Take Back the Word - A Queer Reading of the Bible

256 Pages·2000·4.812 MB·English

by  Robert E Goss

TakBea ck
ThWeo rd

TakBea ck
ThWeo rd
a queerr eading
oft heB ible
RobeEr.Gt o sasn Mdo nWae setd,i tors
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anfyo romrb ya nym eanesl,e ctrmoencihca,n pihcoatlo,c orpeycionrgod,ri o ntgh,e rwise,
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ISNB-1937:8 -0-8298-1397-5
Contents
ForewboyMr adr Ayn nT olbert vii
Conbturtiors xiii
Introduction 3
Par1t
QUEESRT ARTEGIEFSO RR EADING
1.R eadtihnBegi bfrloemL ow aOnudt side: 13
LesbitrPaenospaglsGae oy d T'risc ksters
VIRGINIRAA MEY MOLLENKOTI
2.C ampianrgo utnhde Canona:sa H Heurmmoern eTuootli ca2l3
inQ ueeRrea dionfBg isb lTiexctasl
ELIZABETSHT UART
3.L ovYeou rM othAe Lre:s bWioamna niRseta doifnS gc riptu3r5e
IRENES .T RAVIS
4.E atitnhCger umTbhsa Fta frlolm t hTeab le: 43
TrusttihnAegb undaonfGc oed
JUSTINT ANIS
Par2t
TAKINGB ACTHEK HEBRESWC RIPTURES
5.T heG ardoefn Eadnedn Htehtee roCsoenxturaalc t 57
KEN STONE
6.O utsiAdleiresan,nsB d,o undCarrosyse rs: 71
A QueeRera dintgh eo fH eEbxroedwu s
MONA WEST
7.W hen Wahned�r I E ntTehre,n WthhoelR ea ce 82
·
EntewristM he Q:u e(reyi)Enxgo dus
IRENEM ONROE
8.T heB oookfR uthO:n B oundeasLr,ovi ea,n Tdru th 92
CELENAM . DUNCAN
vi Contents
9.T hrowaiP nagr Ptayt:r iaGrecnhdayen,rtd ,h Dee atohf] ezeb1e0l3
VICTORISA. K OLAKOWSKI
10N.e hemaisaa Qh u eer MfooSrde erlv Laenatd ership 151
MICHAELS .P IAZZA
1.1 A MoPdsearnil ntm h Mei dosfBt r eCaasntc er 142
IRENES .T RAVIS
12A. L ovaesF iearscD ee ath: 162
ReclaitmhSieon gno gfS onfgros QuLeoevre rs
CHRISTOPHEKRI NG
13I.n siOduetUr:n masktihnAegb usGiondg 143
DAWN ROBINSONR OSE
14E.z ekUinedle rsAtIaDnSAd:Is D USn dersEtzaenkdise l,
orR eadtihnBegi bleH IwVi th 135
JIMM ITULSKI
1.5 A QRueeaedri ntgh eo fBo ofJo okn ah 161
SHARON BEZNER
1.6 DJou stLiocvMeee, r cWyal,kH umbly: 170
ReflectMiiocnaashn Gdoa nyE thics
REBECCA� ALPERT
Par3t
TAKING BACTHKE CHRISTIANS CRIPTURES
17M.a tthaenwMd a royfM agdaGloaoN:de wfso Sre Wxo rkers1 85
THOMAS HANKS
18C.o miOnugt L,a zaraunsOd'u sr s: 196
QueeRref lecotfaiP oshnyoscs pirPiotluiJatoliu,cr anle y
BENJAMINP ERKINS
1.9T heB eloDviespdcl ie: 206
A QueBeerr eavNeamrernatit nai T viem oefA IDS
ROBERTE .G OSS
20"A.n dT henH eK issMeed"A :n E asLtoevrSe t ory 219
JAMESM ARTIN
21".T Cou otr N otto C utI"sC: o mpulHseotreyr osexual2i2t7y
aP rereqfuoCirhs riitset ianity?
THOMAS BOHACHE
Foreword
WhatW ordS halWle TakeB ack?
Almsott wenyteyaa rgsoI e, n deadna rtiIhc alwder itatbeonfu meti nist
interproeftt ahtBeii obwnliset thh weo rd"st,ro e atdh e sBaimbaels e
enslaanvlde irb ertahtaiotstr h ,e paradoxiocffam eli ncibhsiatbl lliecnagle
hermeneIutt miiocsrs,e. o avc ehra,l lfeonrg eeC vherriysl tiivhaionnn ge stly
int hmeo dewrno r.l"Idr1 e membbeeiran ttg h atti mqeu iotpet imaibsotuitc
the ulstuicmcoaeftss eus cp ha radorxeiacdaoilfns gcsr ipitnwu hrietc hhe
"texhtauraals smoeffn meta"ls2eu bordiannadvt iicotni miiznma atniyo n
biblpiacsaslwa oguelbsde u nderdceustt,a boirel riazsbeeydt d,h c er eative
readsitnrga toeffgm eiientsisN s.o wa,f toevret rh iyretayor ffsm e inwiosrtk
on tBhieb, wl heichha sd emonsttrhaietn efdl ureonltoeifw a olm einn
antiqaunidtt hype r esweena tr,se t ifcalelwd i tehv enltiskt ehr ee cent
cablylt hlea rgPersott edsetnaonmti niantt hiUeo. nS .tAh.Se,o uthern
Bapttsif,sow ri vteosb eo bediteotn hteh iurs baannddfs o crh urcthoe s
stoopr daiwnoimnegn . Ionft hileni cgrheta singblayc kplaoagwsaehir nfsutl
women, hwahusin ocfrht uneavteecnlr yei pntts oo mree cent queer theory,3
Ifi ndm ysemlufc lhe ss optimtihsuetl itci msaautbceoco uefcts r se ative
stratoefrg eiaedsfi ondrgi sartmhiBeni gb' lspe otenti"acll obfgbo,er"r in
asm aneys sianyts h pisr esveonltu tmeer imtm ,a rginoarloi pzperde ssed
gro.uA psls esbgiaamyne sn,b, i se,xt uraalnssgeanndsde erieenkpdge ople,
dow er eawlalnytt o" tabkaect kh weo·r dA"n?di wfe d ow,h a"tw ordi"t is
wew ant" ttaobk aec k"?
As sIei ent o wt,h earrete w o main ipnrlvovobeildnoe pmpso sing the
Bib'llseo nhgi stoof"retyx thuaarla sstmhetene tix"tt:s a enldf a iuttsh orized
read.Te hrebs oookfts h Bei bwleerp er odumcoesdtb lymy a rgingarloiuzpesd
withiann ctihceeun ltt ouftr heMese diterbraasnoievnaea snr p aonfs lightly
more otnheat nh ousyaena.dNr osto nldyi tdh ese pgarrotuipcisin p ate
culttuhraets dweeerppela yt riaarncdnh aatli onatlhiefsyrott himeco ;s t
parwte rloec atseodc ioanl ltymh aer ginfrailnigzoeeftds h ocsuel tsu,r e
colonbiyz edtdoh mei npaonwteo rfts h pee rfrioodmA ssytroBi aab ytloo n
PertsoiG ar eeacned fitnoaR lolm.yeT hatth egsreo udpesv elhooppeeds
fotrh emsealsas v peesc cihaolslpeyen o palsse ea,tp artt hfrreoe mos ftt h e
worwlhdi,wc ahgs e nerraelglayar sdc eodm pooswfea dr ring, idol-worshiping
imperoivaelr loorrt dhsat,th ewyo rrsieerdi oaubsoltuyht e ir survival as
I
viii Foreword
ap eopplhey,s iccualltluya,rn adrl ellyi,g iaolmulas kleys, pseernfisenec t
thaen ciMeendti tercroannteeoaxfn"t ussv "e rs"utsh eimnw" h icthh ey
experitehnepciaerrd t iwcaullka rGw oidtF.ho t rh etmor ejdeicstnd fualily
thseu pposseexdur aell,i gainodsu osc,pi raalc toifoc uetss iodrfe roresi gn
colonwiazsae srm su cahp olisttiactaelbm oelnstt gerroisunupgr vaisv al
it aw arse lbiegliIioneudfse. t ehdvi,es r cya tegoroifsz eaptairroeanat lem s
ofp olirteilcisag,ni sdoo nc piraalc ticesse ewmo uulntduot s hubeai lb lical
writoertr hsec iurl tfuorwreh so mr elimgoisofrtne quepnatrlayl sltealteed
bounedsaC.ro inseenqtutlhyam,ta noyft hbei blsitcoaralin emdse taphors
confiGromd 's apses oepplaer ate from othetrhsae,c tiovfet en entailing
excluosfti hoownsh eoa rdei effreinnot r,d teopr r otvheeo iwrnn omination
ast hceh osfeewnwh oGmo db lesssheosuc,lo dma esn os urpartai lgslie v en
the politiicnwa hli tcchhoe nstee txthteeasxiu trt sh,ao nrfdsi ,ar usdti ences
were loCclaetacerudll.yt ,eu xrcallu sfaierv idtoieyfffr, e nicnes,i sotne nce
uniatnyad,r igiodrldya isnoecdi alw eorurend deerr satsto honede cessary
tooolfss u rviinsv uaclahm argiizneacdlo,l oncioznetdHe oxwte.v tehre,s e
samter aciotusbl edt ransfionrtmoe dot foo poplrse wshseiCnoh nr istians
ceasbeedit nhgce o lonainzdbe edc ame tihnceso tleoeanrdtis hz,o wsiet h
thpeo wteorc ontarnoddlo mintahtleei voefos t hers.
Alolft hbei blbiocoabkles a trh e sotfa mtpch oenitroe xfpt rso duction,
.
contetxhtaastrf ero t hmeo spta rmta ssidvieeffrleyfnortm t hoosfae n y
oft hBei blceo'nst empWoesrtaerrryen a dNeorrds o.ei st matthtasetor m e
contempCohrrtaiirsa,yen sspelcltyih aose cownintehc temevodar neg eli­
calfu nodra menptoasliitsito rnesf,tu osco eof ntsetinhd seei rg nifiocfa nce
thefsroem atciovnet oenxt thsBe i bfloetr,h arte fudsoaenlso m ta ke them
goa way otrh eclirorus cefiro amla tpiovwee rf.ca toI,nn me i gahrtg ue that
toi gnotrhede e grteowe h icehv ery opfa gtBehi ebr leef ltehcet sp res­
encoefi tasn ciceonntt epxrto doufca tcitournae lsluiyln it nsc retahsei ng
influoefn ctceho antto enxt thfi en ailn terproeftt hatete ixTothn.o saen ­
ciehnetrs ot orainesds o cmioarlec sr,e aitnte hdpe a rticularo f situations
resisotraa cnqcuei estoci emnpceer ialism and m"anragtiun­ality, become
raliozrue ndi"v erisnac lonitzeemdp eovraanrgyer leiacdabiylnr gesm aining
unremda.r ke
Mostth,o ungohat l olft, h ees sianty hsvi osl uemvei nadc eee apm biva­
lenacbeo tuhtBe i beliet ehxeprl iocrii mtpllyi acnia tmlbyi,v atlheaInt c e
belieevveetr hyo ughstefurliC,oh ursi ssthioaunl da swh ealvFleo.m r a ny
Chrtiisatnobs e,r earient dh ceh urmceha ntsob er aiwsietdth h set ories
andh erooefts h Bei bwloev einn ttoh feba riocfe vemreym ooryfc om­
munifrtoymc hildohnowoadar ndtd,h Biisb mlmee-risiiesos np ectiraulel y
fotrh oosfue s r earientd h meo rceo nserovrae tviavneg eblriacnacolhf e s
ChristBieacnaioutfsy e.s nuocsht algia beorc aoupfpse rreoh faoppuesnr d­
soneaxlp erioefin ncsepsi roaret vieconon n tintueinneogtf s boerla ilelf
WhatW orSdh aWlelT akBea ck? ix
thrceoem bdi,mn aenCyh risstuisatnaasni dan r seu stabiyan ekdi nd of
lovaeff awiirtt hhB ei blea-tlo era psatro tfis tH .o wever, whether we are
inl ove twhBieit bhl e oirss i nmopmtlo,yr auilntla yc ceptiagbnloterh ee t o
profoduanmda dgoen teom illoifop neso polvee r huonfgd erneedrsa tions
int hnea moeft hBebi lQeu.e epre opalroeen ltyhm eo srte cevnitct oifm s
bibl"itceaxlht auraals .sJm"ee wnhsta ve bleoesnnug b jteorc etj ecttoiro­n,
turaen,dd e aotnh tbhaeso ifts h wei tneNseswT eosft atmeexnNttas t;i ve
AmericAafrnisc,aL nastA,im ne ricaannPdsa ,c iIfsilca nhdatedhr esli arn ds
ancdu ltruirpepasew dab yyC hrisEtuiraonpc eoalno niintz henera sm oef
takitnh"geW orodfG od"t htheoe athoeftn hswe o rAlfrdi;c Aamne ricans
werkee pitns lavbeypr iyo Cuhsr iswthioba enlsi tehvaettdhB ebi lev'ise w
tha"ts lasvheosuo lbdet yh emiars tejrutssi"ft iheaedb ominoaft ioownn ­
inagn othhuemra bne inagn;dg eneraotfwi oomneshn a vbee eanb used,
burnaettd h set askueb,on radtibeldo,c frkoemed d ucaotrli eoand ebrys hip
menq uotbiinbgl piacsaslaa sg etsh ef rort ehaersieorln i glieoguistliym ated
actosfo ppreasnsdiv oicnt ziamtiiAonndt. h easreje u asf twe highlights
of lai st thbaegt r ecaloteulnlydg thiennn uemdb earnsds peciIftii csi ty.
inconcetiomv eat bhlaaetn y mocroanlslcpyie oruswsoh no thaakse n even
af we momenttors e vitehhwei stoofCr hyr istiuasneti htoBeyfi ' bscl oeu ld
fatiofle e le xtrdeimsmecf ootir nt hsee emienagsclyoy m ploiftc hiBeti yb le
witrhe giomfve iso laennddce ea th.
Ofc ourtsheBe,i biltesd eolenfso kti plelo pglreo;uo pfrs e adoeftr hse
Bibdlote h aitni tnsa mSei.n ecvee irnyt erproeft taaet ixintto hnBe i ble
iasc ombinoaftt hiseot no rtiheesm sealnvde istn hrteee sctosm,m itments,
andb elsio eff ptehre soorgn r oruepa dtihnsegt ortihepeso ,w eorft hose
readtihnBegi balnedh o wt hedye citdoae p pwlhya tth ehya vree acda n
makteh dei effrenicnwe h etohren roa tn yonek iglealtnesidd n w hog ets
killIend .ht ihset ooftr hyBe bi leu'sbsey tChhert iisa,sn usckhi llhiansg
comien mfaronmysfr ,o mt hger osfsroemors f b urniantgt hset askteo,n ­
intgo,r tutrodi enaggt ahs,s iinon vge nssl,a ughbtye rstiwhneog rg du,no ,r
bomtbo t hmeo rseu bbtulstet qiulilet ffeec tfirovmeso f ostracism, deri­
siodne,f amatcihoanr aoccfut resrci,an sgt,oi unotgf ctohmem uneittcy.,
Thep oweri nafnldu oeftn hcaeeu thorreiazdeoedftr hsBe i brlaei tshees
second pIsr eoiebnt l hepemr e ocjtt aokfit nhBgei bblaecf ko r queer com­
munitNioem ast.t heorwc reatainvedev lejyno youslrye aqdouefer estr h e
Bibrleec lsaoimmoe fi ttse xbtyds e tsabiltihzeipmnl,ga ywiintgh them,
laughaitn gt ahlelme,g otrhieztmir,ni gc king wtohnedumel-rilafnylv le n­
tisvter ateemgpileobsyy e det shsea iyni svttohsli usm el-oanasgst hearree
grouopfBs i brleea dwehrofs ae rh,a toerw, a nttom akien vilseibslbei ans,
ga,yb sise,xt uraalndssegreoenrsd e xlulsaye ienkpge opalb aer,r oafkg iel ling
interprweitlcalot nitoitnnosbu ee aiamtqe ude ceorm muniintp iuebsl ic
ancdh urdcehb ates.