Queer Theology is exploration of the nature of God and human-kind's relationship with God through the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people (although, as used within this field of theology, the term Queer can extend beyond LGBT people). Many churches that have embraced Queer Theology (such as the Metropolitan Community Church) would ascribe a broad meaning to queer - including a broad range of those who choose to identify or ally themselves outside the constraints of the prevailing societal norms.

While some Queer Theologians devote some time and energy to work that seeks to refute the more conservative teaching that homosexuality is sinful, increasingly the focus is moving away from the justification of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and more towards the exploration of wider theological issues arising from these communities.

Mona West, in a published by the Metropolitan Community Church, explains

"We have reclaimed ‘Queer’ as an active word, a questioning word, a creative word and a challenging word. When we ‘Queer’ disciplines such as history, literature or religion we are actively looking for Queer people who have been hidden or lost by those disciplines. To Queer these disciplines is also to challenge their homophobic biases. Queer is also an indeterminate or generative word, pointing to the ways all identities are fluid and changing."

The definition and use of the term Queer is not without controversy in the wider academic and social context.

Queer Theology as Liberation Theology

Queer theology is, in many ways, a branch of Liberation theology, sharing much of the same methodology and seeing theology as a tool in addressing the oppression which

Much of liberation theology grew out of social liberation struggles in Latin America and was strongly contextualised by Roman Catholic background of many liberation theologians. To some liberation theologians would not support the extension of their ideas to the liberation struggle of queer people. Argentinian Queer theologian Marcella Althaus-Reid argued in a 2005 contribution to a work on Latin American Liberation Theology (From Liberation Theology to Indecent Theology – the Trouble with Normality in Theology from Latin American Liberation Theology – The Next Generation Ivan Petrella, Editor) that mainline liberation theology was not being true to itself by ignoring the liberation of queer people.

Academic Study of Queer Theology

Several Theology Schools now offer courses in Queer Theology including the Pacific School of Religion and the Chicago Theological Seminary.

Leading Queer Theologians

Leading writers in the field of Queer Theology include:

• Elizabeth Stuart
• Bob Goss
• Marcella Althaus-Reid
• Chris Glaser
• John J McNeill
• Mona West
• Nancy Wilson
• Rembert S. Truluck

These authors all address queer theology from a Christian perspective and, indeed, the bulk of the work done in this field has been undertaken by Christian theologians. However, other faith traditions have also become engaged in the exploration of queer theology - most notably in the Jewish faith where theologians within Reform Judaism and Liberal Judaism have addressed the issues of queer theology. As is often the case, there is much common language and common concern between Jewish and Christian theologians.

See also

• Queer - for a discussion of the use and meaning of the term - a controversial issue in itself.
• Queer theory
• Religion and sexual orientation - for the debate on whether or not homosexuality is sinful from a religious perspective.