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ABSTRACT
Denominational responses to sexuality and gender can lead to the construction of contemporary texts of terror. In this article, I draw on theory around identity, dialogue, and safety, as well as my own lived experience, to examine the creation of, and responses to, texts of terror in three elements of the construction of and response to Living in Love and Faith (2020). Firstly, I highlight the unequal power dynamics of the LLF process’ membership. Secondly, I critique the use, by Christian Concern, of personalizing argument as a tool wielded against both theology and the individuals whose identities they critique. Finally, I argue that a paradigmatic shift is necessary if LGBTQ+ people are to live in hope, rather than fear. Throughout, the ways in which conversation partners perform, signal, and control both identities are considered and critiqued.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 See Trible, Texts of Terror; Dillen “Good News for Children.”
2 Trible, Texts of Terror.
3 Monroe, “Taking Theology to Community,” 185.
4 House of Bishops, Living in Love and Faith.
5 Butler, Gender Trouble.
6 McFadyen, The Call to Personhood.
7 House of Bishops, Issues in Human Sexuality.
8 House of Bishops, Issues in Human Sexuality; House of Bishops, Some Issues; House of Bishops, “Civil Partnerships.”
9 For example, see House of Bishops, Some Issues, 8, 14, 32, 34, 36.
10 House of Bishops, “Working Group Human Sexuality.”
11 Ibid., 7.
12 Beardsley, “The Pilling Report.”
13 Education Office, “Valuing All God’s Children”; General Synod, GS2071A: “Welcoming Transgender People.”
14 Church of England, “Shared Conversations.”
15 House of Bishops, “GS 2055 Marriage.”
16 Mortimer, “Church of England Votes.”
17 See Bashir, “Church of England’s Rejection”; Farley, “Shock Rebuke”; Sherwood, “Turmoil as Synod Rejects.”
18 See Farley, “Radical New Christian Inclusion.”
19 Beardsley, “Why I Left”; see also Handley, “Project Loses Transgender Member.”
20 Church of England, “About.”
21 Archbishops’ Council, “Alex & Jo.”
22 Olson, “Intersecting Audiences,” 128.
23 Church of England, “Group Members.”
24 E.g. House of Bishops, Living in Love and Faith, 111–12.
25 WPATH, “Standards of Care Version 7.”
26 Loughlin, “Gay Affections,” 620.
27 Church of England, “Group Members.”
28 Church of England, “Next Steps.”
29 Ibid.
30 Mahmood, “Agency, Performativity, and the Feminist Subject,” 209.
31 Griffin and Chavez, “Introduction: Standing at the Intersections,” 8.
32 Church of England, “About.”
33 Farley, “Radical New Christian Inclusion.”
34 Bell, “Break the Silence”; Hensman, “Careless Talk Needless Silence.”
35 Bell, “Break the Silence”; Coward, “Heterosexual Fragility”; Thatcher, “Living in Love and Faith.”
36 See Arribas-Ayllon, “Foucauldian Discourse Analysis.”
37 Butler, “History Repeating Itself”; Ozanne, “LLF: That Video”; King, “Connect the Dots.”
38 Christian Concern, “About.”
39 Church of England, “Introducing.”
40 The Wilberforce Academy, “About.”
41 Ames and Bannerman, “Police Investigate.”
42 Ibid.
43 Butler, Gender Trouble.
44 Ibid., 203.
45 E.g. The Holy Bible, 2 Cor. 3:17, Acts 13:39, Gal. 5:1, Isaiah 58:6, Jeremiah 34:14, John 8:36, Luke 4:18, Rom. 8:2.
46 Christian Concern, “About.”
47 Ames and Bannerman, “Police Investigate.”
48 Williams, Twitter.
49 Ames and Bannerman, “Police Investigate.”
50 Christian Concern, YouTube.
51 See Cassalicchio, “Britain’s Culture War Extends”; Lewis, “Culture Wars Cross Atlantic.”
52 See The Church of England, “Leadership and Governance.” See also The United Reformed Church “General Assembly.”
53 Ames and Bannerman, “Police Investigate.”
54 Graham, Walton, Ward, “Theological Reflection: Methods.”
55 Butler, Gender Trouble.
56 UK Government, “Hate Speech: A Dialogue.”
57 Searles, Spencer, and Duru, “Don’t read the Comments.”
58 BBC Radio 4, “The Sunday Programme.”
59 Ames and Bannerman, “Police Investigate.”
60 Ibid.
61 Ibid.
62 See Cole, “Evil and Wicked”; Campbell-Jack, “We’ll Call the Police”; Kelleher, “Evangelist Investigated”; Christian Today, “Evangelical Christian Reported”; Christian Institute, “Biblical View Reported.”
63 Williams, Twitter.
64 See Cathcart, “Free Speech Hate Speech”; Watkins, “Freedom of Speech Thriving.”
65 See Bindel, “Triumph of Trans Lobbyists”; Clements, “The Transgender Threat”; Grove, “Life on the Front Line”; Muir, “Why I Joined Protest.”
66 See Ames and Bannerman, “Police Investigate”; Williams, Twitter.
67 E.g. Beardsley and Dowd, This is my Body; Beardsley and Dowd, Trans Faith; Beardsley and Dowd, Trans Affirming Churches; Chalke, The Gender Agenda; Clare-Young, Transgender. Christian. Human; Hartke, Transforming; Lowe, “From the Same Spirit”; Mollenkott, Transgender Journeys.
68 Trans Media Watch, “Why it Matters.”
69 UK Government, “Gender Recognition Act.”
70 See Haynes, “Government Has Finally Responded”; Parsons, “Trans People Feeling Ignored”; Tominey, “Transgenderism Becomes Persuasive”; Rodger, “Morally Repugnant Profile Boost.”
71 See Gollancz, “The Right to Respect”; Parsons, “Trans Man Breaks Silence”; Jones, “Why is Transphobia Rampant”; WPATH, “Statement Regarding Puberty Blockers.”
72 UK Government, “Gender Recognition Act.”
73 Cf., UK Government, “Gender Recognition Act”; UK Government, “Equalities Act.”
74 Home Office, “Official Statistics: Hate Crime”, figure 2.8, cf. Milton, “Hate Crimes Convictions”; Yeung, “Transphobic Hate Crimes Rise.”
75 Buber, I and Thou, McFayden, The Call to Personhood.
76 House of Bishops, Living in Love and Faith.
77 Ibid., 1–7, 420–4.
78 See also Church of England Evangelical Council, “The Beautiful Story.”
79 McFadyen, The Call to Personhood, 126.
80 Cocksworth and Mullally, “Learning Together Different Experiences.”
81 Downing and Pay, “United in Christ”, cf., General Assembly, “Commitment on Human Sexuality.”
82 Downing and Pay, “United in Christ.”
83 McFadyen, The Call to Personhood, 126.
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Alex Clare-Young
Alex Clare-Young (they/them) is completing doctoral research at the University of Birmingham, kindly funded by the Council for World Mission, into the identities, lived experiences, and theological understandings of trans people. They are also an ordained minister in the United Reformed Church, currently deployed part time to a radically inclusive, social-media-based church called Churspacious. Alex’s first book, Transgender. Christian. Human. was published in 2019. As a trans-masculine non-binary person, Alex is passionate about advocating for the inclusion of, and social justice for, trans people. Alex researches, writes, teaches, speaks, and consults on trans identities and/or theology. They also regularly lead workshops on trans inclusion and affirmation in secular and religious contexts. They have worked as a consultant and educator for several charities, denominations, businesses, schools, and universities. Alex advocates passionately for social justice, and provides advice and opinion on trans visibility, acceptance, and inclusion in the UK. A keen supporter of LGBTQ+ charities and organizations, Alex is co-chair of the Open Table Network, and is a consultant for One Body One Faith and Creating Sanctuary.