Queer Theology

In this episode, we reflect on what we’ve learned from 2 months of looking at the politics of Jesus and look ahead to what we’ll be focusing on next: activism. How does our faith turn into praxis? How does the politics of Jesus motivate us into and guide our activism? Read the transcript (PDF) As […] The post Faith Into Praxis, Politics Into Activism appeared first on Queer Theology .

When talking about deeply held religious beliefs, it’s only human for all sorts of emotions to dust up. If we’re going to grow as Christians and live into a healthy faith, we need to be able to examine our beliefs to make sure that they’re serving us and serving God. In this episode, we explore […] The post How to handle tough feelings on your faith journey appeared first on Queer Theology .

We’re smack in the middle of Holy Week and want to make sure you hear these two messages! The post Holy Week 2018 appeared first on Queer Theology .

Too often, government protects the already-powerful, rather than the vulnerable who need protection. This week, we take a look at the trial of Jesus and uncover the religious and the political meanings inherent in this story. If you’re interested in learning more about “why Jesus died,” we’re doing a webinar on atonement on Tuesday April […] The post Crucify him! – Mark 15:1-15 appeared first on Q...

Here are some highlights from this week’s episode: “They tried to bury us, they didn’t know we were seeds.” – poet Dinos Christianopoulos When you do what is right, it has repercussions that are so much bigger than you might live to see, and you do it anyway We’re reading The Last Week in Sanctuary […] The post “They tried to bury us…” – John 12:20-33 appeared first on Queer Theology .

The personal is political and everything is religious. In this episode, we begin to tease out the political implications of our spiritual conversions to following the way of Jesus. Read the transcript (PDF) There’s a lot to discover when it comes to the politics of Jesus, so we’ll be talking about it for the next […] The post The Politics of Jesus appeared first on Queer Theology .

In this episode, we look at the story of Jesus turning over tables in the temple, as told by John. Why did he do this, who exactly was he protesting, and what can his actions teach us about how we live our lives today? In the podcast, we mentioned that we’re reading The Last Week by Marcus Borg and […] The post Collaborating with the empire – John 2:13-22 appeared first on Queer Theology .

This week, we tease out the tension between “living a good Christian life” as has been come to be defined by the white, straight, conservative status quo and the consequences of following Jesus’s message. We also look at “taking up your” cross and what that means. Following Christ is risky, but in the end, we […] The post What will you give in exchange for your life? – Mark 8:31-38 appeared first...

In Mark’s gospel, Jesus gets his understanding of himself and his mission confirmed by God… and then forced out into the wilderness. He is baptized into a movement by John the Baptist, who is then arrested. It’s tempting to see “figuring out” ourselves, our call, and our relationship with God as the goal, but in […] The post Figuring out your relationship with God – Mark 1:9-15 appeared first on Q...

In this episode, we are challenged by 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 to inspect our faith, our lives, our churches, our communities, and our politics to see if it truly reflects the glory of God and Jesus Christ. Read the transcript (PDF) Show notes This is God’s good news This is my good news… Change your heart […] The post LGBTQ Christians reflect the glory of Jesus Christ – 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 appeared fi...

Paul is super passionate about spreading the gospel and so are we! Asking what our queerness can teach us about Christianity doesn’t taint Christianity, it  unlocks a greater, more profound, more prophetic dimension that we might otherwise miss. Read the transcript (PDF) In this episode, we mention this year’s Synchroblog Harvey Milk’s “I’m here to recruit […] The post We want to recruit you – 1 C...

Fr. Shay recently wrote an article about why you should make spiritual resolutions and in this episode of the podcast, we respond to a reader question and dive into how you can go about doing that. Read the transcript (PDF) In this episode, we reference: Rob Bell’s What Is The Bible? Sanctuary Collective The post Community Question: How do you make spiritual resolutions? appeared first on Queer Th...

The Gospel of Mark — the earliest written of the gospels — jumps right into the action with the arrest of John the Baptist and the start of Jesus’s public ministry. He calls his first disciples and asks them to change their heart, change their life, and trust the good news. What did that mean […] The post Change your heart & your life – Mark 1:14-20 appeared first on Queer Theology .

Brian and Fr. Shay experience this passage in two different ways — and that’s ok! For some, this passage is comforting and for others this is creepy and overbearing. It’s a passage that’s been used against queer and trans people but also maybe has a poetic message that can connect you with King David and […] The post You knit me together – Psalm 139 appeared first on Queer Theology .

Happy New Year from Fr. Shay and Brian! In this week’s episode, we’re talking all about the start of the year and how to enter it with intention without setting a bunch of overwhelming resolutions. This might sound a bit “secular” but living with intention is important for our spiritual life as well, and we talk […] The post New Year, New You appeared first on Queer Theology .

  This week’s passage is part of Mary’s Magnificat — a badass hymn that shows how she understands God. Already, before Jesus is even born, we see the seeds of what will become his ministry planted and nurtured by his mother Mary. Holidays can be tough for LGBTQ folks with unaffirming families or churches. We […] The post Mary’s understanding of God – Luke 1:47-55 appeared first on Queer Theology .

This passage from Isaiah will become the opening thesis of Jesus’s ministry (as told in Luke 4). In it, we get a sense of God’s priorities (and what will become the priorities of Jesus as well). This is the work that we’re called to be part of. Read the transcript (PDF) Isaiah 61:1-4 The Lord […] The post This is God’s good news – Isaiah 61:1-4 appeared first on Queer Theology .

The Gospel of Mark opens with a political statement and goes on to connect the ministry of Jesus to work that has come before. In this week’s podcast, we examine the context and implications of this gospel message and how that relates to our lives and work today. Read the transcript (PDF) In this episode, […] The post John the Baptist & Building on Queer Activism – Mark 1:1-8 appeared first o...

We hold a few things in tension with this passage: the beauty of the poetry, the devastation of their situation; our identification with suffering, our disagreement with who is “at fault” here. We dive into it all! Read the transcript (PDF) Show Notes In this episode, we talk about… parallels between the ancient Hebrew community […] The post Your oppression is not your fault – Isaiah 64:1-9 appear...

This passage in Matthew has some pretty harsh words about God separating out the sheep from the goats, and damning the latter to eternal fire. But who exactly are the goats? And what does one do to end up there? You may have been told that people who haven’t accepted Jesus are the ones damned to […] The post Can you be anti-LGBTQ and a Christian? – Matthew 25:31-46 appeared first on Queer Theology...

This week, we take a look at a few listener questions about the intersections of transgender identity and Christian faith. Do you have a question you’d like to see covered? Email connect@queertheology.com. Read the transcript (PDF) The post Listener Questions: How do you know it’s OK to be transgender? appeared first on Queer Theology .

This passage from Amos is one of Brian’s all-time favorites. The prophet has some harsh words for religious festivals in the absence of justice and that’s a message that continues to be needed many millennia later. If you want another take on this passage, we looked at it a few years ago. Read the transcript […] The post Faith & Justice – Amos 5:18-24 appeared first on Queer Theology .

This month we’re focusing on trans issues at Queer Theology. In this week’s episode, we talk about why that’s important. Read the transcript (PDF) The post Transgender & Christian 2017 appeared first on Queer Theology .

Read the transcript (PDF) In this episode we talk about… Let’s get this started right: sex can be awesome! Questions we get about sex are second only to questions about “is it ok to LGBTQ” here at Queer Theology … we get them almost every single day In order to be your full, authentic self, […] The post Why Should Christians Talk About Sex? appeared first on Queer Theology .

In this episode, we look at More snarky Jesus how we get the same few questions at Queer Theology, how that relates to this passage, and what that means for LGBTQ people how Jesus doesn’t really answer the question — and why that’s important Questions that LGBTQ people get from Christians and how we see […] The post Don’t get trapped by anti-LGBTQ Christians – Matthew 22:15-22 appeared first on Qu...