Queer Theology Podcast

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 feels of anxiety and anger that sometimes come up when confronting our religious beliefs. Speaking o...

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 10 at 9pm eastern (1am GMT) , register here Other episodes o...

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 Collective which situates the last week of Jesus's life in the context of what was going on historic...

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. There's a lot to discover when it comes to the politics of Jesus, so we'll be talking about it for the next few weeks at QueerTheology.com. Subscribe for email updates if you haven't already. And join us for  two  inter...

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 John Domnic Crossan in Sanctuary Collective and that this story (as told by Mark) is one of the...

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 think it's worth it. We're tackling the politics of Jesus all Lent long. Sign up for upda...

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 many ways, that's just the start of a journey full of obstacles.  Who are you, who a...

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. 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 This is why we don't get discouraged, given that we received this ministry in the same way that we received God's mercy. Instead, we reject secrecy and shameful actions. We don't...

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. [powerpress] In this episode, we mention this year's Synchroblog   Harvey Milk's "I'm here to recruit you" line How "obligation" to Christ is greater tha...

Fr. Shay 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. In this episode, we reference: Rob Bell's  What Is The Bible? Sanctuary Collective

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 for them and what does it mean for us? [powerpress] In this episode, we reference Jesus describing his "go...

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 resonate with you. Psalm 139 1-6; 13-18 Lord , you have examined me.      You know me. You kno...

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 about that too. It's also time for this year's Queer Theology Synchroblog! The prompt...

  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 put together a 3-part video series to help you through it. Get it here. Luke 1:47-55    ...

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. [powerpress] Isaiah 61:1-4 The Lord God's spirit is upon me,    because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me     to bring good news to the poor,     t...

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. In this episode, we talk about ... Connecting our work to those who have come before us Queer Christians wrestle with faith and the divi...

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! [powerpress] Show Notes In this episode, we talk about... Parallels between the ancient Hebrew community and the modern queer community... both of which are small and vulnerable Holy qu...

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 hell, but this passage gives a very different explanation. Show Notes In this episode, we look at "You...

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.

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 .    In this episode, we look at... the emphasis on "a personal relationship with Jesus" vs the emphasis we see...

This month we're focusing on trans issues at Queer Theology. In this week's episode, we talk about why that's important.