Queer Theology

We’re queering Christmas for this episode of the podcast! First, we’re gonna explore the queer and political aspects of Christmas by examining the gospel of Luke and Matthew from the Bible. Then we discuss the meaning of Christmas and the birth of Jesus, emphasizing the radical and political nature of the story. Finally, we really dive into the birth narratives in both of these books of Luke and Matthew, highlighting the differences and the theological and political messages conveyed in each. This conversation explores the significance of the shepherds and the Magi, as well as the political implications of the angel’s message. We also get into the personal and pastoral relevance of Christmas for queer and trans individuals, emphasizing the importance of chosen family and the call to challenge unjust structures in society.   Takeaways Christmas has a radical and political nature that is often overlooked in the consumer-driven culture. The birth narratives in the books of Luke and Matthew offer different perspectives and emphasize different theological and political messages. The shepherds and the Magi represent marginalized and powerful individuals, respectively, who recognize the significance of Jesus’ birth. Christmas holds personal and pastoral significance for queer and trans individuals, providing an opportunity to reimagine traditions and challenge unjust structures. Chapters (0:00) Introduction and Meaning of Christmas (5:54) A few points about the two scriptures that need to be said (11:41) Diving into Scripture: Luke (23:26) Diving into Scripture: Matthew (25:20) Comparing the Birth Stories (32:33) The Radical Nature of Christmas (35:44) Personal and Pastoral Significance of Christmas (38:31) Outro   Resources: Set up your account on our new resource platform: https://my.queertheology.com/home   Join Spiritual Study Hall to access Reclaim the Bible  Join the community at Sanctuary Collective.  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. Want to have your question featured on an episode? Call or text us at (240)200-0922 The post Queering Christmas appeared first on Queer Theology.

In this episode, we discuss the challenges and stress that can come with the holiday season, particularly for queer and trans individuals. We share personal stories of past stressful holidays and how we’ve learned to navigate and set boundaries with our families. We emphasize the importance of having a plan and a support system in place, as well as the need to do the inner work to recognize one’s worthiness and the right to set boundaries. We share the outline of the four steps of Soul Safe, which include identifying what’s at stake, doing the inner work, setting boundaries, and creating a soul-safe plan. But we also want to highlight the importance of flexibility and the ability to change boundaries over time.   Takeaways Holidays can be particularly stressful for queer and trans individuals due to family dynamics, pressure to be happy, and the amplification of past traumas. Having a plan and a support system in place is crucial for navigating stressful holiday situations. Setting boundaries is essential for self-care and maintaining emotional well-being during the holidays. Boundaries can change over time, and it is important to prioritize one’s own health and wholeness.   Chapters (1:10) Sharing stressful holiday stories (03:31) The importance of having a plan and support system (08:24) Finding support outside of family (10:31) The amplification of family dynamics during holidays (16:10) The challenges of setting boundaries (19:11) The four steps of soul safe (32:54) The importance of flexibility and changing boundaries Resources: Set up your account on our new resource platform: https://my.queertheology.com/home Unaffirming Friends and Family resource: https://my.queertheology.com/checkout/unaffirming-friends-and-family  Join the community at Sanctuary Collective.  Discuss this episode in Circle: https://my.queertheology.com/c/podcast/ 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. Want to have your question featured on an episode? Call or text us at (240)200-0922 EPISODE TRANSCRIPT The post Help For When the Holidays Suck appeared first on Queer Theology.

We both are huge believers in being life-long learners and not just for the benefit of expanding knowledge. We’ve found continued learning, curiosity, and asking questions has had a positive impact on our spiritual lives as well. One thing that really supports learning is being in community with others who are wrestling with and asking similar questions. So we invite you to join us! We’ve got a new and exciting way to connect with community and resources. And as you think about what role learning has played in your life, how can you take it a step further? In this episode, we also answer a listener’s question about dealing with unaffirming family and faith.  Resources: Set up your account on our new resource platform: https://my.queertheology.com/home Unaffirming Friends and Family resource: https://my.queertheology.com/checkout/unaffirming-friends-and-family  Join the community at Sanctuary Collective.    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.   Want to have your question featured on an episode? Call or text us at (240)200-0922 EPISODE TRANSCRIPT The post Expanding Your Idea of What’s Possible appeared first on Queer Theology.

Brian discusses the importance of self-care and community care. They explore self-care practices and rituals, emphasizing the interconnectedness of individuals. The power of rituals and spiritual practices in connecting individuals to themselves, others, and a higher power is explored. The chapter highlights the importance of building connections with neighbors and having deep friendships. Being intentional in life, setting goals, and reflecting on core values are discussed.

Father Shay shares a sermon based on Matthew 21:33-46 for this episode. Has there ever been a time someone told you the truth about yourself that hurt you or you didn’t want to hear? Sometimes the truth can hurt or be hard to hear but we must learn to listen to the truth-tellers.    Join the community at Sanctuary Collective.    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. Want to have your question featured on an episode? Call or text us at (240)200-0922 EPISODE TRANSCRIPT The post Listening to the Truthtellers appeared first on Queer Theology.

Worship music might be killing your soul, but attending an unaffirming church, reading material that is unaffirming, and hate-following accounts that are actively harmful against the LGBTQ community is killing your soul too! People often tell us that it’s hard to leave behind worship music and that it helps them feel connected to God, but we’re here to tell you that you kinda have to. Seriously, you’ll feel so much better and might even build some really life giving spiritual practices in the meantime.   We also answer a listener question: if the Bible can be wrong, does that mean that God can make mistakes too?   Resources: Workshop: Digging the Details Online Course: Journey Into the Bible Book recommendations: https://bookshop.org/shop/queertheology    Want to have your question featured on an episode? Call or text us at (240)200-0922   Join the community at Sanctuary Collective.    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.   EPISODE TRANSCRIPT The post Worship Music Is Killing Your Soul appeared first on Queer Theology.

One of the things that comes up the most often in our work with people is that they have this feeling of loneliness, a feeling of not being connected to others or able to find a community. We very strongly feel that it’s important to be connected to a community, but what happens when you outgrow a community before finding a new one? We’re dedicating this episode to talking about making new friends and the importance of friendship and spiritual supporters! We got some practical tips for finding friends, deepening your friendships, and avoiding a few pitfalls in the process.    Join the community at Sanctuary Collective.    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. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT The post Find Your People (And Change Your Life) appeared first on Queer Theology.

Thinking about your religion as only a personal relationship with God is dangerous to you and to others. There are so many ways claiming a personal connection to God can be powerful and life-giving, but you have to really examine if minimizing religions and rituals that come with other religions are actually a way to minimize communities and avoid accountability. In this episode, we talk about how important it is to have a personal connection to the Divine, but also how important it is to recognize the beauty of community that can come with religion and ritual practices.    Resources: Podcast series on rituals: Ep. 445: Rituals for Resistance and Resilience  Ep. 447: The Surprising Meaning Behind What We Have Ep. 448: You Might Have More Rituals Than You Think  Ep. 449: Creating Your Own Rituals Rituals for Resistance & Resilience  on-demand workshop.    Join the community at Sanctuary Collective.    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.   Photo by Kaboompics .com Episode Transcript The post Is It A Relationship or a Religion? appeared first on Queer Theology.

We’re coming up on All Souls Day and this has us thinking about death, dying, and grief. What was your experience around death growing up? For us, it was all about celebrating the people who were now in heaven with little room for grieving. But the grief and loss was still very much there. We talk about the importance of rituals and community when it comes to grief. A supportive community and rituals can help you heal amidst loss and the good news is that these rituals do not have to be religious to be holy and healing!   Join us for an All Souls Worship Experience that comes when you join the community at Sanctuary Collective.    Podcast episode: Scary Things- The Great Snatch & The End of the World   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. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT The post Why We Remember Those We’ve Lost? appeared first on Queer Theology.

It’s not enough to leave a church or faith that is harmful, you still have to unlearn the bad theology that was taught in those spaces. Why? Because that sh*t is going to keep coming up and having an impact on you and you’ll still be in a place of anger and fear!  In this episode we get into the ways you can recognize where shame, anger, and fear are still coming up for you and what you can do next.. Psst- it has to do with learning HOW to read the Bible better!    We also answer a couple listener questions about the 1946 documentary film and how to get back to your Christian roots as an LGBTQ+ person of faith without returning to a harmful church.   Resources: Want to have your question featured on the podcast? Send us a voicemail or text message at  (240)200-0922 or submit through queertheology.com/listen www.queertheology.com/resources Digging the Details Clobbering the Clobber Passages Active Advocacy Flip Your Faith waitlist Book Recommendations at bookshop.org/shop/queertheology   Join the community at Sanctuary Collective.    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.   Photo by Tara Winstead EPISODE TRANSCRIPT The post Moving Past Terrible Theology appeared first on Queer Theology.