Drag Queen Theology, An Intellectual Discipline
When an ordained Methodist preacher appeared behind the pulpit in drag it caused quite a stir. He/she was later dismissed as the pastor of that church.
I've read that sexuality is much more central to U.S. society than it is in other countries around the world. As a result, the major religion, Christianity, is also more sex focused than Christianity elsewhere. It would not be surprising, then, if a branch of Christians who have a non-orthodox view of sexuality made gender central to their own version of Christianity. It turns out the appearance of a drag preacher was not simply a publicity stunt but a teaching moment for the perspective of gender held by a committed Christian but non-orthodox branch of the faith. This branch has its own body of writing and is fully capable of discussing theology. I must mention the link is not that of a member of Queer Theology but writes his understanding of it.
While orthodox theology concludes God made two genders, male and female, Queer Theology does not find this limitation. It concludes genders find themselves, the human experience finds many genders. There can be no doubt Queer Theology is right about human experience. Gender is described in many ways with almost endless possibilities. There is no way the determine which view is God's view. Thus, it is impossible to conclude Queer Theology is wrong or the traditional theology is right.
In addition to that, Queer Theology sees traditional views on gender as guarded aggressively by the status quo. Reality requires orthodox views of gender must be attacked publicly and aggressively. Appearing in drag is part of this theology. The status quo is not to be attacked by whispering but by flamboyant symbolism. This is not unlike the charge of the Bible to go forth and preach. That is what Querry Theology is doing.
Reading the link one understands Queer Theology finds the divine in the human experience. The human experience is what the fields of sociology, history and cousin disciplines are about. Thus, the link criticizes Queer Theology as not theology but sociology. The Bible talks endlessly about human behavior. But it promotes behaviors deemed superior by ancient writers. Queer Theology finds human behavior in actual human experience. Those two are quite different. But there is no license required to call oneself "Christian." Thus, Queer Theology is as Christian as orthodox theology.
Again, denying biological facts is is the de facto argument proposed here. Don't check out the genetic make-up scientifically. Don't look between the legs. Instead, push an anti-scientific, mind-boggling premise that called Queer Theology. Why not Queer Feminist Theology? How about Liberation Queer Theology? Or even Queer Racist Feminist Climate Theology? There is nothing but garbage coming out of the minds of people who deny biology and try to impose dangerous nonsense where science is decided.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't take a Ph.D. to refute Queer Theology. Any serious theologian places it on the ash heap of perpetual motion machines, time travel, human male pregnancy, etc.
Quite often, I have found "ancient writers" to be markedly accurate and scientific beyond their technical boundaries. Their philosophy and theology were the stuff of genius. Plato, Socrates, Thomas Aquinas and Augustine of Hippo paved the way for great societies up to including today.
The biological facts are that most children are born as standard males or females. However, it is also a biological fact that some children are born intersex, and have genitalia which is not binary. Additionally, a few children may appear to be one sex or another but have indeterminate chromosomes. We do not yet known much about the influence of various pre-natal hormones. What we do know is that nature has provided us with a range of sexual expressions.
DeleteMatt-- "There is nothing buy garbage coming out of the minds of people..."
ReplyDeleteYou are the perfect prototype of person I met in years on the Board of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). These people had done a 180 by the time I knew them but when they described their former selves it was you. Most often, it was the father who said, "No. My boy gay? That's impossible. You are a male. Males are attracted to females. Change now."
It was the same thing when trans people started showing up at PFLAG support meetings. I remember a friend who told me her story. She lived some decades as a man. She was in and out of mental facilities and attempted suicide. When she finally figured out a solution, to become a woman, all but eight of her siblings rejected her. She had a relationship only with her mother and one sister. She lived next to poverty but was happy she made the change.
So, rant on Matt. You will never understand.
I understand science.
ReplyDeleteI know what true love is as it was demonstrated by Jesus Christ. It is not supporting sin. It is about loving God and all of His human creation.
There is no queer theology. Sorry to break the news to you. Oh, amd a person exists at conception.
If a person exists at conception, why are so many killed off even before women know they are pregnant or by later miscarriages?
Delete