Sex and Uncertainty in the Body of Christ

Theological Talk in a Salsa Bar on Wigan Pier

“…Susannah: If the meaning assigned to ‘Body of Christ’ can stretch to encompass bodies which queer or subvert what bodies are held to mean in a heterosexual, male-and-female theological anthropology, can the meanings of binary human sex as invested by mainstream theology also be stretched to encompass different truths about humanity? (2010: 97).…”

“…Susannah: (removing her scarf and taking a seat) Subjective testimony and personal experiences – including sexual experiences – are legitimate sources of theological reflection. It is sometimes necessary to make theology ‘indecent’ in order to reveal what is naturalized hegemony (2010: 22).…”

“…Politically, it signposts the presence and visible existence of LGBTQI people, even in spaces where their existence is most contested and oppressed. Sociologically, it shows how marginalized people understand and manage experiences of oppression, and transcend power structures such as heteronormativity (2010: 48–49).…”

“…Susannah: (making quotation marks in the air with her fingers) ‘Queer theologies’ not only involve positively reclaiming queer identities, but also implicate narrowly heteronormative theologies as the ones which are really hideous and grotesque (2010: 209).…”

“…Thus, the empirical ‘what is’ (based on personal experience) is prioritized over ‘what ought to be’ (2005: 59). While theology often engages with ‘what ought to be’, empirical work grapples with ‘what is’, amidst the messiness of life as lived (2010: 45).…”