Queer Theology

In today’s episode, we respond to a listener question: They ask us to elaborate on how we interpret a couple of passages from Mark, John, and Romans. Tune in to hear our answers and why we think it’s not good to be distracted from the hard questions with all of these snippets of verses.  We then queered the text from 1 John 4:7-21, which ties in neatly with today’s listener question. We talked about how we all need to unhook our fear of an angry God or Hell. We are regarded as “good” just as we are and that there is nothing we can do for God not to love us anymore. We are called to do the work, be part of the community, love other people as a response out of love and not out of obligation.  Key takeaways: Life and societal updates [0:50] Listener question about sins and it is wiped clean by Christ [6:24] No snippy soundbites [8:35] The assumption that you can weave different passages together [10:20] The arcs throughout scripture [12:35] What does it mean to have faith in Christ? [16:35] We are invited into the work [19:57] Queering the text: 1 John [21:31] “Agape” on Brian’s wrist and the story behind it [23:24] How the verse is full of God’s love [25:31] Different phrases, different meanings [26:05] A couple of points to ponder on [27:05] Links mentioned: Christianity Checklist? Is It All About Getting Into Heaven? If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology. If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com.  1 John 4:7-21 Dear friends, let’s love each other, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born from God and knows God. The person who doesn’t love does not know God, because God is love. This is how the love of God is revealed to us: God has sent his only Son into the world so that we can live through him. This is love: it is not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as the sacrifice that deals with our sins.   Dear friends, if God loved us this way, we also ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. If we love each other, God remains in us and his love is made perfect in us. This is how we know we remain in him and he remains in us, because he has given us a measure of his Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the savior of the world. If any of us confess that Jesus is God’s Son, God remains in us and we remain in God. We have known and have believed the love that God has for us.   God is love, and those who remain in love remain in God and God remains in them. This is how love has been perfected in us, so that we can have confidence on the Judgment Day, because we are exactly the same as God is in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear expects punishment. The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love. We love because God first loved us. Those who say, “I love God” and hate their brothers or sisters are liars. After all, those who don’t love their brothers or sisters whom they have seen can hardly love God whom they have not seen! This commandment we have from him: Those who claim to love God ought to love their brother and sister also. Photo by Emmanuel Phaeton  The post Unhook From The Fear of Hell – 1 John 4:7-21 appeared first on Queer Theology.

Today’s listener question is about “deeds of the flesh” which includes anger and sensuality, and how perplexing it is. “Is sex not meant to be enjoyable? And what about when we just can’t help but get angry at a situation? Am I not allowed to be mad that I am being mistreated or something?” Tune in to find out what we think about this text and this question.  For this episode’s passage, we queered 1 John 3:16-24 and it feels good knowing that the salvation we learned growing up is different from what we’ve come to learn now. It’s a relief, truth be told. We also dive deeper into what it means to lay your life down for someone else and how the passage calls us to continue to do the work and help those in need. Key takeaways: Life updates from Brian and how Queer Theology helps him throughout his journey [0:39] Fr. Shay and Minneapolis [5:55] A listener question about Galatians 5:19-21 [10:13] How sensuality is translated and diving deeper into “anger” [11:08] Sensuality is all over the scripture [13:55] How the scripture helps get clarification [16:05] Queering the text: 1 John 3:16-24 [16:55] How different this scripture means from how we were taught salvation growing up [18:06] What it means to lay down our lives [20:35] What we don’t want our listeners to take away from this passage [22:51] How shame and guilt is addressed in this text [24:25] If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology. If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com.  1 John 3:16-24 This is how we know love: Jesus laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. But if someone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but refuses to help—how can the love of God dwell in a person like that? Little children, let’s not love with words or speech but with action and truth. This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts in God’s presence. Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things. Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence in relationship to God. We receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. This is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love each other as he commanded us. Those who keep his commandments dwell in God and God dwells in them. This is how we know that he dwells in us, because of the Spirit he has given us. Photo by Marco Bianchetti The post Love with Action and Truth – 1 John 3:16-24 appeared first on Queer Theology.

Welcome back to another episode! We hope you had a meaningful Holy Week amid the ongoing pandemic. Today we answer a listener question from Tumblr about the different ways that we feel love and how reading queerly can teach us about the various forms of queer love and family.  Then we queer the text from Luke 24:36-48. It talks about what happened after the resurrection and how the risen Christ made himself known to his disciples. We talked about how the divinity in each of us is recognized in the moment of Christ breaking the bread post-resurrection, how it calls us to continue the story by sharing what we’ve experienced that compelled us to do something good and new. Key takeaways: Life updates from Brian and Fr. Shay [1:07] Question from a Tumblr follower [5:52] Polyamory helped Brian recognize the different ways to love each other [6:33] The challenge and invention for queer folks [11:30] Queering the text from Luke [12:30] The differences between Brian and Fr. Shay’s belief [13:53] Different ways to believe in the resurrection [17:17] Brian believing in God more and more [19:21] The passage and its depth of humanity [21:08] The call to go out into the world and share your faith [22:41] Want to learn how to queer the Bible? Click here to find out… If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com  Luke 24:36-48 While they were saying these things, Jesus himself stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” They were terrified and afraid. They thought they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you startled? Why are doubts arising in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet. It’s really me! Touch me and see, for a ghost doesn’t have flesh and bones like you see I have.” As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. Because they were wondering and questioning in the midst of their happiness, he said to them, “Do you have anything to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish. Taking it, he ate it in front of them. Jesus said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law from Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. He said to them, “This is what is written: the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and a change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. Photo by Tom Parsons The post The Resurrection and Humanity – Luke 24:36-48 appeared first on Queer Theology.

In this episode, we answer a listener question asking for a possible lead on a devotional specifically created for queer married couples because most devotionals they’ve found are super “straight”. We then queered a text from Psalm 133 that talks about families having to live together. Queer folks know the difficulty of feeling they need to stay in the closet just to keep their families intact. Tune in to find out what we think of this text and how it should be interpreted.  Key takeaways: Fr. Shay’s COVID vaccine update [1:05] Brian dealing with a loss of a chosen family [2:15] Listener question asking about devotionals for queer married couples [8:12] Why we love queering theology [9:31] Understand your intention in finding a queer specific devotional [10:34] Aside from the Bible, read other books on relationships [12:56] Queering the text from Psalm [15:10]  Fr. Shay taking on this text in a negative way [15:47] Know the real intention of a verse such as this [17:57] Families in different forms [19:39] Queering The Bible registration is NOW open. Click here to secure a spot. If you want to support Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology. If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com.  Psalm 133 Look at how good and pleasing it is     when families live together as one!  It is like expensive oil poured over the head,     running down onto the beard—         Aaron’s beard!—     which extended over the collar of his robes.  It is like the dew on Mount Hermon     streaming down onto the mountains of Zion,     because it is there that the Lord has commanded the blessing:         everlasting life. Photo by Kimson Doan The post Queering Your Family – Psalm 133 appeared first on Queer Theology.

Wishing all our listeners a joyous Easter! We hope you celebrated the resurrection of Jesus the way that it was meant to be: boldly, filled with truth, and with your head held high! For the first time in the history of the Queer Theology Podcast, Fr. Shay recorded today’s episode alone. Tune in to find out where Brian is and why he wasn’t available to do the podcast. For now, enjoy this Easter reflection in audio version. The article used in today’s episode: Do You Believe In The Resurrection? If you want to support Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology. If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com.  Photo by Kelly Sikkema The post Queering The Resurrection appeared first on Queer Theology.

As we celebrate this year’s Holy Week in the safe confines of our bubbles, we will be sharing resources throughout the week for you to include in your observance. We know it’s difficult to celebrate Holy Week away from your community or congregation, but there are tons of online gatherings that will connect us in the meantime. We wish everyone a happy, blessed, and safe Palm Sunday.  Key takeaways: Part 2 of the 2-week Queer Theology podcast special [1:11] Will intellectual arguments alone heal queer people? [2:20] Watch out for a whole bunch of resources coming your way throughout the Holy Week [4:26] What is Palm Sunday and how is it a protest? [7:29] Links Mentioned: Queer The Bible 7-Day Instagram Challenge The Politics of Palm Sunday Holy Week : Palm Sunday: What Happened and What Does It Mean Maundy Thursday: Queering the Last Supper Good Friday: Why Did Jesus Die? Saturday: Is God Dead Today? Sunday: Do You Believe In The Resurrection? If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology. If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com.  Photo by Brady Leavell The post Palm Sunday: A Queer Reflection appeared first on Queer Theology.

It’s been a year since the pandemic shut the world and we’ve all been anxiously waiting for the curtains to unveil what might be in our future. It was also a year ago when Brian interviewed Rev. Jonathan Vanderbeck on Facebook to talk about handling anxiety and what that means for queer folks during the pandemic. Tune in to hear what Rev. Jonathan says about anxiety 1 year into this pandemic. The Rev. Jonathan Vanderbeck, LCSW (he/they) is an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America, the oldest Protestant denomination in the United States, where he was the first openly gay, person-of-color ordained in his denomination, and is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of New York. They currently serve at the Interim Transitional Minister at Messiah Lutheran Church in Rotterdam, NY, and are also in practice at the Samaritan Counseling Center in Scotia. He has received extensive training in Bowen Family Systems Theory and is passionate about working with individuals and couples from a systemic perspective, working to help others see the anxiety around them. When they’re not working (and it’s not a global pandemic) you can find them drinking coffee at a coffee shop (extra dry cappuccino), cooking an elaborate meal, or hiking in the Adirondack mountains. Key takeaways: Brian’s bike update [0:47] Highly recommended: Judas and the Black Messiah [3:36] Introducing our special guest for today [8:18] Practices that hold true 1 year since the pandemic started [11:14] Acute and chronic anxiety [14:17] Ways to recognize that chronic anxiety is taking a toll [19:19] How folks can get help [25:48] Having queer phobic people in our lives, what to do? [35:27] Are we all “swimming” in anxiety? [39:25] What Rev. Jonathan is mindful of [42:02] For queer people, this is for you [45:01] What should we be mindful of [50:00] Be gentle with yourself and others [54:08] 2020 Anxiety talk with Rev. Jonathan Vanderbeck – click here to watch it Rev. Jonathan Vanderbeck’s email: revjonathan16@gmail.com If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com  The post COVID Self-Care: One Year Later with Rev. Jonathan Vanderbeck, LCSW appeared first on Queer Theology.

In this episode, we share a quick 365-day reflection from when the lockdown started. How are things going and what does the future look like? Watch out for next week’s episode where we talk to Rev. Jonathan on more ways to survive and thrive. We answer a question from a Sanctuary Collective member asking for our thoughts regarding Nan C. Merrill’s Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness line which says, “My soul is being consumed with an intense longing to be blessed and sustained by You, O Divine Lover!” Tune in as we consider how sex and intimacy can be uncovered as we discuss the Divine. We queered the text from John 3:14-21 which holds one of the most, if not the most famous verse in the Bible. But we talk more about darkness and light, people’s actions and how complicated they are.  Key takeaways: Sense of grief, depression, and frustration over the length of the pandemic [1:59] Remember the moments of possibility [8:19] Sanctuary Collective member question [10:31] Find your own sacred connections [11:49] The church being the bride of Christ [13:12] Everyone struggles with sex and intimacy [17:14] Queering the text from John [18:33] Darkness and light is complicated [20:15] There are things that are evil in the world [21:50] To heal, things need to be public [23:00] You might be rejected for your queerness, but it’s not on you [24:36] On accepting scripture at face value [26:38] If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com  John 3:14-21 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so must the Human One be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him isn’t judged; whoever doesn’t believe in him is already judged, because they don’t believe in the name of God’s only Son. “This is the basis for judgment: The light came into the world, and people loved darkness more than the light, for their actions are evil. All who do wicked things hate the light and don’t come to the light for fear that their actions will be exposed to the light. Whoever does the truth comes to the light so that it can be seen that their actions were done in God.” Photo by Daniele D’Andreti The post Divine Lover – John 3:14-21 appeared first on Queer Theology.

In today’s episode, we answered a question from one of our Sanctuary Collective members about the Bible and how some use the Old Testament to promote abusive behaviors. “How do we call out Christians or Jews who use the OT to promote abusive behavior by individuals or nations without being anti Semitic?” Tune in to find out what we think about having to call out other groups.  We also queered the text from Exodus which most, if not all of our listeners are familiar with. It’s the text that talks about and enumerates the 10 commandments. It nicely ties up to the question we answered in today’s episode as well.  Key takeaways: Fr. Shay reflecting on the changes that the pandemic has brought [0:58] Brian and Lent [3:20]  Question from a Sanctuary Collective member about how the Old Testament is being used to promote abusive behavior [8:54] On homophobia and genocide in Hebrew scripture [11:34] Why do we need to call out others instead of calling out our own people? [14:41] Criticizing unfairly [17:26] Queering the text: Exodus 20:1-17 [19:37] All of the 10 commandments still make sense [21:33] A more holistic approach [25:00] The importance of understanding the context [27:02] How we typically read the text [27:42] Links mentioned in this episode: How to read the Bible – join the waitlist here All Theology Is Contextual – watch the video and read the article here Book mentioned:  The Bible With and Without Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Brettler Rabbis: Rabbi Ruti Regan – https://twitter.com/RutiRegan Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg – https://twitter.com/TheRaDR Rabbi Sandra Lawson – https://twitter.com/rabbisandra If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com    Exodus 20:1-17 Then God spoke all these words:   I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.   You must have no other gods before me.   Do not make an idol for yourself—no form whatsoever—of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. Do not bow down to them or worship them, because I, the Lord your God, am a passionate God. I punish children for their parents’ sins even to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me. But I am loyal and gracious to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.   Do not use the Lord your God’s name as if it were of no significance; the Lord won’t forgive anyone who uses his name that way.   Remember the Sabbath day and treat it as holy. Six days you may work and do all your tasks, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. Do not do any work on it—not you, your sons or daughters, your male or female servants, your animals, or the immigrant who is living with you. Because the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them in six days, but rested on the seventh day. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.   Honor your father and your mother so that your life will be long on the fertile land that the Lord your God is giving you.   Do not kill.   Do not commit adultery.   Do not steal.   Do not testify falsely against your neighbor.   Do not desire and try to take your neighbor’s house. Do not desire and try to take your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox, donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.   Photo by Levi Meir Clancy The post Queering the 10 Commandments – Exodus 20:1-17 appeared first on Queer Theology.

The question we received from Tumblr felt like it was created for Brian as he’s our resident expert on polyamory: “My partner and I are considering opening up our relationship due to differences in sex drive. I’m worried about the religious stuff surrounding that. Does the Bible say anything about polyamory?” Tune in to find out more about what the Bible says about polyamory. We also queered the text from Genesis and we can see queerness all over it. From the fact that God allows changing of names such as that of Abraham and Sarah, to showcasing the greatness of our lineage. This text shows where all of us came from and there’s so much holiness in it that no one can deny. Key takeaways: The feeling of “normalcy” for Brian [0:43] Fr. Shay and his time at his church is coming to an end real fast [5:50] Question from Tumblr [11:15] Polyamory, monogamy and the Bible [11:58] Looking at the Bible through a polyamory lens[14:22] Queering the text: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 [16:21] Transgender and this text [17:45]  How the narrative form of the Bible affects how we understand the passages [20:33] Queers have always been here [23:33] Holiness is part of our lineage [25:10] Links mentioned in this episode: Polyamory & Christianity Tricky Questions About Sex If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com  Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Walk with me and be trustworthy. I will make a covenant between us and I will give you many, many descendants.” Abram fell on his face, and God said to him, “But me, my covenant is with you; you will be the ancestor of many nations. And because I have made you the ancestor of many nations, your name will no longer be Abram but Abraham. I will make you very fertile. I will produce nations from you, and kings will come from you. I will set up my covenant with you and your descendants after you in every generation as an enduring covenant. I will be your God and your descendants’ God after you. God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, you will no longer call her Sarai. Her name will now be Sarah. I will bless her and even give you a son from her. I will bless her so that she will become nations, and kings of peoples will come from her.” Photo by Jennifer-Ann Coffin-Grey The post Walk Into Your New Name – Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 appeared first on Queer Theology.