Queer theology could be said to reside under the umbrella of ‘liberation theologies’, which are a relatively new group of theologies and ideologies stemming from Latin America in the 1960s (McGrath: 2011: 89). As a collective, liberation theologies are having a large impact on Biblical interpretation as they are re-reading the Bible with an emphasis on the liberation narratives within, such as that of Israel from Egypt. They also highlight the importance of Jesus’ empathy towards the poor and oppressed within the Gospels (McGrath: 2011:91). These subtle moves of emphasis within the field of Biblical interpretation can have an effect on the wider Christian community, both amongst the academic and nonprofessional worlds. For example, Biblical interpretations of this nature were used to aid black liberation in 1970s America. The reason for making this point about the wider group of liberation theologies is that, as a member of that group, queer theology can arguably claim a percentage of the impact that they have had on Biblical interpretation and the wider Church community.

Queer theology as an individual discipline has only truly grown in the past two decades, therefore it has not had as much time as some of the other liberation theologies to make a great impact on Biblical interpretation. However, it could be argued that the small impact queer theology is currently having on Biblical studies is an extremely significant one nonetheless. Arguably queer theology is causing readers of the Bible, both scholars and worshipers, to re-evaluate assumptions which they may have had about what certain Biblical passages mean. Such as with the Romans 26-27 example, these assumptions may have been based on what centuries of previous interpretation had suggested. Perhaps the more significant impact that queer theology is currently having on Biblical interpretation is that it is questioning how scholars approach the Bible by forcing them to acknowledge and engage with the social context in which the Bible was created and initially interpreted. Arguably queer theology’s greatest impact on Biblical interpretation is that it is opening up debates on how the Bible should be interpreted and creating questions to be explored. Questions which have gone unasked throughout the past few centuries of Biblical interpretation, both specific debates, such as whether Romans 26-27 is a condemnation of homosexuality and broader questions, such as whether previous interpreters had fully engaged with the ancient world in which the Bible was created when they analysed the scriptures and suggested their meaning.

Thus, perhaps queer theology has not had a monumental impact on Biblical interpretation when compared with other non-western theologies, thus far. However, some clear impact has been made in the form of the reinterpreting of certain Biblical passages of which the meanings had long been thought to have been known as certain. Biblical interpretation as a discipline has also been impacted by queer theology as it has begun to question the methods used by Biblical scholars when making scriptural interpretations. These questions continue to grow in number as queer theologians continue to grow in their assertiveness to demand answers from the tradition Biblical interpreters. Arguably, therefore the past two decades could give an indication that the impact of queer theology on Biblical interpretation is still in its germination and will develop and become more significant in the forthcoming years of Biblical scholarship.

References:

Armour, E. T., (2011) ‘Queer Bibles, Queer Scriptures: An Introductory Response’ in Hornsby, T. and Stone, K. (eds.) Bible Trouble: Queer reading at the boundaries of Biblical scholarship, Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature

Hornsby, T. and Stone, K. (eds.) (2011) Bible Trouble: Queer reading at the boundaries of Biblical scholarship, Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature

Loughlin, G. (ed.) (2007) Queer Theology: Rethinking the Western Body, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers

McGrath, A. E., (2001) Christian Theology: An Introduction, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers

Punt, J., (2011) ‘Queer Theory, Postcolonial Theory, and Biblical Interpretation: A Preliminary Exploration of Some Intersections’ in Hornsby, T. and Stone, K. (eds.) Bible Trouble: Queer reading at the boundaries of Biblical scholarship, Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature

Townsley, J., (2013) ‘Queer Sects in Patristic Commentaries on Romans 1:26–27: Goddess Cults, Free Will, and “Sex Contrary to Nature”?’ Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Vol. 81 (Part 1), P. 56-79, Available at: http://jaar.oxfordjournals.org/content/81/1/56.full