’s religion professors (a rabbi) was pivotal in changing his understanding of the Bible (and this passage specifically) what are assumptions you’ve made about “what the Bible says” or “what it means to be a person of faith” if you want to dive deeper into these types of questions, you’re invited to join Sanctuary Collective “Didn’t literally, historically happen” does not mean “Not true, has no meaning” What does the Bible purport to be? and who is it for? What we see about God and God’s people in this passage Seeking to understand what this passage tells us about the heart of God is more important (and more interesting!) trying to find a scientific explanation to “prove” that it might have historically happened, just as written How does this passage from Exodus continue to resonate with us today? Join us in Sanctuary Collective to explore and grow together Read the transcript (PDF) Exodus 14:19-31 God’s messenger, who had been in front of Israel’s camp, moved and went behind them. The column of cloud moved from the front and took its place behind them. It stood between Egypt’s camp and Israel’s camp. The cloud remained there, and when darkness fell it lit up the night. They didn’t come near each other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord pushed the sea back by a strong east wind all night, turning the sea into dry land. The waters were split into two. The Israelites walked into the sea on dry ground. The waters formed a wall for them on their right hand and on their left. The Egyptians chased them and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and cavalry. As morning approached, the Lord looked down on the Egyptian camp from the column of lightning and cloud and threw the Egyptian camp into a panic. The Lord jammed their chariot wheels so that they wouldn’t turn easily. The Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites, because the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the water comes back and covers the Egyptians, their chariots, and their cavalry.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. At daybreak, the sea returned to its normal depth. The Egyptians were driving toward it, and the Lord tossed the Egyptians into the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the cavalry, Pharaoh’s entire army that had followed them into the sea. Not one of them remained. The Israelites, however, walked on dry ground through the sea. The waters formed a wall for them on their right hand and on their left. The Lord rescued Israel from the Egyptians that day. Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the amazing power of the Lord against the Egyptians. The people were in awe of the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. The post The Exodus didn’t happen. The Exodus is true. – Exodus 14:19-31 appeared first on Queer Theology.

In this episode… this month at Queer Theology, we are going “back to the basics” of what it means to be Christian, what it means to be a queer person of faith, and what it means to queer theology Fr. Shay’s difficulty in finding resources for LGBTQ Christians who left conservative/fundamentalist Christianity but wanted to stay faithful Questions that we asked ourselves — and questions we continue to get asked — about the intersections of queerness, being a progressive person of faith, and Christianity How Brian experienced Christianity before coming out “The First Crack” A Guide to Recovering from Fundamentalism What changed that caused Brian’s faith to grow and flourish Asking questions of progressive, queer Christianity about salvation, original sin, resurrection, etc. If you have questions you’d like us to cover, email connect@queertheology.com If you want to go deeper, join us in Sanctuary Collective Keep an eye out for Resurrecting Faith, a book about how to do the work of building a faith that is life-giving and holistic Get the basics: Live On Thursday, September 21, we’re hosting a free webinar to explore what it really means to be a Christian and how queerness comes into play. You’re invited: register here! Read the transcript (PDF)   Photo by stevendepolo (Creative Commons 2.0) The post Back to the (Queer Christian) Basics appeared first on Queer Theology.

In this episode, we take a look at one of the lectionary readings for Sunday September 3. We dig into Romans 12:9-21 and talk about… how parts of this passage are pulled out of context and abused by some white Christians in response to white supremacists and Nazis marching on Charlottesville love is not a generic feeling, it includes specific actions Jesus & Nonviolence: A Third Way the responsibility that comes with calling for nonviolence love is an action how Biblical teachings are sometimes quite aggressive, while seeming “nice” on the surface Paul’s audience in this letter — and why that matters God’s different messages for the powerful and the marginalized Read the transcript Romans 12:9-21 Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other. Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord! Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home. Bless people who harass you—bless and don’t curse them. Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying. Consider everyone as equal, and don’t think that you’re better than anyone else. Instead, associate with people who have no status. Don’t think that you’re so smart. Don’t pay back anyone for their evil actions with evil actions, but show respect for what everyone else believes is good. If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people. Don’t try to get revenge for yourselves, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. It is written, Revenge belongs to me; I will pay it back, says the Lord. Instead, If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. By doing this, you will pile burning coals of fire upon his head. Don’t be defeated by evil, but defeat evil with good. Photo by alisdare1 The post Love Is An Action – Romans 12:9-21 appeared first on Queer Theology.

In this episode, we look at… the importance of women when they are named in the Bible how “compliments” can be laced with racism how queer people have used humor, campiness, and covert language to survive (and parallels to the story here) God working in the margins this story isn’t about the Israelites “transforming” Egypt and making them more accepting… it’s about the Israelites getting out! God is with the Israelites, not with Egypt (and how the same applies to LGBTQ people) the Israelites were a pain the ass and that’s what changed Pharaoh’s mind Bayard Rustin: “We need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers” it’s OK to offend your oppressors how you can learn to queer the Bible with our online course Reading Queerly, which is available inside of Sanctuary Collective Read the transcript Exodus 1:8-2:10 Now a new king came to power in Egypt who didn’t know Joseph. He said to his people, “The Israelite people are now larger in number and stronger than we are. Come on, let’s be smart and deal with them. Otherwise, they will only grow in number. And if war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and then escape from the land.” As a result, the Egyptians put foremen of forced work gangs over the Israelites to harass them with hard work. They had to build storage cities named Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they grew and spread, so much so that the Egyptians started to look at the Israelites with disgust and dread. So the Egyptians enslaved the Israelites. They made their lives miserable with hard labor, making mortar and bricks, doing field work, and by forcing them to do all kinds of other cruel work. The king of Egypt spoke to two Hebrew midwives named Shiphrah and Puah: “When you are helping the Hebrew women give birth and you see the baby being born, if it’s a boy, kill him. But if it’s a girl, you can let her live.” Now the two midwives respected God so they didn’t obey the Egyptian king’s order. Instead, they let the baby boys live. So the king of Egypt called the two midwives and said to them, “Why are you doing this? Why are you letting the baby boys live?” The two midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because Hebrew women aren’t like Egyptian women. They’re much stronger and give birth before any midwives can get to them.” So God treated the midwives well, and the people kept on multiplying and became very strong. And because the midwives respected God, God gave them households of their own. Then Pharaoh gave an order to all his people: “Throw every baby boy born to the Hebrews into the Nile River, but you can let all the girls live.” Now a man from Levi’s household married a Levite woman. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that the baby was healthy and beautiful, so she hid him for three months. When she couldn’t hide him any longer, she took a reed basket and sealed it up with black tar. She put the child in the basket and set the basket among the reeds at the riverbank. The baby’s older sister stood watch nearby to see what would happen to him. Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river, while her women servants walked along beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds, and she sent one of her servants to bring it to her. When she opened it, she saw the child. The boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. She said, “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then the baby’s sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Would you like me to go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter agreed, “Yes, do that.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I’ll pay you for your work.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. 10 After the child had grown up, she brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her son. She named him Moses, “because,” she said, “I pulled him out of the water.” Photo by Adolfo Lujan The post A Holy Ruckus – Exodus 1:8-2:10 appeared first on Queer Theology.

In this episode we look at… LGBTQ Christians are told that our sexuality is dirty and defiling — Jesus disagrees Brian makes a blowjob joke What this passage might say about whether we should stay in unaffirming churches to try to “fix” them Matthew 10:14: “ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.” What if you offend people who don’t affirm LGBTQ people? How to work in solidarity with trans people Read the transcript (PDF) Matthew 15:10-20 Jesus called the crowd near and said to them, “Listen and understand. It’s not what goes into the mouth that contaminates a person in God’s sight. It’s what comes out of the mouth that contaminates the person.” Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended by what you just said?” Jesus replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be pulled up. Leave the Pharisees alone. They are blind people who are guides to blind people. But if a blind person leads another blind person, they will both fall into a ditch.” Then Peter spoke up, “Explain this riddle to us.” Jesus said, “Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you know that everything that goes into the mouth enters the stomach and goes out into the sewer? But what goes out of the mouth comes from the heart. And that’s what contaminates a person in God’s sight. Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adultery, sexual sins, thefts, false testimonies, and insults. These contaminate a person in God’s sight. But eating without washing hands doesn’t contaminate in God’s sight.” The post Is gay sex defiling? – Matthew 15:10-20 appeared first on Queer Theology.

In this episode, we talk about… the temptation to look for big signs from God how Elijah is going through a depressive episode in this passage, how that’s not often talked about, and how that contradicts what some of us our taught about faith & mental health the taxing demands of justice work (and how to deal with them in healthy, helpful ways) the importance of talking about LGBTQ people in sermons outside of ones that are about sex, gender, and relationships our summer fundraising campaign to support this podcast and the work of Queer Theology (queertheology.com/support) Read the transcript (PDF) 1 Kings 19:9-14 There [Elijah] went into a cave and spent the night. The Lord’s word came to him and said, “Why are you here, Elijah?” Elijah replied, “I’ve been very passionate for the Lord God of heavenly forces because the Israelites have abandoned your covenant. They have torn down your altars, and they have murdered your prophets with the sword. I’m the only one left, and now they want to take my life too!” The Lord said, “Go out and stand at the mountain before the Lord. The Lord is passing by.” A very strong wind tore through the mountains and broke apart the stones before the Lord. But the Lord wasn’t in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake. But the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a fire. But the Lord wasn’t in the fire. After the fire, there was a sound. Thin. Quiet. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his coat. He went out and stood at the cave’s entrance. A voice came to him and said, “Why are you here, Elijah?” He said, “I’ve been very passionate for the Lord God of heavenly forces because the Israelites have abandoned your covenant. They have torn down your altars, and they have murdered your prophets with the sword. I’m the only one left, and now they want to take my life too.” The post A Depressed Prophet – 1 Kings 19:9-14 appeared first on Queer Theology.

In this episode, we talk about… How Jacob wrestling with God can open the door to questions about sexuality, gender, and faith A “hierarchy of control” that Shay learned from his conservative church (and how this passage challenges that) Scripture gives us permission to question our faith! the audacity of making demands of God parallels between Jacob’s risks & wounds and the LGBTQ experience, a lesson Shay learned from Queer Virtue, which we’re about to start reading in the Sanctuary Collective book club the “biblical definition of marriage” Don’t forget! We need your help to keep this podcast — and all the rest of Queer Theology — running. You can learn more and give some support (even if you can’t contribute financially) over at queertheology.com/support Read the transcript (PDF) Genesis 32:22-31 Jacob got up during the night, took his two wives, his two women servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed the Jabbok River’s shallow water. He took them and everything that belonged to him, and he helped them cross the river. But Jacob stayed apart by himself, and a man wrestled with him until dawn broke. When the man saw that he couldn’t defeat Jacob, he grabbed Jacob’s thigh and tore a muscle in Jacob’s thigh as he wrestled with him. The man said, “Let me go because the dawn is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I won’t let you go until you bless me.” He said to Jacob, “What’s your name?” and he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name won’t be Jacob any longer, but Israel, because you struggled with God and with men and won.” Jacob also asked and said, “Tell me your name.” But he said, “Why do you ask for my name?” and he blessed Jacob there. Jacob named the place Peniel, “because I’ve seen God face-to-face, and my life has been saved.” The sun rose as Jacob passed Penuel, limping because of his thigh. Photo by bratmandeux The post Wrestling with God – Genesis 32:22-31 appeared first on Queer Theology.

In this episode, we look at what the Kingdom of Heaven is like, according to Jesus’s parables how these parables can help us judge whether anti-LGBTQ theology is of God or not Jesus’s audience in his parables (and what that means for us today) what to make of the bit about “burning furnaces” that follows these verses what anti-LGBTQ people must go through to experience God’s kingdom Read transcript (PDF) Matthew 13:44-46 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure that somebody hid in a field, which someone else found and covered up. Full of joy, the finder sold everything and bought that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one very precious pearl, he went and sold all that he owned and bought it. The post The Kingdom of Heaven is like… – Matthew 13:44-46 appeared first on Queer Theology.