Sources of Queer Theology

Where does queer theology originate from? This is a foundational question. Many Christians will undoubtedly judge the term itself to be an oxymoron. Equally as many will insist that queer theology is the sinister invention of LGBT activists. Patrick Cheng contends that queer theology is derived from the same four sources that every other Christian theological system is derived from. It is a synthesis of scripture, tradition, reason, and experience (what is known as the Wesleyan Quadrilateral). While different traditions tend to place a greater emphasis upon one of these sources over the others, it is important to recognize that every individual source must and will be read in light of the other three. Each source functions as a check and balance for the others.

Queer theology draws upon scripture in original and creative ways. Biblical scholars of the queer persuasion have sought to counter anti-queer readings of the bible and to reclaim the first and second testaments for the queer cause by interpreting the text positively and constructively from their own perspective. They have concluded that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were not destroyed as a result of the practicing of same-sex acts, but rather, because the people of Sodom were inhospitable toward Lot’s angelic guests. Queer theologians also claim to have located a number of LGBT people within the biblical narratives, including David and Jonathan, Ruth and Naomi, the Roman Centurion, the Ethiopian Eunuch, Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

Queer theology has also set out to combat anti-queer Christian tradition by means of fresh and innovative readings of church history and also church doctrine. Some have argued that Christianity was not uniformly homophobic in its early history and that it did not become that way until the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Also, a number of LGBT scholars have begun to reexamine the works of classical theologians from a queer perspective. These scholars have argued that the theological term sodomy was the invention of medieval theologians. It sprung forth from their fear of the pure erotic state; a phobia that was closely related to their conviction that sexual pleasure without the intention of biological reproduction was always sinful. It was this conviction that created the category by which such a state could be condemned unequivocally by the church.

Additionally, queer theology draws upon reason, which is defined as our ability to know God through the observation of nature and creation. Queer philosophers have begun to question the conjecture that all non-procreative sex acts (and by extension all same-sex acts) are naturally evil. They have also inquired into the factuality of the supposition that all LGBT people are hopelessly unhappy and poorly adjusted. Additionally, they are questioning the assumption that same-sex acts and relationships are nonexistent amongst the other non-human lifeforms that inhabit creation. They have discovered that there are actually hundreds of animal and bird species that participate in same-sex acts and gender variant behavior. They furthermore point us towards the fact that there are many members of the Roman Catholic church itself (from laypeople to bishops) who do not believe that same-sex acts are inherently evil. Some Roman Catholics have even come out of the closet and written about their experiences as LGBT people. The insights of the discipline known as queer theory have been integral to the queer understanding of sexuality and gender identity within the natural order as well.

The final source for queer theology is experience. As is the case with every other contextual theology, queer theology is premised upon the belief that God is working within the specific contexts of the lives of LGBT people, despite the fact that their lives and experience have long been excluded from traditional theological discourse. LGBT people have started to write about their own experiences of Jesus Christ in their everyday happenings, in their sexual practices, and in their worship. They have also sought to speak of the ways in which they, as an oppressed people, can identify with the life and death of Jesus, as well as the ways in which He serves as a source of comfort for them in their current circumstances of oppression.