A Critical Analysis of “Familism” from the Perspective of Queer Theology

Abstract

Christianity is one of the leading religions that contributed to the proliferation of homophobic discourses and practices in the modern world. Queer theology has questioned and struggled with sexual norms in Christianity since the late 1980s. From the perspective of queer theology, this paper examines homophobic discourses, which are one cause of discrimination against sexual minorities. In the United States, the so-called fundamentalists and evangelicals emphasize “family values” as traditional or cultural values rooted in Christian faith. They use the term “traditional family” to refer to a traditional nuclear family, namely a household composed of a breadwinning father, a homemaking mother, and their biological children. In presuming and asserting this concept of family, they aim to oppose legalizing same-sex marriage. This paper analyzes the history of Christian fundamentalists and evangelicals with a focus on their political intervention. Further, the paper will show that there is no textual evidence for their arguments to be found in the Bible. Rather, the study of the Bible through the lens of queer theology shows that Jesus denied the primacy of blood relationships.

The purposes of this paper are to problematize the norms of gender and sexuality in Christianity, and to reveal the resilient agency of sexual minorities.