Holy Queerness: Towards a Queer, Catholic Ecclesiology Público

Abstract

This thesis gestures towards a way out of the theological inertia that defines existing queer-Catholic discourse. Despite recent calls for meaningful dialogue with and more welcoming communities for LGBTQ+ Catholics, queer-Catholic discourse remains in a state of theological inertia because the language of moral theology and queer theological interventions find themselves at loggerheads. As a result, well-meaning pastoral initiatives are hamstrung and LGBTQ+ Catholics find themselves still awaiting meaningful dialogue and welcoming communities. Emerging from this state of inertia will require new theological paradigms. As a work of constructive theology, this thesis constructs one such paradigm, a hermeneutic of holy queerness.

A hermeneutic of holy queerness is an interpretive lens, enabling theological reflection on queer performative acts, constructed at the intersection of Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity, John Paul II’s theology of the body, and Ian McFarland’s Thomistic interpretation of imago Dei. After constructing this hermeneutic, I apply it to both the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 and the tradition of female virginity within the first four centuries of the Church. This application of a hermeneutic of holy queerness reveals a subversive gender ambiguity deep within the heart of the Christian tradition, which in turn suggests approaching contemporary queer performativity with an attitude of discernment. Finally, this thesis applies a hermeneutic of holy queerness to the mystery of the Church, revealing an analogous relationship between queer performativity and sacramental action. In this way, a hermeneutic of holy queerness is able to draw connections between a theological-anthropological view of embodiment and the mystery of the Church in a more expansive way than the prevailing “nuptial hermeneutic” that dominates Catholic discourse on both gender and ecclesiology. 

Table of Contents

Introduction: The State of Queer-Catholic Discourse ... 1

Chapter 1: A Hermeneutic of Holy Queernes ... 20

Chapter 2: Subversive Gender Ambiguity and Theological Ressourcement ... 48

Chapter 3: A Hermeneutic of Holy Queerness and the Mystery of the Church ... 71

Conclusion: Breaking Through Theological Inertia ... 88

About this Master's Thesis

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School	Candler School of Theology
Department	Theological Studies
Degree	M.T.S.
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Theology
Palabra Clave	Judith Butler gender performativity Ian McFarland queer theology imago dei eunuch hermeneutic virginity models of the church John Paul II Avery Dulles ecclesiology theology of the body
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Susan Reynolds, Ph.D., Emory University
Committee Members	Helen Jin Kim, Ph.D., Emory University

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