Eritque Arcus
post #2
Trauma clouds faith. Faith quivers when a soul is shattered by shame and guilt. Many feel betrayed by a God they believed would protect and provide. Our group is engaged in a dialog of the manifestation of trauma in queer theology. Queers often feel rejected, shamed and wrong for the essence of their personhood/identity by the very source they believe should offer solace and acceptance. How can the queer individual love a God that faith based individuals and institutions tell them were created “wrong.”
In reading the book, Sex, God, and the Conservative Church: Erasing Shame from Sexual Intimacy by Dr. Tina Schermer Sellers, the author gives us a foundation to understand the intersection of trauma, the church and the culture. Sellers writes how historically the church has shamed sexuality from first century St. Augustine’s example that all sex outside of procreation is wrong, to the 21st century purity culture promulgated by Josh Harris. In her book, Sellers shows the reader that this was not God’s view of sexuality; rather a distortion by man throughout time. She reveals: ”the hidden, mystical sex and body positive understanding of sexuality by the Hebrew people.” This beauty was lost by the church over the centuries. Sellers contrasts this original beauty with the perversion created by culture and commercialism leading to a shame based sexuality. Culture has inundated the consumer to never be satisfied, to seek something better, bigger, more satisfying in a quest to have the best. While Sellers primary focus is to the heterosexual, her focus and encouragement to have a positive sexual reality void of shame and pressure is important to all persons regardless of sexual preference, desire or inheritance.
Our other readings regarding queer theology look to bridge Christian theology and Queer Theology. In Patrick S Cheng’s book Radical Love, the author states “Radical love is defined as a love that is so extreme that it dissolves all existing boundaries, including those boundaries relating to sexuality and gender.” In our group discussions, we have focused on seeking a freedom from shame when the queer person can accept this radical love and live a life accepted by how they are and how they were created to be; an acceptance that reflects how they are beautifully and wonderfully made. Both Christian and Queer theology embrace the scripture:
Romans 8:38–39 New International Version (NIV)
³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither heighth nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When the queer individual can see himself/herself as God sees him/her, that there was no mistake, that they are beautiful as they are, it is then he/she can embrace this radical love, be free from shame and live wholly. It is to this end which our group wishes to create a dialogue with the American, Christian church and culture.
