This article considers the Pauline construction of a “spiritual body” in 1 Corinthians 15 and his... more This article considers the Pauline construction of a “spiritual body” in 1 Corinthians 15 and his flesh/spirit dualism more generally in light of Paul’s probable disability. I suggest that this rhetoric functioned as a strategy for Paul to claim social power in his social context by deemphasizing his physical presence, and thus reflects a negotiation with cultural patterns of disability abjection rather than a meaningful part of Christian teaching. Because of the active harm done by these dualistic constructions, however unintentional such an interpretation may have been on Paul’s part, liberative Christian theologies must reject this framing and work to integrate not just “body” and spirit but also flesh and its more negative bodily associations such as weakness, pain, illness, and death.
Martin Luther’s theologia crucis can be seen through a postmodern lens as an articulation of the ... more Martin Luther’s theologia crucis can be seen through a postmodern lens as an articulation of the limits of bodies as signifiers, as Jesus’ body simultaneously reveals and hides divine identity. Likewise, transgender embodiment is often experienced as somehow contradictory, the site of both euphoria and dysphoria; a failed, contested, or ambiguous signification. This paper reads Luther’s theological claims together with contemporary trans theory and narratives toward a theological conception of the polyvalent and dynamic character of embodiment, which recognizes the deep personal and social significance of the body and its shapes while insisting that identity, value, and personhood cannot be straightforwardly read off a body but can only be perceived by an orientation of the heart. In this way, Luther’s articulation of a God revealed in the body of God’s “opposite” can provide an epistemological opening to see all bodies differently.
This article considers the Pauline construction of a "spiritual body" in 1 Corinthians 15 and his... more This article considers the Pauline construction of a "spiritual body" in 1 Corinthians 15 and his flesh/spirit dualism more generally in light of Paul's probable disability. I suggest that this rhetoric functioned as a strategy for Paul to claim social power in his social context by deemphasizing his physical presence, and thus reflects a negotiation with cultural patterns of disability abjection rather than a meaningful part of Christian teaching. Because of the active harm done by these dualistic constructions, however unintentional such an interpretation may have been on Paul's part, liberative Christian theologies must reject this framing and work to integrate not just "body" and spirit but also flesh and its more negative bodily associations such as weakness, pain, illness, and death.
In this paper, I explore the reflexive denial of vulnerability
that characterizes constructions o... more In this paper, I explore the reflexive denial of vulnerability that characterizes constructions of whiteness (along with other forms of privilege) and its implications for concepts of the human person in community and in relation to God. Drawing on resources from disability studies, critical race theory, and theories of power from a variety of perspectives, this paper sketches the contours of the affective reality of whiteness and its relationship to theology. I argue that the feeling of brokenness or weakness is an essential lens for understanding a God revealed through a crucified and resurrected savior, and that the socially-mediated affective habit of denying one's own vulnerability has been a significant detriment to mainstream Christian theology and social witness, functioning to support systems of white supremacy.
In this article, I sketch out something of a manifesto for the writing of queer theology. Beginni... more In this article, I sketch out something of a manifesto for the writing of queer theology. Beginning with a glimpse of the ways that anxieties about non-normative bodies and sexualities implicate all queer identity and practice (including so-called 'straight' sex which is considered transgressive for some other reason), I then suggest ways that an awareness of the values and practices of the BDSM community can illuminate the indecency of theological reflection. I believe that kink represents a valuable approach to meaning-making which holds great possibilities for the theological discipline, particularly its unique relationship to social and interpersonal power dynamics, as well as its willingness to 'dig around in the dirt' of those things which are scary or taboo and find satisfying, sexy ways of relating to that fear. Above all, I hope to provoke new ways of thinking that challenge our easy answers about what progressive or liberative theology might look like, with deliberate attention to what is indecent in our frameworks.
This article considers the Pauline construction of a “spiritual body” in 1 Corinthians 15 and his... more This article considers the Pauline construction of a “spiritual body” in 1 Corinthians 15 and his flesh/spirit dualism more generally in light of Paul’s probable disability. I suggest that this rhetoric functioned as a strategy for Paul to claim social power in his social context by deemphasizing his physical presence, and thus reflects a negotiation with cultural patterns of disability abjection rather than a meaningful part of Christian teaching. Because of the active harm done by these dualistic constructions, however unintentional such an interpretation may have been on Paul’s part, liberative Christian theologies must reject this framing and work to integrate not just “body” and spirit but also flesh and its more negative bodily associations such as weakness, pain, illness, and death.
Martin Luther’s theologia crucis can be seen through a postmodern lens as an articulation of the ... more Martin Luther’s theologia crucis can be seen through a postmodern lens as an articulation of the limits of bodies as signifiers, as Jesus’ body simultaneously reveals and hides divine identity. Likewise, transgender embodiment is often experienced as somehow contradictory, the site of both euphoria and dysphoria; a failed, contested, or ambiguous signification. This paper reads Luther’s theological claims together with contemporary trans theory and narratives toward a theological conception of the polyvalent and dynamic character of embodiment, which recognizes the deep personal and social significance of the body and its shapes while insisting that identity, value, and personhood cannot be straightforwardly read off a body but can only be perceived by an orientation of the heart. In this way, Luther’s articulation of a God revealed in the body of God’s “opposite” can provide an epistemological opening to see all bodies differently.
This article considers the Pauline construction of a "spiritual body" in 1 Corinthians 15 and his... more This article considers the Pauline construction of a "spiritual body" in 1 Corinthians 15 and his flesh/spirit dualism more generally in light of Paul's probable disability. I suggest that this rhetoric functioned as a strategy for Paul to claim social power in his social context by deemphasizing his physical presence, and thus reflects a negotiation with cultural patterns of disability abjection rather than a meaningful part of Christian teaching. Because of the active harm done by these dualistic constructions, however unintentional such an interpretation may have been on Paul's part, liberative Christian theologies must reject this framing and work to integrate not just "body" and spirit but also flesh and its more negative bodily associations such as weakness, pain, illness, and death.
In this paper, I explore the reflexive denial of vulnerability
that characterizes constructions o... more In this paper, I explore the reflexive denial of vulnerability that characterizes constructions of whiteness (along with other forms of privilege) and its implications for concepts of the human person in community and in relation to God. Drawing on resources from disability studies, critical race theory, and theories of power from a variety of perspectives, this paper sketches the contours of the affective reality of whiteness and its relationship to theology. I argue that the feeling of brokenness or weakness is an essential lens for understanding a God revealed through a crucified and resurrected savior, and that the socially-mediated affective habit of denying one's own vulnerability has been a significant detriment to mainstream Christian theology and social witness, functioning to support systems of white supremacy.
In this article, I sketch out something of a manifesto for the writing of queer theology. Beginni... more In this article, I sketch out something of a manifesto for the writing of queer theology. Beginning with a glimpse of the ways that anxieties about non-normative bodies and sexualities implicate all queer identity and practice (including so-called 'straight' sex which is considered transgressive for some other reason), I then suggest ways that an awareness of the values and practices of the BDSM community can illuminate the indecency of theological reflection. I believe that kink represents a valuable approach to meaning-making which holds great possibilities for the theological discipline, particularly its unique relationship to social and interpersonal power dynamics, as well as its willingness to 'dig around in the dirt' of those things which are scary or taboo and find satisfying, sexy ways of relating to that fear. Above all, I hope to provoke new ways of thinking that challenge our easy answers about what progressive or liberative theology might look like, with deliberate attention to what is indecent in our frameworks.
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Papers by Kai D Moore
that characterizes constructions of whiteness (along with other forms of
privilege) and its implications for concepts of the human person in
community and in relation to God. Drawing on resources from disability
studies, critical race theory, and theories of power from a variety of
perspectives, this paper sketches the contours of the affective reality of
whiteness and its relationship to theology. I argue that the feeling of
brokenness or weakness is an essential lens for understanding a God
revealed through a crucified and resurrected savior, and that the
socially-mediated affective habit of denying one's own vulnerability has
been a significant detriment to mainstream Christian theology and
social witness, functioning to support systems of white supremacy.
that characterizes constructions of whiteness (along with other forms of
privilege) and its implications for concepts of the human person in
community and in relation to God. Drawing on resources from disability
studies, critical race theory, and theories of power from a variety of
perspectives, this paper sketches the contours of the affective reality of
whiteness and its relationship to theology. I argue that the feeling of
brokenness or weakness is an essential lens for understanding a God
revealed through a crucified and resurrected savior, and that the
socially-mediated affective habit of denying one's own vulnerability has
been a significant detriment to mainstream Christian theology and
social witness, functioning to support systems of white supremacy.