A Queer Tradition: LGBTQ+ Belonging and Eastern Orthodoxy

Much of Eastern Orthodox theology considers gay marriage, homosexuality, and transgender/ non-binary identifications sins in need of theological repair. At the same time, LGBTQ+ Orthodox Christians have long existed, transforming the faith through their communal participation in the life of the Church. Advancing the conversation about the contemporary queering of Christianity in the United States, I ask: How do LGBTQ+ Orthodox Christians queer the Church? Drawing on feminist ethnographic practices and Orthodox theology, this project shows how queer Christians craft futures of spiritual dignity amidst the social structures that condition Orthodoxy as exclusionary. In doing so, I offer a window onto queer religious world-making amidst the conflicted landscape of conservative American Christianity. Inspired by the liberative theology of the incarnation, I aim to show how queer Orthodox Christians fight for free futures of faith.

Project Team:
Sarah Riccardi-Swartz, Assistant Professor of Religion and Anthropology 

Project Sponsor:
Louisville Institute