Queer & Christian Reclaiming the Bible, our faith, and our place at the table

Pastor Robertson (True Inclusion) aims to "wrest the Bible away from the people who use it as a weapon against queer people" in this accessible call for change. Debunking scriptural interpretations that condemn homosexuality, he notes that the concept of sexual orientation didn't exist in biblical times, and argues that the Bible actually deplores sexual domination or exploitation. According to Robertson, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah--in which God destroys those cities after male residents threaten to have sex with visiting angels disguised as men--is an indictment of xenophobia, not homosexuality. He builds his case for a pro-queer Christianity around the "profoundly intimate same-sex relationships" between such biblical figures as Jesus and Lazarus, who serve as models for "resist their society's expectations for how they should live regarding sex... and gender." In addition, Robertson frames the "definition of queer as 'resistance to norms,' " as an apt encapsulation of Jesus's countercultural mission. Robertson's enthusiastic, empowering vision for a more inclusive church inspires, and his exegesis of the six "clobber" passages--the scriptural verses most often cited by Christians to condemn homosexuality--is competent and lucid, if somewhat familiar. This is a solid resource for queer Christians and those who love them. (May)