Queerly evangelical: the rhetoric of inverted belonging as a challenge to heteronormativity in evangelical theology

ABSTRACT

As a small but growing number of evangelical congregations, organizations, and individuals have adopted certain pro-LGBTQ beliefs in recent years, an intriguing rhetorical strategy has emerged: these evangelicals are claiming in various ways that their newfound beliefs, far from being an impediment to their evangelical identity, actually render them more faithful evangelicals than their anti-LGBTQ counterparts. Through what I call a rhetoric of inverted belonging, those who have long been regarded as irrevocable outsiders of evangelicalism are portraying themselves as more rightful insiders than those who exteriorize them from their religious tradition. In this paper, I illustrate the rhetoric of inverted belonging through a variety of examples from the theological discourse of pro-LGBTQ evangelical individuals and institutions. Analyzing this discourse through the lens of a prevalent definition of an evangelical, I demonstrate how the rhetoric of inverted belonging poses a unique challenge to heteronormative theologies within evangelicalism today.     

The Viability of Christian Same-Sex Unions: Why Scripturally Normed Faith Communities Must Support Homosexual Relationships

Abstract

This article examines the common, competing lay theologies employed to address the viability of Christian same-sex unions and critiques their problematic underpinnings. Particular attention is given to the unproductive hermeneutical dynamics that have characterized the debate over this issue. After a critical examination of the relevant biblical texts and other foundational assumptions, the author proposes a biblical theology of Christian same-sex unions as a constructive, conciliatory alternative. The author contends that Christian communities that grant a controlling influence to the Bible as Scripture must accept the biblical testimony on the identity of human beings and the calling of human beings to image God's covenant faithfulness through the gift of sexuality, regardless of sexual orientation. The article is written primarily with clergy in mind, specifically to offer resources for providing guidance in ecclesial processes of discernment on the issue of Christian same-sex unions.     

Sex in the War: An Aesthetics of Resistance in the Diaries of Etty Hillesum

Abstract

This article explores the wartime journals of Etty Hillesum who chronicled her life in the Netherlands under Nazi occupation and her experiences in the transit camp of Westerbork from where she was transported to Auschwitz. In the midst of appalling circumstances Hillesum constructed an aesthetics of resistance in which eroticism played a significant part. This was a mystical aesthetics in which God is encountered through beauty. Hillesum's work is a major resource for those who are seeking to reflect upon the relationship between aesthetics and politics in the current context as illustrated with reference to the work of Hélène Cixous.     

"Eternal Master": Masochism and the Sublime at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception,Washington, DC

Abstract

This article is an interpretation of the apse mosaic designed by Jan de Rosen for the main apse of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. De Rosen's life is outlined and evidence brought forward to suggest that he was homosexual. The nature of the image, with its focus on divine might, is then used to suggest the artist's interest in erotic power relations. The views of various theorists, notably those of Michel Foucault and Leo Bersani, are examined, and it is found that these indicate that there is dispute over whether S/M is, or is not, a site of liberation and personal empowerment. Conceptions of beauty and the sublime derived from Edmund Burke are then used to explore the degree to which visual creation acts not only to describe but also to circumscribe and so limit conceptions of divine power. De Rosen's act of masochistic artistry is compared favourably with normative modes of obedience to authority in post-war America; however, it is concluded that acts of masochistic creativity are essentially selfish and, therefore, may not be of wider moral benefit.     

The "Lyings" of a Woman: Male-Male Incest in Leviticus 18.22?

Abstract

This article offers a philological/literary analysis of a short biblical text in the book of Leviticus. Whenever discussions arise on the subject of homosexuality in the Bible, Lev. 18.22 is quoted. Most modern translations present this text as self-explanatory, which contrasts with the opacity of the original. The ambiguities embedded in the Hebrew wording have received limited attention. Put differently, Bible readers have not been invited to appreciate the internal logic of the text. Perhaps Lev. 18.22 does not prohibit all erotic expression between men. The overall context seems to indicate that the scope of this verse is far more restricted. If the text is analysed and translated carefully, there are reasons to believe that Lev. 18.22 is proscribing incest between male family members.     

Who's Afraid of Gay Theology? Men's Studies,Gay Scholars,and Heterosexual Silence

Abstract

Despite the growing body of gay scholarship in religious studies, there is a dearth of responses by heterosexual scholars in the field of men's studies in religion. Gay theology can still count more predictably on the ire of a conservative public than on a nuanced, non-homophobic critique by their heterosexual colleagues. What contributes to disregarding gay scholarly voices? Paradoxically, their voices are marginalized to the point of invisibility and yet are also in the center of public discourse. This article sifts through some reasons of why heterosexual men shy away from a public debate of the merits of gay scholarship. Besides methodological reservations, heterosexual male anxieties cause such weariness. Autobiographical insertions by gay scholars combined with discipline-transgressions may lead to ‘homosexual panic’ even among non-homophobic scholars. The article argues that heterosexual men's studies in religion need to overcome their silence and engage the scholarship of gay theology.     

From Sodomy to Sympathy: LDS Elites’ Discursive Construction of Homosexuality Over Time

In this article, we examine how leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‐Day Saints (LDS) discursively constructed homosexuality over the last 50 years. Based on textual analysis of LDS talks, magazines, and other publications, we analyze how LDS elites, responding to shifting historical, cultural, and religious interpretations of sexualities, discursively constructed homosexuality as problematic for (1) society from the 1950s to the 1990s, (2) the family from the 1970s to present, and (3) divinely inspired gender roles from the 1980s to present. Further, we show how LDS elites softened their rhetoric in the 1990s, and in so doing, established a new discursive construction of homosexuality as an ailment requiring sympathetic treatment. Throughout our analysis, we also examine how LDS elites accomplished such discursive work in response to shifting societal and religious attitudes concerning sexual minorities. In conclusion, we draw out implications for understanding how religious elites discursively construct sexual norms, the reciprocal relationship between sexual and religious discourse and advocacy, and the importance of examining how dominant religious discourses change over time.     

THE WIDENING SCOPE OF INDICATIONS FOR PERVERSION

Much has changed in clinical practice and theory that bears on the diagnosis and treatment of perversion since Freud's Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality (1905). Definitions of perversion have been freed from assumptions of a heterosexual normality and from moralistic interpretations. The authors endorse the current emphasis on aggression and early narcissistic problems and include the notion of splitting and sexualized scenarios in their definition of perversion. They present several vignettes of male and female patients to demonstrate the debts owed to Freud's theories and the way in which their thinking differs. They emphasize the understanding of the transference‐countertransference picture and the patient's management and control of excitement.     

THE JERUSALEM DECREE,PAUL, AND THE GENTILE ANALOGY TO HOMOSEXUAL PERSONS

Revisionists and traditionalists appeal to Acts 15, welcoming the Gentiles, for analogies directing the church's response to homosexual persons. John Perry has analyzed the major positions. He faults revisionists for inadequate attention to the Jerusalem Decree and faults one traditionalist for using the Decree literally rather than through analogy. I argue that analogical use of the Decree must supplement rather than displace the plain sense. The Decree has been neglected due to assumptions that Paul opposed it, that it expired, or because Gentiles wanted non‐kosher meat. I argue that Paul continued to observe the Torah and supported the Decree, that it has not expired, and that Gentile desire for non‐kosher meat is not a firm obstacle. Affirming the plain sense of the Decree, I develop the analogy from Acts 15 to homosexual persons.     

Butler Interprets Aquinas

This essay examines whether the Catholic magisterium's use of Aquinas to condemn homosexual acts is actually Thomistic. Rather than being aligned with the magisterium, Aquinas advances a moral epistemology better illuminated by the work of philosopher Judith Butler. Deploying Butler as a means of immanent critique, I show how magisterial attempts to argue against lesbian and gay sex fail on their own terms. Reading Aquinas alongside Butler shows us why we need not choose between fidelity to Thomistic natural law and affirmation of lesbians and gays.