Speakers will present summaries of their scholarly work and describe its importance to LGBT people, congregations, and the broader community. Topics include the pastoral approaches to discerning sexual orientation, marriage in the context of lesbian life, intimate partner violence, congregational movements beyond “open and affirming” stances, and LGBT hate crime murder. There will be time for questions and discussion.
The event is part of a larger project titled “Beyond Apologetics: Sexual Identity, Pastoral Theology, and Pastoral Practices,” which brings together 13 North American scholars and pastors to begin creating a new generation of thought and practice for ministry with LGBT people. Numerous local, state and regional LGBT organizations and faith communities have become local partners of the project, lending their names in support of its purpose.
Scholars and pastors presenting their preliminary work on Oct. 7 include:
Duane R. Bidwell, Claremont School of Theology
Kathleen Greider, Claremont School of Theology
Benjamin Reynolds, Chicago Theological Seminary
Jeanne Hoeft, Saint Paul School of Theology
David Mellott, Lancaster Theological Seminary
Stephen V. Sprinkle, Brite Divinity School
“We are creating conversations among scholars, ministry professionals, and broader communities who share concerns about the health and well-being of LGBT people,” said Duane Bidwell, a faculty member at Claremont School of Theology, who co-directs the project with Joretta Marshall of Brite Divinity School. “Congregations can access a lot of resources that offer an ‘apologetics of inclusion’ for involving LGBT persons in the life of the church without condemning them,” he said. “We want to move beyond arguments for inclusion to arguments for engagement. Pastors and others need theological stances and practices that take the experiences of LGBT persons seriously, so that those experiences shape the life of congregations and denominations.
“Our primary goal is to help spiritual caregivers and others engage in meaningful, informed, and proactive ministry with GLBT people,” Bidwell says. To that end, the project will contribute to pro-active pastoral care texts and models of education for seminaries, local congregations and pastoral care specialists, including mental-health professionals who integrate spirituality into their work.
Bidwell said “Beyond Apologetics” will create practical theologies that acknowledge and integrate GLBT experiences, theologies and theories. The spiritual and theological practices and understandings that will be generated—focused on gender, identity, sexuality, and community action—have the potential to benefit people of all sexual orientations, he said. Other participants in the “Beyond Apologetics” project include:
John Blevins, Emory University
Malcolm Himschoot, United Church of Christ Minister
Joretta Marshall, Brite Divinity School
Darnell Moore, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
Jason Hays, Brite Divinity School
Cody J. Sanders, Brite Divinity School
Leanne Tigert, Andover Newton Theological School
For more information, e-mail j.marshall@tcu.edu or cody.j.sanders@tcu.edu. You can learn more at www.beyondapologetics.wordpress.com, or on Facebook under Beyond Apologetics.