In today’s episode, we answer an anonymous reader question from Tumblr. The reader is a transfeminine nonbinary person who is scared to transition for fear of a transphobic family. “What should I do? Do I lose everything for me or do I suffer for others?”
We also queered the text from John 1:1-18 where we realize how similar the gospel is to Queer Theology and the work that we all do. We acknowledge the fact that there are congregations that read and understand the gospel of John in ways that it wasn’t meant to be understood. But more importantly, we recognize the beauty and boldness of what this text really means.
Key takeaways:
- Why Fr. Shay is excited for 2021 and reminiscing on the “weirdness” that was 2020 [1:03]
- Brian’s intentional thoughts for 2021 and bringing back some Queer Theology courses [2:37]
- Talking more about our Faithful Sexuality course [4:00]
- Reader question from Tumbler about being scared of transitioning [7:07]
- The idea that suffering is noble [7:55]
- Fr. Shay’s turning point [9:28]
- What you need to realize if you lose your family [12:08]
- Queering the text: John 1:1-18 [13:47]
- The authors of the gospel writing to make meaning out of circulating stories about Jesus [16:40]
- How some conservative Christians read John [18:46]
- Bodies matter: a bold and scandalous claim [20:32]
- If we believe that bodies matter, what do we do then? [21:15]
Links mentioned:
- To LGBTQ Kids With Unaffirming Parents: You Deserve Better
- Self-care workshop
- Faithful Sexuality: Building a Sexual Ethic That Fits
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If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com
John 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
The Word was with God in the beginning.
Everything came into being through the Word,
and without the Word
nothing came into being.
What came into being
through the Word was life,
and the life was the light for all people.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.
A man named John was sent from God. He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that through him everyone would believe in the light. He himself wasn’t the light, but his mission was to testify concerning the light.
The true light that shines on all people
was coming into the world.
The light was in the world,
and the world came into being through the light,
but the world didn’t recognize the light.
The light came to his own people,
and his own people didn’t welcome him.
But those who did welcome him,
those who believed in his name,
he authorized to become God’s children,
born not from blood
nor from human desire or passion,
but born from God.
The Word became flesh
and made his home among us.
We have seen his glory,
glory like that of a father’s only son,
full of grace and truth.
John testified about him, crying out, “This is the one of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than me because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace;
as the Law was given through Moses,
so grace and truth came into being through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
God the only Son,
who is at the Father’s side,
has made God known.
The post Body & Flesh Matters – John 1:1-18 appeared first on Queer Theology.