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Radical Love: An Introduction to Queer Theology
Contextual theologies have developed from a number of perspectives including feminist theology, Black theology, womanist theology, Latin American liberation theology, and Asian American theology and a wide variety of academic and general introductions exist to examine each one.
However, Radical Love is the first introductory textbook on the subject of queer theology.
Queer theology is concerned with questions about the meaning of existence, as posed by lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and other queer seekers. The classic problems of theology apply: the problems of both natural and human evil; the problem of God, or the ultimate source of the universe; the problem of the purpose of human life; the problem of ethical conduct; and the problem of human desire for eternal life.
Part One of this new book provides a historical survey of how queer theology has developed from the 1950's to today. Part Two is a substantive, but highly readable introduction to the themes of queer theology using the ecumenical creeds as a general framework. Topics include revelation, God, Trinity, creation, Jesus Christ, atonement, sin, grace, Holy Spirit, church, sacraments, and last things, as seen through the lenses of LGBT
theologians.
However, Radical Love is the first introductory textbook on the subject of queer theology.
Queer theology is concerned with questions about the meaning of existence, as posed by lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and other queer seekers. The classic problems of theology apply: the problems of both natural and human evil; the problem of God, or the ultimate source of the universe; the problem of the purpose of human life; the problem of ethical conduct; and the problem of human desire for eternal life.
Part One of this new book provides a historical survey of how queer theology has developed from the 1950's to today. Part Two is a substantive, but highly readable introduction to the themes of queer theology using the ecumenical creeds as a general framework. Topics include revelation, God, Trinity, creation, Jesus Christ, atonement, sin, grace, Holy Spirit, church, sacraments, and last things, as seen through the lenses of LGBT
theologians.
161 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
February 19, 2012
I appreciate what this book does for the LGBT community (especially those who are religious) in extending the ideas of liberation theology to a people group that is commonly shunned or condemned by modern day religion. The calling for a dissolution of boundaries, unlimited love, and acceptance is something with which I am fully on board. I also recognize that this book is a collection of views, and cites mannny opinions, not just Cheng's.
That being said, the two star rating stems from, what I feel, are more than a couple of points that are not only ridiculous, but also detrimental to the gay community.
Early on, in commenting on the passages traditionally used to condemn homosexuals, Cheng states that the 'sin' of Sodom and Gomorrah was not homosexuality, but inhospitality. Fair enough. Cheng then goes on to suggest, however, that given that promiscuity on the part of gay people is, perhaps, a spiritual gift of hospitality. 1) Ridiculous. 2) Homophobic--not all gay people are promiscuous. Yes, some gay people are promiscuous, but many are interested in close monogamous relationships. To suggest otherwise is to play up negative and harmful stereotypes. Furthermore... I'm not condemning anyone that is promiscuous (you do you), but don't paint it as a virtue. Sluttyness is not next to godliness.
Secondly, the book goes to weird town when the author either attempts to or cites those who attempt to sexualize god and therein draw allusions to the gay community. There is some attempt to view the old testament god as what the author calls a 'divine top' and the Israelite people as the submissive 'bottom.' The oversimplification of the bottom/top relationship is, once again, homophobic and does not belong in a book centered on queer liberation theology. To say that such a relationship is centered on domination is wrong. The book then takes the train one stop further to crazy town and decides that since the bible mentions slavery, war, and apparently leather somewhere in there, god must be fully on board with BDSM. Oooookay.
In short, the book tried to do a good thing and did have some good points, but certain portions failed utterly, in my eyes, and even sank into homophobia.
That being said, the two star rating stems from, what I feel, are more than a couple of points that are not only ridiculous, but also detrimental to the gay community.
Early on, in commenting on the passages traditionally used to condemn homosexuals, Cheng states that the 'sin' of Sodom and Gomorrah was not homosexuality, but inhospitality. Fair enough. Cheng then goes on to suggest, however, that given that promiscuity on the part of gay people is, perhaps, a spiritual gift of hospitality. 1) Ridiculous. 2) Homophobic--not all gay people are promiscuous. Yes, some gay people are promiscuous, but many are interested in close monogamous relationships. To suggest otherwise is to play up negative and harmful stereotypes. Furthermore... I'm not condemning anyone that is promiscuous (you do you), but don't paint it as a virtue. Sluttyness is not next to godliness.
Secondly, the book goes to weird town when the author either attempts to or cites those who attempt to sexualize god and therein draw allusions to the gay community. There is some attempt to view the old testament god as what the author calls a 'divine top' and the Israelite people as the submissive 'bottom.' The oversimplification of the bottom/top relationship is, once again, homophobic and does not belong in a book centered on queer liberation theology. To say that such a relationship is centered on domination is wrong. The book then takes the train one stop further to crazy town and decides that since the bible mentions slavery, war, and apparently leather somewhere in there, god must be fully on board with BDSM. Oooookay.
In short, the book tried to do a good thing and did have some good points, but certain portions failed utterly, in my eyes, and even sank into homophobia.
April 5, 2011
As a teaching text, this is a home run. I cannot imagine a better introduction to queer theology for any audience. The language is simple and accessible without simplifying, never getting in the way of the genuinely challenging ideas Cheng constantly raises up from the community and its advocates. Yet the footnotes and bibliography are comprehensive: A doctoral student doing a field exam in queer theology could take this up as their syllabus, unchanged. Scholars and churches have both needed this resource. Cheng, astonishingly, serves both with equal grace and clarity.
Those churches that read and use this book—and I hope many do—will probably find it starts productive fights. Cheng isn't out to start fights, mind, but I think his method will reveal theological and ethical differences within the broader queer community that we're accustomed to ignoring. Queer theology has tended to be poly- and kink-friendly, for instance, and all that is here. Yet Cheng hews to the patterns of traditional Christian dogmatics to a degree that many theological liberals will find unsettling. He has referred to this book as a queer Not Every Spirit, and indeed the Barthian substructure persists, even if Karl himself goes uncited. Open theists will find this too confining, even as many church people may boggle at the range of sexual and relational practices in which Cheng is willing to find God at work. (If my students at Union Theological Seminary found, oh, the Trinity as orgy a little far out, I can only imagine how it'll play in the churches.) Someone like Eugene F. Rogers is often too Christian for the queers and too queer for the Christians. Whether Cheng's very different theological sensibility can break that dilemma remains to be seen, but the same roots are there.
For this book presents more of a sensibility than an argument. As a compiler, Cheng has done us all a tremendous service. As a constructive theologian, his work is less on display here. The book does not suggest a particularly deep reading in queer theory, even as it gives us an Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick who is ready to use in church right out of the box. The frame-story of radical love as breaking down boundaries is elegant and suits Cheng's introductory purpose, but on its own merits I judge it indefensible. It reduces the work of God to the basic moves of poststructuralism, a reading of Theory even more naive than that of the Radical Orthodox. (Cheng's use of Graham Ward and Sarah Coakley deserves much more scrutiny: Can the queers and the postliberals really co-inhabit a mutually safe space? I would hope so, for the sake of my own sensibilities, but I'm not sure we've proven that yet.) When Marx said "all that is solid melts into air," he didn't think that was a good thing. Cheng is doubtless right that the future of queer theology will involve more attention to multiculturalism and intersectionality, but the categories of "queer" and "theology" have much more to say to each other in themselves as well, particularly as ethically queer theology matures enough to begin to internally critique metaphysical queerness.
Whatever my constructive issues, however, this book will be an indispensable resource in doing that new construction and in forming the church where that construction can be responsibly tested and lived. This book is far from perfect. In twenty years it will probably look dated. But even then, we will look back to the time before Cheng wrote it, and wonder how we could ever have done without it.
Those churches that read and use this book—and I hope many do—will probably find it starts productive fights. Cheng isn't out to start fights, mind, but I think his method will reveal theological and ethical differences within the broader queer community that we're accustomed to ignoring. Queer theology has tended to be poly- and kink-friendly, for instance, and all that is here. Yet Cheng hews to the patterns of traditional Christian dogmatics to a degree that many theological liberals will find unsettling. He has referred to this book as a queer Not Every Spirit, and indeed the Barthian substructure persists, even if Karl himself goes uncited. Open theists will find this too confining, even as many church people may boggle at the range of sexual and relational practices in which Cheng is willing to find God at work. (If my students at Union Theological Seminary found, oh, the Trinity as orgy a little far out, I can only imagine how it'll play in the churches.) Someone like Eugene F. Rogers is often too Christian for the queers and too queer for the Christians. Whether Cheng's very different theological sensibility can break that dilemma remains to be seen, but the same roots are there.
For this book presents more of a sensibility than an argument. As a compiler, Cheng has done us all a tremendous service. As a constructive theologian, his work is less on display here. The book does not suggest a particularly deep reading in queer theory, even as it gives us an Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick who is ready to use in church right out of the box. The frame-story of radical love as breaking down boundaries is elegant and suits Cheng's introductory purpose, but on its own merits I judge it indefensible. It reduces the work of God to the basic moves of poststructuralism, a reading of Theory even more naive than that of the Radical Orthodox. (Cheng's use of Graham Ward and Sarah Coakley deserves much more scrutiny: Can the queers and the postliberals really co-inhabit a mutually safe space? I would hope so, for the sake of my own sensibilities, but I'm not sure we've proven that yet.) When Marx said "all that is solid melts into air," he didn't think that was a good thing. Cheng is doubtless right that the future of queer theology will involve more attention to multiculturalism and intersectionality, but the categories of "queer" and "theology" have much more to say to each other in themselves as well, particularly as ethically queer theology matures enough to begin to internally critique metaphysical queerness.
Whatever my constructive issues, however, this book will be an indispensable resource in doing that new construction and in forming the church where that construction can be responsibly tested and lived. This book is far from perfect. In twenty years it will probably look dated. But even then, we will look back to the time before Cheng wrote it, and wonder how we could ever have done without it.
February 16, 2016
In todays political and social climate it can feel like it is not okay to not like books of this nature. I think a large part of the reason is because of the authors's motive for writing. Cheng writes out of his own experience as a victim of social hatred and injustice. A few times in these pages he alludes to being bullied, rejected, judged, etc. often at the hands of the religious "right".
So I want to be respectful of Cheng and others that have shared his experience. I do not know what it feels like to experience these things and I truly believe that it is a REAL injustice. I did not dislike the book out of hatred for Cheng's sexuality or discriminatory notions. I am an evangelical Christian which places me in suspicion off the hop and I am aware of this disadvantage in my short review.
Now: the review. I didn't really like the book. I thought the organizing premise that,
"...Christian theology is ultimately about radical love. It affirms the impossibly queer truth that God is love, that God's love spilled forth in the act of creation, that God became human out of God's love for humanity, and that God continues to guide us back toward the love from whence we came..."
showed great potential. At many points in the book Cheng briefly described very controversial theological views, which he categorized as "queer" theology, without nearly enough explanation. He footnoted his references faithfully but did not take the time to expand or explain. Because the text is presented as an "introduction" for newcomers to the ideas of queer studies and queer theology I feel like this was a glaring oversight. For a typical evangelical, many of these examples will feel like a shock and awe tactic.
Some of the views I found surprising include associating the God of the OT with bondage and "leather culture". Also, a speculative hermeneutic that suggests various sexual orientations for most of the key figures in the Bible, based on their close friendships, using the body of Christ imagery as evidence of Jesus' multi-genderedness, and so on. I am not opposed to imaginative and creative work with the Bible but some of these examples were presented in a way that felt somewhat dismissive of more traditional theological views. If the goal is to help the existing Church be more inclusive I would suggest that this writing technique will not be terribly effective.
Also, the book felt as though it was missing a living God. If there exists a real living God is it not reasonable to believe that this God should be actively involved in the theological process? At several points in the book it felt like if something makes anyone uncomfortable it should be jettisoned and replaced or completely disregarded. The virgin birth doesn't jive with your celebration of sexuality? no problem, create a different story, Jesus discussing sin bothers you? just disregard the harder bits and create an alternative view of sin for the rest.
The book was not all bad. I did feel challenged to reconsider some of my views and to consider where I may be supporting injustice with my own actions and/or assumptions. I simply think it missed the mark that it claimed to be aiming for. If you have friends that want to consider the Church from a Queer perspective I would suggest the book Torn as a way better starting point.
So I want to be respectful of Cheng and others that have shared his experience. I do not know what it feels like to experience these things and I truly believe that it is a REAL injustice. I did not dislike the book out of hatred for Cheng's sexuality or discriminatory notions. I am an evangelical Christian which places me in suspicion off the hop and I am aware of this disadvantage in my short review.
Now: the review. I didn't really like the book. I thought the organizing premise that,
"...Christian theology is ultimately about radical love. It affirms the impossibly queer truth that God is love, that God's love spilled forth in the act of creation, that God became human out of God's love for humanity, and that God continues to guide us back toward the love from whence we came..."
showed great potential. At many points in the book Cheng briefly described very controversial theological views, which he categorized as "queer" theology, without nearly enough explanation. He footnoted his references faithfully but did not take the time to expand or explain. Because the text is presented as an "introduction" for newcomers to the ideas of queer studies and queer theology I feel like this was a glaring oversight. For a typical evangelical, many of these examples will feel like a shock and awe tactic.
Some of the views I found surprising include associating the God of the OT with bondage and "leather culture". Also, a speculative hermeneutic that suggests various sexual orientations for most of the key figures in the Bible, based on their close friendships, using the body of Christ imagery as evidence of Jesus' multi-genderedness, and so on. I am not opposed to imaginative and creative work with the Bible but some of these examples were presented in a way that felt somewhat dismissive of more traditional theological views. If the goal is to help the existing Church be more inclusive I would suggest that this writing technique will not be terribly effective.
Also, the book felt as though it was missing a living God. If there exists a real living God is it not reasonable to believe that this God should be actively involved in the theological process? At several points in the book it felt like if something makes anyone uncomfortable it should be jettisoned and replaced or completely disregarded. The virgin birth doesn't jive with your celebration of sexuality? no problem, create a different story, Jesus discussing sin bothers you? just disregard the harder bits and create an alternative view of sin for the rest.
The book was not all bad. I did feel challenged to reconsider some of my views and to consider where I may be supporting injustice with my own actions and/or assumptions. I simply think it missed the mark that it claimed to be aiming for. If you have friends that want to consider the Church from a Queer perspective I would suggest the book Torn as a way better starting point.
February 20, 2023
I highly recommend this book!
Father Patrick Cheng is an Episcopal priest, lawyer, and theologian in NYC. He teaches some classes at the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary and serves as an Associate Priest at The Church of the Transfiguration, a “historic Anglo-Catholic parish in Midtown Manhattan.” Cheng has degrees from Yale College, Harvard Law School, and Union Theological Seminary where James Cone was his doctoral adviser and mentor (vii).
This is a great book for anyone who wants to learn more about queer theory and theology! Cheng provided study questions and references for future study at the end of each main section, making it “ideal for self-study, for religious studies, theology, and queer studies classes, or for adult education in parishes and congregations” (xi).
Cheng uses the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed as a framework to talk about the doctrine of God as “the sending forth of radical love” (ch. 3), the doctrine of Jesus Christ as “the recovery of radical love” (ch 4.), and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit as “the return to radical love” (ch. 5). The subsections of these chapters include the following doctrines:
Cheng's main argument is that radical love, the kind that dissolves boundaries, is at the heart of Christian theology and queer theory. There are more connections between Christian theology and queer theory than many people might first think there would be. And queer theology is all about radical love. Cheng claims, “at its heart, Christian theology is a fundamentally queer enterprise, and this book is an attempt to demonstrate this truth” (x). He states that the thesis of the book is, “Christian theology […] is a fundamentally queer enterprise because it also challenges and deconstructs— through radical love—all kinds of binary categories that on the surface seem fixed and unchangeable [...] but that ultimately are fluid and malleable” (10). Christian theology’s focus on Jesus’ incarnation, resurrection from the dead, and ascension, flip upside down, blur boundaries, and disrupt our binaries of “life and death, divine and human, center and margins, beginnings and endings, infinite and finite, and punishment and forgiveness” (11). In Jesus, “these seemingly fixed binary categories are ultimately challenged and collapsed” (11).
Cheng describes Christian theology as a three-part drama about radical love. In the first act, we have God as “the sending forth of radical love,” in the second act Jesus Christ recovers the radical love humans had lost, and in the third act the Holy Spirit is “the means by which we return to radical love” (139). Throughout the book, Cheng shows how different doctrines break down “allegedly fixed boundaries.”
-doctrines of revelation, creation, and incarnation break down the allegedly fixed boundaries that separate the divine from the human.
-doctrines of the resurrection and last things break down the allegedly fixed boundaries that separate death from life.
-the doctrine of atonement breaks down the allegedly fixed boundaries that separate guilt and innocence. (p. 139).
Father Patrick Cheng is an Episcopal priest, lawyer, and theologian in NYC. He teaches some classes at the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary and serves as an Associate Priest at The Church of the Transfiguration, a “historic Anglo-Catholic parish in Midtown Manhattan.” Cheng has degrees from Yale College, Harvard Law School, and Union Theological Seminary where James Cone was his doctoral adviser and mentor (vii).
This is a great book for anyone who wants to learn more about queer theory and theology! Cheng provided study questions and references for future study at the end of each main section, making it “ideal for self-study, for religious studies, theology, and queer studies classes, or for adult education in parishes and congregations” (xi).
Cheng uses the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed as a framework to talk about the doctrine of God as “the sending forth of radical love” (ch. 3), the doctrine of Jesus Christ as “the recovery of radical love” (ch 4.), and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit as “the return to radical love” (ch. 5). The subsections of these chapters include the following doctrines:
Revelation - God’s coming out as radical love
God as radical love itself
Trinity - an internal community of radical love
Creation - God’s outpouring of radical love
Sin - the rejection of radical love
Jesus Christ - the embodiment of radical love
Mary - the bearer of radical love
Atonement - the ending of scapegoating through radical love
Holy Spirit - points us toward radical love
Church - an external community of radical love
Saints - the breaking through of radical love
Sacraments - a foretaste of radical love
Last things - the horizon of radical love
Cheng's main argument is that radical love, the kind that dissolves boundaries, is at the heart of Christian theology and queer theory. There are more connections between Christian theology and queer theory than many people might first think there would be. And queer theology is all about radical love. Cheng claims, “at its heart, Christian theology is a fundamentally queer enterprise, and this book is an attempt to demonstrate this truth” (x). He states that the thesis of the book is, “Christian theology […] is a fundamentally queer enterprise because it also challenges and deconstructs— through radical love—all kinds of binary categories that on the surface seem fixed and unchangeable [...] but that ultimately are fluid and malleable” (10). Christian theology’s focus on Jesus’ incarnation, resurrection from the dead, and ascension, flip upside down, blur boundaries, and disrupt our binaries of “life and death, divine and human, center and margins, beginnings and endings, infinite and finite, and punishment and forgiveness” (11). In Jesus, “these seemingly fixed binary categories are ultimately challenged and collapsed” (11).
Cheng describes Christian theology as a three-part drama about radical love. In the first act, we have God as “the sending forth of radical love,” in the second act Jesus Christ recovers the radical love humans had lost, and in the third act the Holy Spirit is “the means by which we return to radical love” (139). Throughout the book, Cheng shows how different doctrines break down “allegedly fixed boundaries.”
-doctrines of revelation, creation, and incarnation break down the allegedly fixed boundaries that separate the divine from the human.
-doctrines of the resurrection and last things break down the allegedly fixed boundaries that separate death from life.
-the doctrine of atonement breaks down the allegedly fixed boundaries that separate guilt and innocence. (p. 139).
March 1, 2021
Yeah, so I have mixed feelings about this book. There were absolutely some beautiful insights in it that I will return to. And I truly enjoy many examples of “queering” the Bible & the tradition. There are valid & fun reasons to. But, there are definitely times when it reads WAY too much into the text. I don’t necessarily think that every aspect of faith needs to have a “queer parallel” in order to support inclusion with our practice. We do that ourselves. Some of the examples seemed like they were provocative just for the shock factor. Also, the way the author talked about coming out was a bit much- it made it seem like “coming out” is the only option for having a valid queer experience, which I strongly disagree with.
July 7, 2018
Nice introduction to the material, but probably paints in too broad of strokes. The thesis centers on queer theology erasing boundaries that limit radical love and the author has a understanding of a wide view of perpsectives. The best part of the book is its bibliography which leads to me to do further reading and research.
didnt-finish
April 24, 2025DNF'd @ 20% or so
A narrow and binary look at queer theology.
Yes, this was written in 2011, but it's not an excuse. It doesn't matter that the book is from over a decade ago. Gender Trouble was published in 1990, 21 years before Radical Love! Yet Cheng focuses on a very narrow, very binary queer experience that probably feels familiar only to well-off queer people with binary sexual orientation or binary gender identity.
Why? Because the book only mentions binary gender identities and binary sexual identities. I'm certain that Cheng's identity affected how the book was written a bit too much, and he didn't really stop and think about the people outside that binary.
He also categorizes intersex people as a third separate group belonging under the queer umbrella term, the two others being marginalized sexualities and marginalized gender identities. What the fresh hell is that?
Yes. It's problematic. A very odd stance. How about asking intersex people? No? Okay.
Aroace people are also completely ignored, even though THEY ARE QUEER, and heavily ostracized by the queer community. They don't exist in this book. Because why would they? This book is way too sex-focused for its own good. Sexuality is part of being human, but there's too much "sex this and sex that" stuff.
In the book it's also alluded that many queer people are promiscuous. A weird thing to put in the book. Some are. Some aren't. Doesn't really matter either way. But why in God's name was it put there? It's not Cheng's thought, but Nancy Wilson's.
Now, I was okay with that part until the end; "that many LGBT people have". Sigh. Gag. Eugh.
This book should be read with an understanding that it is just a very meh introduction to queer theology. One should check the references and read those instead, if queerness is even a bit familiar. Fuck it, even if it isn't, read the references and leave this book be.
Cheng writes from a very middle-class, well-to-do, highly educated, binary gender/sexual identity perspective. It's a very narrow way to look at queerness and theology. This isn't to say that this book isn't valuable, just that it's a very narrow look at queer theology. And one should keep that in mind.
A narrow and binary look at queer theology.
Yes, this was written in 2011, but it's not an excuse. It doesn't matter that the book is from over a decade ago. Gender Trouble was published in 1990, 21 years before Radical Love! Yet Cheng focuses on a very narrow, very binary queer experience that probably feels familiar only to well-off queer people with binary sexual orientation or binary gender identity.
Why? Because the book only mentions binary gender identities and binary sexual identities. I'm certain that Cheng's identity affected how the book was written a bit too much, and he didn't really stop and think about the people outside that binary.
He also categorizes intersex people as a third separate group belonging under the queer umbrella term, the two others being marginalized sexualities and marginalized gender identities. What the fresh hell is that?
To summarize, the term "queer" is often used as an umbrella or collective term to describe people with marginalized — genitalia (intersex).
Yes. It's problematic. A very odd stance. How about asking intersex people? No? Okay.
Aroace people are also completely ignored, even though THEY ARE QUEER, and heavily ostracized by the queer community. They don't exist in this book. Because why would they? This book is way too sex-focused for its own good. Sexuality is part of being human, but there's too much "sex this and sex that" stuff.
In the book it's also alluded that many queer people are promiscuous. A weird thing to put in the book. Some are. Some aren't. Doesn't really matter either way. But why in God's name was it put there? It's not Cheng's thought, but Nancy Wilson's.
For example, Wilson has constructed a "queer theology of sexuality" by focusing on the gift of "promiscuous" or "bodily hospitality" that many LGBT people have.
Now, I was okay with that part until the end; "that many LGBT people have". Sigh. Gag. Eugh.
This book should be read with an understanding that it is just a very meh introduction to queer theology. One should check the references and read those instead, if queerness is even a bit familiar. Fuck it, even if it isn't, read the references and leave this book be.
Cheng writes from a very middle-class, well-to-do, highly educated, binary gender/sexual identity perspective. It's a very narrow way to look at queerness and theology. This isn't to say that this book isn't valuable, just that it's a very narrow look at queer theology. And one should keep that in mind.
March 2, 2021
This was a great introduction and overview of major themes in queer theology. I liked that Cheng explained things well, and that he had a fantastic bibliography. Each chapter ends with discussion questions and a "for further reading" section, which I think is extremely helpful. This theology is new to me, but it was explained clearly and with good citations so I can reflect myself and see God in a new way.
September 23, 2022
3.75
A great introduction to the topic, though it sometimes becomes overly repetitive. However, Cheng provides a wealth of reasources to further explore whatever topic within this field suits your fancy. Additionally, the writing is very easy to follow, and I think it's an accessible beginning point to anyone interested in queer theology basics.
A great introduction to the topic, though it sometimes becomes overly repetitive. However, Cheng provides a wealth of reasources to further explore whatever topic within this field suits your fancy. Additionally, the writing is very easy to follow, and I think it's an accessible beginning point to anyone interested in queer theology basics.
September 24, 2020
text me for a review
July 3, 2024
AN ORIGINAL AND UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON THEOLOGY
Patrick S. Cheng is an Episcopal priest, and associate rector at The Church of the Transfiguration, an Anglo-Catholic parish in Manhattan; he has also taught Historical and Systematic Theology at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 2011 book, “Radical love, I contend, is a love so extreme that it dissolves our existing boundaries, whether they are boundaries that separate us from other people, that separate us from preconceived notions of sexuality and gender identity, or that separate us from God. It is the thesis of this book that the connections between Christian theology and queer theory are actually much closer than one would think. That is, radical love lies at the heart of BOTH Christian theology and queer theory. Radical love is at the heart of Christian theology because we Christians believe in a God who… has dissolved the boundaries between death and life, time and eternity, and the human and the divine… Similarly, radical love is also at the heart of queer theory because it challenges our existing boundaries with respect to sexuality and gender identity… as social constructions and NOT essentialist, or fixed, concepts. It should be noted that radical love is not about abolishing all rules or justifying an antinomian existence, sexual or otherwise. Radical love is ultimately about LOVE… As such, radical love is premised upon safe, sane, and consensual behavior. Thus, nonconsensual behavior… is by definition excluded from radical love.” (Pg. x)
He continues, “However, to date there have not been many easily accessible introductions or surveys of the field for individuals who are not familiar with queer theory on the one hand, or the traditional doctrines of Christian theology, on the other. This book seeks to fill that gap in the discourse. It also provides study questions and suggested resources for further study at the end of each main section, which makes it ideal for self-study, for religious studies, and queer studies classes, or for adult education in parishes and congregations.” (Pg. xi)
In the first chapter, he explains, “So what exactly is queer theology?... there are at least three possible definitions… First, queer theology is LGBT people ‘talking about God.’ Second, queer theology is ‘talking about God’ in a self-consciously transgressive manner, especially in terms of challenging societal norms about sexuality and gender. Third, queer theology is ‘talk about God’ that challenges and deconstructs the natural binary categories of sexual and gender identity.” (Pg. 9)
He continues, “Indeed, it is the thesis of this book that Christian theology itself is a fundamentally queer enterprise because it also challenges and deconstructs---through radical love---all kinds of binary categories that on the surface seem fixed and unchangeable (such as life vs. death, or divine vs. human), but that ultimately are fluid and malleable… Christian theology is fundamentally a queer enterprise because it focuses on the incarnation, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and second coming of Jesus Christ, all of which are events which turn upside down our traditional understanding of life and death, divine and human, center and margins, beginnings and endings, infinite and finite, and punishment and forgiveness… it is in Jesus Christ that all of these seemingly fixed binary categories are ultimately challenge and collapsed.” (Pg. 10-11)
He states, “God is the sending forth of radical love… Not only is God love, but God is a love what is described in terms of extreme wealth and superabundance. In other words, not only is God defined as radical love itself, but God’s very being consists of the continuous sending forth of this radical love to others.” (Pg. 44) He goes on, “the doctrine of revelation can be understood as God coming out to us. This self-revelation is grounded in God’s love for us, and it is a radical kind of love because it dissolves existing boundaries that separate the divine from the human, the powerful from the weak, and knowing from unknowing. In fact, the doctrine of revelation can be understood in terms of … [negative] theology, in which our knowledge of God---like our understanding of the category of ‘transgender’---is always in a state of transformation and unknowing.” (Pg. 48)
He elaborates, “As such, God functions in the same way as LGBT people with respect to radical love. To the extent that LGBT people break down boundaries of sexuality and gender in our relationships, both God and LGBT people send forth a radical love that breaks down fixed categories and boundaries. For God, these categories include the divine and human, and life and death. For LGBT people, these boundaries include the categories of female and male, homosexual and heterosexual.” (Pg. 51)
He points out, “All too often, we are forced to separate our sexual, racial, and spiritual identities into separate compartments. For example, with respect to sexuality, it is difficult to be openly gay in many Asian American communities and/or faith communities, both of which can be highly homophobic. With respect to race, it is difficult to open embrace one’s Asian American heritage in many LGBT communities and/or faith communities, both of which can be highly racist. Finally, with respect to spirituality, it is difficult to be an ‘out’ person of faith in many LGBT communities and/or Asian American communities, both of which can be very secular and have a deep bias against religion and spirituality.” (Pg. 60)
He argues, “sin can be understood by queer theology to be ‘sexual and gender essentialism.’ That is, whenever we understand sexuality and gender identity to be fixed and unchangeable (that is, by limiting sexuality to only homosexual and heterosexual, or by limiting gender identity to only female and male), we commit the sin of essentialism by failing to recognize the constructed nature of these categories. In creating and perpetuating these false dichotomies, we reinforce---rather than erase---sexual and gender categories. By contrast, whenever we challenge the essentialist nature of these categories, we experience the grace of constructivism.” (Pg. 74)
He suggests, “Jesus Christ… can be understood by LGBT people as the ‘embodiment of radical love,’ or radical love made flesh… Jesus Christ is the living embodiment of the dissolution of boundaries. As such, Jesus Christ is the boundary-crosser extraordinaire, whether this relates to divine, social, sexual, or gender boundaries.” (Pg. 78-79) He continues, “Jesus also crosses sexual boundaries… [his] life and ministry can be viewed as dissolving the rigid line between ‘heterosexual’ and ‘homosexual.’” (Pg 80)
He asks, “Who is the Holy Spirit for LGBT people today?... the Holy Spirit continues along the trajectory that first started with God sending forth radical love and second with Jesus Christ recovering the radical love that had been rejected by humanity. We can understand this third and final movement as the Holy Spirit HELPING us to return to the radical love from which we all came.” (Pg. 100)
He acknowledges, “Finally, queer theology must wrestle with the question of the Last Judgment, and issues of eternal punishment and reward, particularly since so many LGBT people are told that we will be condemned to eternal suffering for engaging in same-sex acts. I believe that if radical love is to triumph in the end, than ALL barriers that separate us from God will be dissolved, including those of punishment and reward… This does not mean that people will not need to be purified before reaching heaven… but, in the end, all will reach heaven.” (Pg. 135)
He concludes, “If this book has resulted in dissolving some of the boundaries that historically have separated Christianity and queerness, spirituality and sexuality, and soul and body, then it will have succeeded in pointing the way to the eschatological erasure that is our ultimate destiny. In sum, Christian theology … promises us that NOTHING… can ever separate us from the love of God. There is no love that is more radical than that, and that is why Christian theology is, at its core, a queer enterprise.” (Pg. 139-140)
This unique perspective on theology will be of keen interest to a wide variety of readers: LGBTQ, Asian-American, and plain students of contemporary theology.
Patrick S. Cheng is an Episcopal priest, and associate rector at The Church of the Transfiguration, an Anglo-Catholic parish in Manhattan; he has also taught Historical and Systematic Theology at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 2011 book, “Radical love, I contend, is a love so extreme that it dissolves our existing boundaries, whether they are boundaries that separate us from other people, that separate us from preconceived notions of sexuality and gender identity, or that separate us from God. It is the thesis of this book that the connections between Christian theology and queer theory are actually much closer than one would think. That is, radical love lies at the heart of BOTH Christian theology and queer theory. Radical love is at the heart of Christian theology because we Christians believe in a God who… has dissolved the boundaries between death and life, time and eternity, and the human and the divine… Similarly, radical love is also at the heart of queer theory because it challenges our existing boundaries with respect to sexuality and gender identity… as social constructions and NOT essentialist, or fixed, concepts. It should be noted that radical love is not about abolishing all rules or justifying an antinomian existence, sexual or otherwise. Radical love is ultimately about LOVE… As such, radical love is premised upon safe, sane, and consensual behavior. Thus, nonconsensual behavior… is by definition excluded from radical love.” (Pg. x)
He continues, “However, to date there have not been many easily accessible introductions or surveys of the field for individuals who are not familiar with queer theory on the one hand, or the traditional doctrines of Christian theology, on the other. This book seeks to fill that gap in the discourse. It also provides study questions and suggested resources for further study at the end of each main section, which makes it ideal for self-study, for religious studies, and queer studies classes, or for adult education in parishes and congregations.” (Pg. xi)
In the first chapter, he explains, “So what exactly is queer theology?... there are at least three possible definitions… First, queer theology is LGBT people ‘talking about God.’ Second, queer theology is ‘talking about God’ in a self-consciously transgressive manner, especially in terms of challenging societal norms about sexuality and gender. Third, queer theology is ‘talk about God’ that challenges and deconstructs the natural binary categories of sexual and gender identity.” (Pg. 9)
He continues, “Indeed, it is the thesis of this book that Christian theology itself is a fundamentally queer enterprise because it also challenges and deconstructs---through radical love---all kinds of binary categories that on the surface seem fixed and unchangeable (such as life vs. death, or divine vs. human), but that ultimately are fluid and malleable… Christian theology is fundamentally a queer enterprise because it focuses on the incarnation, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and second coming of Jesus Christ, all of which are events which turn upside down our traditional understanding of life and death, divine and human, center and margins, beginnings and endings, infinite and finite, and punishment and forgiveness… it is in Jesus Christ that all of these seemingly fixed binary categories are ultimately challenge and collapsed.” (Pg. 10-11)
He states, “God is the sending forth of radical love… Not only is God love, but God is a love what is described in terms of extreme wealth and superabundance. In other words, not only is God defined as radical love itself, but God’s very being consists of the continuous sending forth of this radical love to others.” (Pg. 44) He goes on, “the doctrine of revelation can be understood as God coming out to us. This self-revelation is grounded in God’s love for us, and it is a radical kind of love because it dissolves existing boundaries that separate the divine from the human, the powerful from the weak, and knowing from unknowing. In fact, the doctrine of revelation can be understood in terms of … [negative] theology, in which our knowledge of God---like our understanding of the category of ‘transgender’---is always in a state of transformation and unknowing.” (Pg. 48)
He elaborates, “As such, God functions in the same way as LGBT people with respect to radical love. To the extent that LGBT people break down boundaries of sexuality and gender in our relationships, both God and LGBT people send forth a radical love that breaks down fixed categories and boundaries. For God, these categories include the divine and human, and life and death. For LGBT people, these boundaries include the categories of female and male, homosexual and heterosexual.” (Pg. 51)
He points out, “All too often, we are forced to separate our sexual, racial, and spiritual identities into separate compartments. For example, with respect to sexuality, it is difficult to be openly gay in many Asian American communities and/or faith communities, both of which can be highly homophobic. With respect to race, it is difficult to open embrace one’s Asian American heritage in many LGBT communities and/or faith communities, both of which can be highly racist. Finally, with respect to spirituality, it is difficult to be an ‘out’ person of faith in many LGBT communities and/or Asian American communities, both of which can be very secular and have a deep bias against religion and spirituality.” (Pg. 60)
He argues, “sin can be understood by queer theology to be ‘sexual and gender essentialism.’ That is, whenever we understand sexuality and gender identity to be fixed and unchangeable (that is, by limiting sexuality to only homosexual and heterosexual, or by limiting gender identity to only female and male), we commit the sin of essentialism by failing to recognize the constructed nature of these categories. In creating and perpetuating these false dichotomies, we reinforce---rather than erase---sexual and gender categories. By contrast, whenever we challenge the essentialist nature of these categories, we experience the grace of constructivism.” (Pg. 74)
He suggests, “Jesus Christ… can be understood by LGBT people as the ‘embodiment of radical love,’ or radical love made flesh… Jesus Christ is the living embodiment of the dissolution of boundaries. As such, Jesus Christ is the boundary-crosser extraordinaire, whether this relates to divine, social, sexual, or gender boundaries.” (Pg. 78-79) He continues, “Jesus also crosses sexual boundaries… [his] life and ministry can be viewed as dissolving the rigid line between ‘heterosexual’ and ‘homosexual.’” (Pg 80)
He asks, “Who is the Holy Spirit for LGBT people today?... the Holy Spirit continues along the trajectory that first started with God sending forth radical love and second with Jesus Christ recovering the radical love that had been rejected by humanity. We can understand this third and final movement as the Holy Spirit HELPING us to return to the radical love from which we all came.” (Pg. 100)
He acknowledges, “Finally, queer theology must wrestle with the question of the Last Judgment, and issues of eternal punishment and reward, particularly since so many LGBT people are told that we will be condemned to eternal suffering for engaging in same-sex acts. I believe that if radical love is to triumph in the end, than ALL barriers that separate us from God will be dissolved, including those of punishment and reward… This does not mean that people will not need to be purified before reaching heaven… but, in the end, all will reach heaven.” (Pg. 135)
He concludes, “If this book has resulted in dissolving some of the boundaries that historically have separated Christianity and queerness, spirituality and sexuality, and soul and body, then it will have succeeded in pointing the way to the eschatological erasure that is our ultimate destiny. In sum, Christian theology … promises us that NOTHING… can ever separate us from the love of God. There is no love that is more radical than that, and that is why Christian theology is, at its core, a queer enterprise.” (Pg. 139-140)
This unique perspective on theology will be of keen interest to a wide variety of readers: LGBTQ, Asian-American, and plain students of contemporary theology.
April 3, 2014
Patrick S. Cheng provides an accessible, well-organized, yet provocative introduction to queer theology. Cheng, the Assistant Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, locates queer theology in the traditional loci of systematic theology in order to illustrate how that theology works and also to provide a wealth of resources for further reading. This work is an extremely readable introduction to how, as Cheng describes, being queer is also at the heart of being Christian.
Cheng’s basic thesis (supported by Scripture, church history and modern philosophy) is that Christian theology is organized around radical love, “a love so extreme that it dissolves our existing boundaries…Radical love lies at the heart of both Christian theology and queer theory.” (x) Cheng first defines queer as an umbrella term for all LGBTIQA (lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender-intersex-queer-allies) persons; transgressive action; and the erasure of boundaries. Queer theology, then, is queer people talking about God; talking about God in a self-consciously transgressive manner, and talk about God that “that challenges and deconstructs the natural binary categories of sexual and gender identity.” (9) He also traces the evolution of queer theology from apology through liberation theology to queer theology proper.
The final three chapters then examine the traditional areas of theology through queer eyes of radical love. God is radical love itself expressed in the antihierarchical community of the Trinity, with revelation as God’s “coming out” to creation, and creation as the outpouring of that radical love. Jesus Christ is the recovery of radical love, overcoming the sin of division and judgment through his embodiment of radical love and his rejection of scapegoating. Finally, the Holy Spirit helps us return to radical love in our everyday lives through the church – the community of radical love embodied – and the sacraments and saints that demonstrate that love, all pointing toward an eschatological moment when no identity will be more important than another, but everyone will be a part of the radical love of God.
Clearly, Cheng’s book is not for anyone who de facto rejects the idea that queer people can be Christians – either from the queer or Christian camps. Such readers will probably have their minds made up before engaging Cheng’s arguments. Cheng also provides examples of radical queer theology, particularly in the “transgressive action” understanding, that will make sympathetic but more traditional readers uncomfortable (although Cheng would argue that’s part of the point). Nevertheless, those who truly seek to understand how queerness and Christian theology intersect, as well as those seeking alternative theological understandings of traditional theology, will benefit from Cheng’s clarity and winsome forthrightness in laying out theology from his particular sociological location. I plan to use Cheng’s fifth chapter in my seminary course in pneumatology, and encourage others to use the book similarly. Recommended for graduate students, pastors, and instructors in systematic theology from contextual perspectives.
Cheng’s basic thesis (supported by Scripture, church history and modern philosophy) is that Christian theology is organized around radical love, “a love so extreme that it dissolves our existing boundaries…Radical love lies at the heart of both Christian theology and queer theory.” (x) Cheng first defines queer as an umbrella term for all LGBTIQA (lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender-intersex-queer-allies) persons; transgressive action; and the erasure of boundaries. Queer theology, then, is queer people talking about God; talking about God in a self-consciously transgressive manner, and talk about God that “that challenges and deconstructs the natural binary categories of sexual and gender identity.” (9) He also traces the evolution of queer theology from apology through liberation theology to queer theology proper.
The final three chapters then examine the traditional areas of theology through queer eyes of radical love. God is radical love itself expressed in the antihierarchical community of the Trinity, with revelation as God’s “coming out” to creation, and creation as the outpouring of that radical love. Jesus Christ is the recovery of radical love, overcoming the sin of division and judgment through his embodiment of radical love and his rejection of scapegoating. Finally, the Holy Spirit helps us return to radical love in our everyday lives through the church – the community of radical love embodied – and the sacraments and saints that demonstrate that love, all pointing toward an eschatological moment when no identity will be more important than another, but everyone will be a part of the radical love of God.
Clearly, Cheng’s book is not for anyone who de facto rejects the idea that queer people can be Christians – either from the queer or Christian camps. Such readers will probably have their minds made up before engaging Cheng’s arguments. Cheng also provides examples of radical queer theology, particularly in the “transgressive action” understanding, that will make sympathetic but more traditional readers uncomfortable (although Cheng would argue that’s part of the point). Nevertheless, those who truly seek to understand how queerness and Christian theology intersect, as well as those seeking alternative theological understandings of traditional theology, will benefit from Cheng’s clarity and winsome forthrightness in laying out theology from his particular sociological location. I plan to use Cheng’s fifth chapter in my seminary course in pneumatology, and encourage others to use the book similarly. Recommended for graduate students, pastors, and instructors in systematic theology from contextual perspectives.
May 22, 2017
This book is an amazing introduction to Queer Theology. It was so informative, and offered a great overview of the many spheres within Queer Liberation theory. As a former Evangelical, it was very confronting to read about liberation theologies that differed from my experience (i.e. bodily hospitality). But as I read, I become more open to the scope of Queer Theology, and learned to appreciate the vastness of Queer Experience in a Christian context. I would strongly recommend this book for anyone looking to find ways to reconcile their faith and their experience, and to know that there are many great thinkers, activists, and leaders that have come before us!
November 2, 2024
TLDR: I am not saying you cannot be an LGBTQ Christian, but I do believe this book is not where you find your Scriptural validation.
FULL REVIEW:
This book feels like a list of excuses as to why your non-heterosexuality is validated by the Bible, but none of the excuses are genuinely backed up by Scripture. There is no true theology found here. Many other authors or books were quoted or discussed, but not the Bible.
“Indeed, it is the thesis of this book that Christian theology itself is a fundamentally queer enterprise because it also challenges and deconstructs - through radical love - all kinds of binary categories that on the surface seem fixed and in changeable (such as life vs. death, or divine vs. human), but ultimately are fluid and malleable” (p. 10).
The book’s thesis is anti-sola Scriptura by stating that Christian theology is queer, as opposed to showing how queer theology aligns with Scripture and Christian theology. And this theme is continued throughout the book - trying to force Christianity to fit into queer concepts and ideas.
Perhaps the most upsetting parts were:
-saying God deflowers Israelites through circumcision (p. 52)
-calling God a “top” to humanity because He engages in BDSM when punishing humans (pp. 52-53)
-stating each member of the Trinity is both male and female, and the three are in a polyamorous relationship (pp. 58-59)
-comparing sex and communion as both “intimate and sacred moments of lovemaking” (p. 122)
Again, there was zero scripture referenced alongside any of these points. The author states that “human beings are also under no compulsion to procreate in order to fulfill the image and likeness of God (p. 67), which directly contradicts Genesis 1:28.
Conclusion: This book cites minimal Scripture, and therefore cannot be considered theology.
FULL REVIEW:
This book feels like a list of excuses as to why your non-heterosexuality is validated by the Bible, but none of the excuses are genuinely backed up by Scripture. There is no true theology found here. Many other authors or books were quoted or discussed, but not the Bible.
“Indeed, it is the thesis of this book that Christian theology itself is a fundamentally queer enterprise because it also challenges and deconstructs - through radical love - all kinds of binary categories that on the surface seem fixed and in changeable (such as life vs. death, or divine vs. human), but ultimately are fluid and malleable” (p. 10).
The book’s thesis is anti-sola Scriptura by stating that Christian theology is queer, as opposed to showing how queer theology aligns with Scripture and Christian theology. And this theme is continued throughout the book - trying to force Christianity to fit into queer concepts and ideas.
Perhaps the most upsetting parts were:
-saying God deflowers Israelites through circumcision (p. 52)
-calling God a “top” to humanity because He engages in BDSM when punishing humans (pp. 52-53)
-stating each member of the Trinity is both male and female, and the three are in a polyamorous relationship (pp. 58-59)
-comparing sex and communion as both “intimate and sacred moments of lovemaking” (p. 122)
Again, there was zero scripture referenced alongside any of these points. The author states that “human beings are also under no compulsion to procreate in order to fulfill the image and likeness of God (p. 67), which directly contradicts Genesis 1:28.
Conclusion: This book cites minimal Scripture, and therefore cannot be considered theology.
June 23, 2025
Cheng’s accessible language would make this a great introduction for someone new to queer theology, but even as someone with a lot of experience in that field, this gave me a lot of food for thought. I really appreciated the focus on nonmonogamous relationships in here, and the ways nonmonogamy/polyamory were connected to the Trinity and the body of the church. I also LOVED that this book ended with eschatology, as that’s something a lot of progressive theologians tend to ignore.
I wished the section on the Holy Spirit had been a little more developed and focused, but as there weren’t as many existing resources on queering the Holy Spirit at the time this was written, and the Holy Spirit is the most nebulous Person of the Trinity to talk about anyway, it’s understandable why that section would be a little trickier to write.
Overall, loved this!
I wished the section on the Holy Spirit had been a little more developed and focused, but as there weren’t as many existing resources on queering the Holy Spirit at the time this was written, and the Holy Spirit is the most nebulous Person of the Trinity to talk about anyway, it’s understandable why that section would be a little trickier to write.
Overall, loved this!
May 10, 2018
Cheng contends that "Christian theology is fundamentally a queer enterprise" what with doctrines like the Trinity, incarnation, etc. More than a simple overview or introduction to queer theologies, the book itself is a survey of all the traditional major doctrines of systematic theology around the organizing theme of radical love. He defines this as "a love so extreme that it dissolves our existing boundaries." Cheng writes that "Christian theology can be understood as a three-part drama about radical love." For example the Trinity is understood as an internal community of radical love, Jesus as the bearer of radical love, the church as the external community of radical love, etc. I appreciate some of these formulations and will incorporate them into my own rhetoric.
April 5, 2021
An introduction of this sort can go one of two ways. Either it can dig deeply into the most groundbreaking texts on the topic or it can give very brief descriptions of every text in the literature. This book takes the second approach and it is a mile wide and an inch deep. Its a whirlwind approach that will introduce you to everything the field has to offer but then leave you to go pick up those texts for more depth. As such, its a good starting point for someone new to the topic, but its not a good source for someone who wants to have an in depth understanding from one work.
Because it covers so much ground within the literature, everyone will likely see things they agree with and things they disagree with.
Because it covers so much ground within the literature, everyone will likely see things they agree with and things they disagree with.
July 20, 2022
Read for church summer book study. I’ve certainly read queer theology books grounded in better hermeneutics. 1.5 stars for spirit with good nuggets of thought but I concur with other reviewers that this book is actually damaging to the stereotype of promiscuity among LGBTQIA community. Also practically disregards the A in the community with all the sexual imagery. Relies heavily on metaphors (which a lot of understanding about G-d tends to); I think some metaphors were good to begin with but got carried too far while others shouldn’t have been brought up altogether.
January 22, 2023
This book explains and explores queer theology- it’s definition, origin, and application. The best part was the overview and reconsideration of accepted norms regarding homosexuality in the Bible and history- with frequent reference to works by Yale college professor John Boswell. More dense and a harder read for me was the discussion of queer theology in the context of the creeds and in the language of theological consideration. Still a good read because I learned a lot about a topic of which I knew little
October 21, 2019
There were several times when reading Radical Love that I found myself thinking, “Oh, come on! How are you possibly reading that into the text?!?” But then I thought of Jared Byas’ reminder that “All theology has an adjective,” mine included. So when I read a book which approaches the Bible through any lens different from my own, it is worth my while to pay attention and see what the author has to say. In that light, I found Cheng’s introduction to queer theology eye-opening.
September 30, 2019
A forceful yet compassionate case
Patrick Chang has written a concise, clear summary of the controversial field of Queer Theology. For the soul-weary gay person, Cheng offers encouragement with thoughtful, scholarly references. For the theologian, he promotes a “breaking open” of old ideas that have hindered full expression of radical love.
Patrick Chang has written a concise, clear summary of the controversial field of Queer Theology. For the soul-weary gay person, Cheng offers encouragement with thoughtful, scholarly references. For the theologian, he promotes a “breaking open” of old ideas that have hindered full expression of radical love.
April 7, 2020
I love the concept but the execution was not up to par. I got the gist within the first 10 pages. Often the author referenced things without fully explaining them and expected the reader to know what he was talking about. Also, much of the book was just him quoting other people’s thoughts. However, as I did not know anything about queer theology prior to this, I did learn the basics.
June 10, 2020
I enjoyed parts of this book, but as a member of the LGBTQ+ community seeking a way to bridge the gap with my conservative parents, some of the more extreme theological points (comparisons to the BDSM community, for example) made the book unsuitable as a bridge. It was helpful for me to reconcile my queerness with my faith, but not as much the other way around. A good starring place.
February 14, 2022
An essential resource for any and all Christians - whether that be current, post, deconstructing, it's complicated, or any multiplicity. Even as someone who has existed in queer faith spaces for several years, this introduced me to even more grand imaginative possibilities of being queer and God's radical love. Lovely!
September 21, 2022
Useful overview of gay/lesbian to queer theology of that time (2011). Lots of resources offered and ideas to think about, interesting overall premise. But suffers on reliance on coming out as central queer experience (in the 2nd half, when positing new queer theology, rather than an overview of previous scholars).
November 18, 2024
I think this book provides a great introduction to the practice of queer theology. Broad strokes - great thoughts about “queering” our talk about God - radical love and dissolving of boundaries. Some of the particulars were off-putting to me personally, and may not all be entirely helpful for the queer community.
November 21, 2025
Theologically eye-opening
This is not my first introduction to queer theology but it certainly is one that is easy to read and Cheng clearly explains his theology. It was very well-written.
Viewpoints may differ depending on the tradition you were raised in. I see this book as an empowering voice for the queer community.
This is not my first introduction to queer theology but it certainly is one that is easy to read and Cheng clearly explains his theology. It was very well-written.
Viewpoints may differ depending on the tradition you were raised in. I see this book as an empowering voice for the queer community.
January 14, 2018
This book is fine if you're already familiar with theology and queer studies and you're looking for a intro to how the two intersect. If you're familiar with only one or neither field, I think this book will probably leave you confused at best and turned off from queer theology at worst. Basically it's just too short. Cheng makes several controversial claims without giving a lot of time to flesh them out, leaving you confused as to what he really wanted to say. It's a short book that would have been better served as three or four separate books.
If you already know you want to get deeper into queer theology, Radical Love might serve you well as a reading guide; he spends much of the book drawing a map of important queer theologist writings.
If you already know you want to get deeper into queer theology, Radical Love might serve you well as a reading guide; he spends much of the book drawing a map of important queer theologist writings.
March 16, 2018
A little highbrow for my taste. Interesting and enjoyable at times, but some of the leaps in logic seemed a little big for me. Good to push my thinking, though. The notion of Jesus as intersex was very thought-provoking.
August 22, 2019
Clear, readable, and concise, this is more a summary of existing queer theology than a work that does any original work of its own. Though it’s already a bit bated, it’s valuable for its bibliography alone. 3.5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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