Queer Ministers’ Voices from the Global South: "A Burning Fire in My Bones"(Gender, Theology and Spirituality)

This book brings together the narratives of diverse ministers from the Global South in order to show that queer theologies are impacting many parts of the world and queer lives are molding and enriching Christian ministry. Across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, we are witnessing the emergence of queer faith-based communities in very different contexts and with very different histories. The perspectives included in the book form a tapestry that honors diversity among the Global South’s queer communities and ministries. They demonstrate the various ways in which queer ministry challenges and changes theological understanding as well as religious practice. Each chapter highlights issues pertaining to liturgy, sacraments, pastoral rites, and the personal faith journey that each minister underwent to foster pastoral queer theologies. Contributors focus on their understanding of the relationship between faith and sexuality, how rituals relate to the daily lives of queer believers, and the struggles they face within the political structures of religious institutions. The narratives highlight some of the challenges and mechanisms deployed to cope with ingrained LGBTIQ+ phobia. They also evidence how communities enact interreligious and multi-religious dialog and rituals while honoring faith and activism, and how prophetic ministries counter oppressive discourses and colonial performativities. This is a valuable resource for academics and religious leaders interested in the study of queer theologies, Asian, African, and Latin American Christianity, as well as ecclesiastical and liturgical issues.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Lisa Isherwood and Hugo Córdova Quero Part I Asia 1 Seeking Compassion Amid Unwelcoming Environments Lai Shan Yip 2 Mission Dei in Contemporary Taiwan Mao-Chen Joseph Chang 3 Living Our Faith Against All Discriminations Reina Ueno 4 Being Prophetic as the Only Inclusive Church in Singapore Miak Siew 5 Transgressive Table Talk A Malaysian Imagines a Queer Rojak Liturgy Joseph N. Goh Part II Latin America 6 My Experiences as a Gay Pastor Andrés Roberto Albertsen 7 Social Ministry Doing Theology on Social Media Ana Ester Pádua Freire 8 Love in Times of Dictatorships: Memoirs from a Gay Minister from Buenos Aires Roberto González with Norberto D’Amico 9 Spirituality Space of Tigre The experiences of a queer community in Buenos Aires, Argentina David de Jesús de Pascual 10 When Faith Becomes Our Home Andrés Alejandro Herrera Gré Part III Africa 11 I Sat on Pavements Toni Kruger-Ayebazibwe 12 Spreading the News of God’s Unconditional Love in Nigeria Jide Macaulay 13 Outside the Four Walls of the Church Or The Church With No Walls and Boundaries Nokuthula Dhladhla 14 Sharing God’s Love in the Power of the Holy Spirit in Kenya Arthur Owiti 15 A Burning Fire in My Bones Doing Queer Ministry in South Africa Theo Khanyile 16 Afterword We Are a People Marching Towards Liberation Lisa Isherwood and Hugo Córdova Quero

About the Author :
Lisa Isherwood is Professor Emerita of Feminist Liberation Theologies at the University of Winchester, UK; Research Supervisor and Professor of Theology at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Her recent books for Routledge include Contemporary Theological Approaches to Sexuality (2017), The Indecent Theologies of Marcella Althaus-Reid (2020), and Women in Christianity in the Modern Age (2021). Hugo Córdova Quero is Associate Professor of Critical Theories and Queer Theologies and Director of Digital Learning at Starr King School, Graduate Theological Union, USA. He is also Director of Institute Sophia, a think-tank in St. Louis, Missouri. His books include Transnational Faiths (2014) Queering Migrations Towards, From, and Beyond Asia (2014), and The Indecent Theologies of Marcella Althaus-Reid (2020).