A Queer Gospel – by Kali Cawthon-Freels

Who is allowed to see themselves in Jesus?

If you grew up going to Sunday School, then the typical Sunday School answer may be echoing in your mind: “Everyone!” While that answer may be the truth, mainstream Christian culture often responds poorly when anyone who is not a cishet White man attempts to see themselves in Jesus. This exclusion is especially true for the LGBTQ+ community, which is often demonized by those who claim to follow the Gospel of Jesus. But what if queer folks are more like Jesus that society believes?

In A Queer Gospel, Kali Cawthon-Freels will introduce you to the natural queerness of Jesus, his life, and his ministry. You’ll see Jesus participate in the ritual of coming out, as well as experience the all-too-common pain of being outed. You’ll watch as he identifies his chosen family, just like modern-day queer people do. You’ll sit with what it means for Jesus to be God’s drag persona and for Jesus to undergo transition at the Transfiguration. You’ll see how queerness offers a way for us to better understand Jesus’s most perplexing teachings. And, of course, you’ll also see him get murdered by this hate-filled world, then resurrect through the power of reclaiming the authority inherent to his queer identity.

This is, truly, a queer gospel. Thanks be to God, for it means all of us can see ourselves in Jesus and Jesus in ourselves.