Movement Magazine: Issue 159

REVIEWS
QUEER THEOLOGY:
BEYOND
APOLOGETICS
Many contemporary Christian
conversations on gender and sexuality
can seem distinctly lacking in depth. In
this book, Linn Marie Tonstad suggests
that the failure of Christianity to really
respond to LGBT+ people, both within
and without the bounds of Christianity,
may be a result of too great a focus on
‘apologetics’, that is, a narrow focus on
justifying this or that stance on marriage
or ordination (or occasionally, gender
transition), rather than on what questions
surrounding gender and sexuality might
contribute to theology more broadly.
In clear and simple language Tonstad
provides a primer both on existing ‘queer
theologies’ and on the state of secular
queer studies; a welcome contribution
given the tendency of many Christians
to stumble into simple mistakes that
easily could’ve been corrected by greater
acquaintance with existing materials.
According to Tonstad, contemporary queer
discourse might be divided into two broad
categories – on the one hand there are
‘liberal’ approaches to LGBT+ identity,
grounded in an account of an essential
‘inmost’ self that is worthy of dignity,
and therefore certain official rights and
recognitions such as marriage. On the
other, there are those who see ‘queerness’
as a potential site for “the transformation
of the very social, political, and economic
structures within which state distribution
of rights and recognition appear to be the
goal of political action.” (p. 68, emphasis
Tonstad’s).
Whilst much of the existing literature
on ‘queer theology’, both popular and
academic, assumes the former approach,
Tonstad wants to ask; If queerness
potentially offers a transformation of
the very conditions of our personal and
social lives (whether we are LGBT+ or
not), then how might this be related to
the transformation that Christianity
purports to offer? For Tonstad, hovering
over both is a concern about finitude, what
it means to be vulnerable and limited, and
the possibilities and dangers this involves.
As such, if you are looking for a good book
on ‘LGBT+ issues’, narrowly defined, you
may be disappointed. If, however, you
are interested in thinking about what
queerness and Christianity might say
about one another more broadly – from
the very first Christian apologists, to the
AIDS crisis, and beyond – Tonstad is an
essential read.
JONATHAN MURDEN
Queer
Theology:
Beyond
Apologetics.
Linn Marie
Tonstad.
Paperback
ISBN:
978-1-4982-1879-5
UNFILTERED WITH
JAMES O’BRIEN
WITH GUEST VICKY BEECHING:
THE SECRET LIFE OF THE
POSTER GIRL FOR THE
EVANGELICAL CHURCH
Most people know of Vicky Beeching for
being a ‘famous gay Christian’, but as an
LGBT+ Christian who knew only the
basics about her and having not read her
book, this podcast made for an interesting
and informative listen. James O’Brien
asked thought provoking and interesting
questions, enquiring about her whole
life with a focus on the Christian aspects
throughout that. Much of what she said
resonated with me, as although our church
experiences are different in many ways, I
heard similarities in some of our LGBT+
church related experiences. I didn’t agree
with all her opinions, particularly around
others being or not being homophobic in
the church, but it still made for a thoughtprovoking
and good listen.
The podcast would make for good
listening for non-LGBT+ people too
and may help provide a good level of
understanding of what some LGBT+
Christians experience in some less
understanding church settings.
ANON
Unfiltered with
James O’Brien
Podcast
www.joe.ie
MOVEMENT Issue 159
41