Resources on Pride, LGBTQIA+ Persons and the Church

Resources from the Forum

Reading

Walking the Bridgless Canyon by Kathy Baldock

It’s a retrospective study regarding biblical history, science, and todays culture on LGBT life and discrimination, and how to repair the breach between church and LGBT persons.
More information on this book here.

Finding Home: Stories of Roman Catholics Entering the Episcopal Church

In many chapters, former Roman Catholics made the switch to the Episcopal Church because of LGBT issues.

Film

1946

The film addresses the Greek translations to add homosexual in the Bible in 1946 and the damage caused.
Watch this film here.

Descriptions prepared by Joe Poisson.

Scriptural References and Resources

As Anglicans, we draw from Scripture, Tradition, and Reason as we think theologically. Our reading of Scripture understands the text to be multivalent, rich with meanings, and ever inspired by the Spirit to lead us into all truth. Scripture for us is neither a rule book nor a dead document declaring once and for all how we ought to understand and live out our faith.

The passages cited below offer spaces in which we might revisit long-held interpretations and open up dialogue with Scripture in our own time and place. The reflections here are not intended as final conclusions nor dogma but rather as possibilities held out by the text itself. They do not close (or even invite) a debate, but rather demonstrate some of the many ways in which all Christians can be faithful followers of Jesus.

The Ethiopian Eunuch: Acts 8:26-40

Suggested reading: Sean D. Burke. “Queering Early Christian Discourse: The Ethiopian Eunuch” in Teresa J. Hornsby, Ken Stone, eds. Bible Trouble : Queer Reading at the Boundaries of Biblical Scholarship. Society for Biblical Literature, 2011, 175-189.

Burke argues that the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch is the interpretive key to the whole book of Acts. As a person with a highly ambiguous identity (a Gentile “God Fearer,” a high-status slave, a castrated man), the eunuch’s conversion represents the work of Christ through the Spirit in the Church to break down all barriers to inclusion among God’s people.

Gentiles included in the Church: Acts 11:1-18

The early followers of Christ were all Jews. Based on their understanding of Scripture, tradition, and practice, they initially assumed that, should Gentiles enter the Church, they would do so by first converting to Judaism. This passage shows God’s clear leading of the Church to include those they had understood to be outsiders. God in fact needed to use a bullhorn (Peter’s remarkable vision, and God’s gift of the Spirit to previously unconverted Gentiles) to shock the disciples into recognizing what God was calling them to do. Sometimes we need to get our noses out of the book and see what the Spirit is already moving ahead of us to do in the world!

In Peter’s vision, God clearly says, “Do not call ‘unclean’ what I have made clean.” Peter understands this to mean not simply the meat he is shown in his vision, but Gentiles, with whom the disciples had been unable to share table fellowship.

Today, many Christians call LGBTQIA+ persons “unclean.” They can defend their stance by pointing to certain Bible passages (which are contested and far from clear). Meanwhile, LGBTQIA+ Christians are living lives evidently filled with the Holy Spirit. Can the Church recognize what God is already doing in the world? Here in Acts, Luke gives us a clear precedent.

“Incarnation and Incarnations”

Suggested reading: Chapter 2 in Voelkel, Rebecca M. M. Carnal Knowledge of God: Embodied Love and the Movement for Justice. Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2017.

Voelkel observes that the Incarnation of God as a first-century Jewish man does not merely sanctify that one way of being human in the world, but rather sanctifies all ways of being human—our many incarnations. As the Word made flesh, Jesus demonstrates God’s “promiscuous” love for all:

God became embodied in order to have a human experience, in order to become intimate with us, in order to hallow the body. The incarnation is both an act of intimacy between God and humanity and a blessing of all of our incarnations. (21)

Creation in God’s image: Genesis 1:26-27

Suggested reading: Genesis 1:26-27 commentary in Walton, John H., Victor H. Matthews, and Mark W. Chavalas, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. IVP Academic, 2000.

In Genesis, we are told God created humankind—male and female—in God’s “image” and “likeness.” In antiquity, an “image” or “likeness” represented the authority of the one whose image was borne: a king, for example, might set up a statue of himself in a newly-conquered territory, or place his likeness on coinage used throughout his realm. Idols used in temples were not actually believed to be the gods themselves, but were images that mediated the presence of that god in that place. Our being made in God’s image does not necessarily refer to any quality or characteristic stamped on us, but rather our calling to mediate God’s presence in the world, to exercise “dominion” as God does, in God’s name.

The creation of humans as “male and female” parallels other seemingly-rigid categories in the Genesis 1 poem about creation. God creates light and darkness; day and night; sea and dry land; and creatures that dwell in the sea, on land, and in the sky. None of this means that shadows, dusk, dawn, marshes, rain forests, crocodiles, or water fowl don’t exist. Neither does “male and female” in this passage restrict all human ways of being to a simple sex or gender binary.

This section prepared by Dr. Elaine Belz.

Ways to Get Involved

The Religious and Political Agenda against Trans Lives: Alternative Faith Perspectives
June 1 at 6 pm

Join a virtual conversation with Christian, Jewish, and Muslim representatives to discuss alternative Faith perspectives on transsexuality. A keynote conversation will launch the discussion with Dr. James Whitehead, a Catholic Christian theologian who is recognized as one of the lead legacy theologians in the US on the topic of faith, gender, and sexual orientation/identity. Jim’s newest book, released in April, is entitled “The Road to Me – A Transgender Journey. Part 1 of the Megoir” and is co-authored with Meghan Buell, a trans woman. Joining in the discussion are Meghan Buell, Rabbi Simone Schicker of Temple B’Nai Israel Kalamazoo, and Maher Alhaj, author of Halal This Way: Towards a Viable Queering in Sunni Islam.

Within the past year, religious groups have aligned with political entities to organize against trans-affirming practices, from public library resources to trans-supportive health practices. Amidst the increasing local and national debates, the primary faith-based voices in the debate have supported a restriction of trans-affirming practices. But there are alternative perspectives – join Interfaith Action to learn more.

This event is co-sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan, and the Episcopal Dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan.

Join the Cathedral Church of St. Paul at Motor City Pride!
We are excited to announce our presence and support of Motor City Pride being held in June! Volunteers are needed Saturday, June 10, 2023 and Sunday, June 11, 2023 to host our booth. Individuals, groups, and families can sign up for 4-hour blocks. There is a sign-up sheet in the gallery on the bulletin board. As a volunteer, you will be welcoming visitors to the booth, answering any questions they may have about the Cathedral, and offering bottles of water, and showing our love to our LGBTQIA+ neighbors.

Donations of bottled water are needed for this event! You may leave donations at the welcome desk in the gallery.

The Cathedral community will also be participating in the parade and encourages you to march with us! Don your favorite pride colors and join the celebration on Sunday, June 11, 2023 at 12 noon. If you would like to march in the parade, please add your name and email address to the Parade Sign Up sheet posted on the bulletin board in the gallery. This will help us anticipate how many are marching and also provide you more information about times, staging area, etc.

Should you have any questions, please contact Emery Dumas at emeryja21@hotmail.com or call/text at 231-590-6720.