Carnal Knowledge of God: Embodied Love and the Movement for Justice

by Rebecca M.M. Voelkel

Theologian, pastor, and seasoned activist Rebecca Voelkel offers a theological vision of embodied love, informed by her own experience, research, and pastoral and organizing work with gay, lesbian, transgender, and gender-queer persons. Voelkel lays out a theological vision interwoven with wisdom from social change “movement building,” offering principles that will enable allies to work strategically in the coming “progressive wave.”

179 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2017

About the author

Rev. Dr. Rebecca Mary MacKenzie Voelkel is a United Church of Christ pastor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Justice. Rebecca’s ministry has taken on several forms. She has worked in specialized ministry, chaplaincy and in the parish. Prior to ordination, she worked with the Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence (now the FaithTrust Institute) and with the Seattle Mental Health Chaplaincy. Ordained as a pastor in 1997, Rebecca served as solo and then co-pastor at Spirit of the Lakes UCC in Minneapolis, the first predominantly LGBTQ congregation in a mainline denomination. She then became Interim National Coordinator for the UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns from 2003 to 2005 where she had the honor to both celebrate the work of Ann B. Day and Donna Enberg in the marking of the 500th Open and Affirming congregation in the UCC and work with many colleagues to help pass a Marriage Equality resolution at the UCC’s General Synod in Atlanta in 2005. Since August of 2005, Rebecca has served as the Institute for Welcoming Resources and Faith Work Director for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Reviews

[Jann Cather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Critical for churches and activists to read if they are unfamiliar with the vast diversity of sexualities and gender explored in a theological framework. Three stars for the academic writing style; I felt I was reading an expanded outline. Yet, this is my personal take on most academic writing.

[E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, literary, activist queer theology focused on what's necessary to develop a long-term movement.