Queer Theology Podcast

Today's episode is a special one as we get a break from the usual Sunday lectionary readings. Fr. Shay and Brian answer some deep and riveting, queer-related questions. AND we are excited to announce that this episode holds a HUGE giveaway. Stay tuned to learn more! In this episode, we dived into: Attachments to saints and theologians People who are influential to us Handling relationships with fa...

Day by day, the scripture reminds us to always find a way to reach out to others, be there for the underprivileged, and be present with the oppressed. It's a blessing to be accepted, affirmed and be found, but equally (if not more) a blessing to find the lost and embrace them with love and acceptance. In this episode, we touched on: The anxiety that some churches feel over the decreasing number of...

When faced with tremendous pressure and issues in life, it sometimes becomes difficult to see past the pain, the anxiety and the stress. But luckily, we have been blessed to have the chance to choose life and choose who we surround ourselves with, in this life.  Today, we talked about: The beautiful opportunity we have to choose life How choosing life relates to queer and trans folks The importanc...

Honoring marriage or a relationship is not only for straight relationships. More often than not, people who are in queer-relationships take faithfulness even more seriously. This episode also shares how there are more important things to focus on in this world than to nit-pick on other people's relationships.  In this episode, we talked about... Honoring relationships regardless of whether you are...

When our need to help the poor, feed the hungry, and uphold the oppressed is strong, we sometimes forget that it's okay to slow down a bit. To rest. To take care of one's self. And this passage from Isaiah reminds us of that. This episode talks about: A recap of the LA meetup Why Fr. Shay loves this passage so much The work that needs to be done and the legacy that we can live behind Respecting th...

It's easy to misinterpret the scriptures, and even our so-called traditions and traditional ways of doing things can hinder proper understanding of the text. This episode highlights the importance of knowing historical and political context in order to truly understand the Bible. This episode's highlights: The importance of understanding historical and political experiences of Hebrew authors Learn...

Fr. Shay is away on a writer's retreat so we're taking another listen to one of our all-time most popular episodes. Everything we talk about is critical to understanding the Bible and that makes it particularly timely as we are getting ready to open up registration for an online course + group discussion on how to read the Bible. You can hop on the waitlist for that here (we'll give you first dibs...

As far back as we can remember, we were taught to read the Bible in a way that doesn't always line up with what the passage actually says. Sometimes, people stop reading when they think that a particular part of the passage is enough to fit their "needs". What's worse is that some may take full advantage of this and use it against LGBTQ folks. Take a look at this passage and see what we think. Thi...

Sodom and Gomorrah is one of the six or seven clobber verses that is commonly used to condemn homosexuality. We talk about what the verse really represents and how it is not about LGBTQ issues. When read using the correct lenses, it focuses on the injustice and oppression that is currently occurring in today's world. It also pushes us to find ways to help the needy, the poor and the innocent. Toda...

God Gets Pissed at Our Politics - Amos 8:1-12 People often call for the separation of state and religion, but in reality, we tread in the middle especially for LGBTQ+ Christians, every day. The scripture today calls for us to strengthen our faith while fighting for those who are oppressed. It calls for us to question the system and the politics that continue to undervalue those who are having trou...

Remember how we were taught in church that in order for us to be good followers of God: we simply need to follow what our priest or pastor tells us? That we need to do things exactly as what tradition dictates in order for us to be good in the eyes of our creator? In today's episode, we learn that by simply trusting ourselves, we are able to follow the commandment of God. That the commandment is r...

Have you ever felt exhausted and that the work that you do feels like it's going nowhere? Or the things that you sacrifice don't get the appreciation that you think it deserves? Yup, same here! But Galatians 6:1-16 reminds us that these efforts will pay off, if not today. It might sometimes feel like a long and difficult journey, but let's be reminded that if we do everything with pure intention a...

This year's Pride celebration is such an important one for queer people. Not only are we still fighting the good fight, but we are also remembering the Stonewall Riots that happened 50 years ago. We honor the strong and courageous queer folks behind that uprising and continue the work that they have started 5 decades ago.  This episode talks about: The deep and personal meaning of Pride to both Br...

Depression is a difficult topic to discuss; while folks are (thankfully) talking about mental health more and more, there is still stigma even to this day. So it feels great to be able to see these issues explored in scripture. What's better is that Psalm 42-43 tells us that we have the power to do something about it instead of the usual "suck it up". Stay tuned to hear more about what we think ab...

One of the reasons why it's important for us to learn how to read the bible is so that we don't miss the bigger picture. And Romans 5:1-5 is a perfect example of that. In this week's passage, it talks about suffering gladly, and too often, it is taken quite literally. Listen on to hear what we think about this week's passage. Highlights for today's episode: Importance of understanding scriptures i...

Some Christians have misinterpreted that Jesus is the "new" God who will rule out the "Old Testament God." That's not what is happening here. But this gospel tells us that Jesus is the image of God and that we see God through Jesus… and Jesus brought receipts! In this episode, we explore what his message means for us today, too. Today we talk about: Skepticism about God, Jesus or Christianity How...

What Does it Mean to be Saved? - Acts 16:16-34 The gospel is often perceived to tackle mostly spiritual or religious topics, but for today's reading, it actually deals with real-life issues: slavery and economic justice. We love how this verse focuses a lot on the human side of the disciples of Jesus. That even those who were closest to Jesus, are still, human --- and therefore, can be annoyed. Th...

In today's reading, we hear that Jesus tells us that our physical self and our physical health is important to God, too! We also tackle the idea that sometimes we read the Scriptures quite literally, and how that can be a dangerous way of understanding what the Bible actually says. Today we talk about: How this passage is similar to the American healthcare system Jesus' way of telling us that our...

Reminder: Christianity & Polyamory is back and registration is open. Registration closes on May 23. Learn more and signup here .   This passage is low-hanging fruit when it comes to LGBTQ acceptance. It's Peter's vision where he comes to realize that nothing God has made clean should ever be called unclean. In this passage, he's talking about food … but could he be talking about something else? We...

This passage is beautiful and challenging and complicated and harsh and comforting and all of that is kinda like what it is to be queer and trans and read scripture. We explore the importance of those that have come before us and in what ways they live on (or don't), offer up a helpful exercise on spiritual lineage, and discuss how Revelation is a wild book with intense imagery — no reading litera...

After two weeks of Easter Q&As (here & here), we are back to the lectionary! It's really easy to get swept up in the moment of a movement — whether that's for Jesus or justice (or both!). But at some point, the luster fades and the hard work begins. Then what? Are you really in it?   Mentioned in this episode Articles & podcast eps for people who want to work in solidarity with LGBTQ+ people here...

Y'all submitted so many rich questions for our Easter Q&A episode and we couldn't get to them all so we are doing a followup episode. In this episode, we respond to 2 questions on the same theme: Navigating a church that isn't LGBT-affirming (or who might not be), and how that intersects with Easter Mentioned in this episode Self-care for LGBTQ Christians with unaffirming family Church Clarity Inc...

This year for Easter, we're doing a Q&A episode to cover all things Holy Week and Easter. We really dig into a few amazing questions in this week's episode. There were too many to get to all in one episode so we will be doing more Q&A episodes soon. Make sure you're subscribed so that you don't miss it — and you can submit your own question to be included in a future episode.   Mentioned in this e...

Palm Sunday is this Sunday and because this podcast follows the lectionary, we've looked at the same handful of verses this week each year over and over and over again. Why do we do it? What value is there in following the lectionary and how might we see a reflection of queerness in the lectionary itself?   Mentioned in this episode Every Palm Sunday & Holy Week episode ever! (plus some bonus vide...

There's so much in this passage that can related to queerness and LGBTQ+ Christians. What does it mean to be extraordinary in our service of God and the work of God? How can LGBTQ people related the bad faith questions asked by those who don't care about it? In what ways is queerness inherently holy? We just scratch the surface of those questions and more. What does this passage bring up for you?...