This week we are joined by the amazingly brilliant Linn Marie Tonstad. Linn is a professor of systematic theology at Yale Divinity School and author of God and Difference: The Trinity, Sexuality, and the Transformation of Finitude and Queer Theology: Beyond Apologetics. We first got in touch with Linn after Scott began reading her latest book Queer Theology which quickly became his favorite book to reference! Getting to sit down and chat with Linn (via Zoom) was a true gift to both of us as she graced us with her wisdom and radical conviction in regards to queer theology.
Theology and christianity often get mentioned throughout the podcast, as both Scott and Mace come from Christian contexts, This past year Scott and Mace began ministering with queer youth of faith, so conversations like this one with Linn feel particularly personal to the pod and it’s passions. We hope you remain curious to the wisdom of Linn!
But heteronormativity is not natural in the way it pretends to be; it is the effect of a cultural system that enforces heterosexuality throughout. Indeed, butler argued that heterosexuality is the effect of the prohibition against homosexuality, so that in a sense, homosexuality comes first, as that which is forbidden in order to give meaning, stability, and coherence to heterosexuality.
Queer Theology: Beyond Apologetics
Though this conversation ebbed and flowed between many different topics some of the things we discussed included Linn’s story of understanding her queerness and conviction of its beauty, to the a discussion on the limitations of the word ‘queer’ itself, to moving past apologetics when it comes to discussing queerness and Christianity.
We so hope you enjoy this conversation and find it fruitful and life giving as you engage in this curious world!
NO SMALL THING 