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What is queer theology? For many people, “queer theology” is a troubling term. They may ask: What does theology have to do with “queerness”? Isn’t “queer theology” an oxymoron or an inherent contradiction in terms? Isn’t “queer” a derogatory word? For some, the word “queer” has painful connotations, especially if they were subjected to it as an epithet as a result of perceived or actual differences in sexuality or gender identity.

In recent years, however, the term “queer” has been used increasingly by scholars in a variety of theological and biblical contexts. One such example is the anthology Queer Theology: Rethinking the Western Body, which is a collection of provocative essays by theologians on the intersection between theology, sexuality, and gender identity.¹ Another is the groundbreaking The Queer Bible Commentary, a commentary on each of the books of the Christian Bible—from Genesis to Revelation—written from the perspective of those with marginalized sexualities and gender identities.²

So what exactly is queer theology? Simply put, if theology is defined as “talk about God” (that is, theos [God] + logos [word]), then queer theology can be understood as queer talk about God. This, of course, leads to the question of what exactly is meant by the term “queer,” which is a more complicated issue. As such, we turn to a discussion of queer terminology.