I was Googling "Presby-queer-ian" after church to see if I could find the t-shirt I had heard about. Instead, I came across a Blog by this title, described as a "feminist, queer, ordination journey." There were only six posts, but all of them rang true to many of my own experiences. While I am not seeking ordination, I am (like the author) decidedly Presbyterian; despite many considerations of changing denominations to a more open-and-affirming one, I have found myself more comfortable and at-home in the PC(USA). At times, it is frustrating being a feminist, postmodern, uber-liberal, gay man who is somewhat loosely (at least these days) in the Presbyterian church. At the end of a blog-post, the author above wrote, "So right now in the island of identities, we are at Presbyqueerian, population – 1."
My thought was "Two! Two!" It was then I realized that Presbyqueerians are probably a pretty small breed: especially when it comes to Presbyqueerians attending seminary or divinity school. The church, generally speaking, won't ordain us; the result is that many leave. The number probably decreases when you throw in an additional qualifier of people who are deeply engaged in feminism and gender theory.
So, that's me: A gay feminist Presbyterian preparing to study New Testament with a heavy eye to gender theory and criticism.
My blog is titled "Questiong certainty, with a lot of doubt..." with thanks to Anne Lamott, who writes, "...the opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty. Certainty is missing the point entirely. Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and discomfort, and letting it be there until some life returns" (from Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith). This title also rings true to my interest in postmodernism, which often calls default interpretations into question, posits new ideas, but always leaves the ultimate answer in ambiguity.
