Set within the isolating confines of a conservative dorm room in Searcy, Arkansas, this piece explores the intersection of queer identity, institutional religious trauma, and the eventual reclamation of personal spirituality. By utilizing and subverting heavy Old Testament iconography—such as the walls of Jericho, the Ark, and Mount Ararat—the piece speaks directly to the process of faith deconstruction and the profound realization of divine self-acceptance.
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Matthew Vines came out as gay in 2010. In 2014, Convergent Books published his book, God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships. In four years, Vines rose from being a closeted teen in Wichita, Kansas, to a national spokesman for gay Evangelicals. Soon after, in 2015, Obergefell v. Hodges legalized gay marriage, allowing churches who wished to perform gay marriages do so with the backing of the state. From the start, Vines organized his ministry around proving the
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The decades of occupation of Palestinian land by the Israeli government and the current genocide of Palestinians is something no one can ignore, especially people of faith. Our faith moves us to call out the injustices of our world, the killing of thousands of people, and governments that take advantage
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In June, we moved to San Diego, and I stepped away from being a pastor. I’ve still built connections with clergy, and a recent meeting with one pastor stuck out. We talked about following up, and he said, “Reach back out in January.” It was December 1. Caught off guard
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For 31 consecutive weeks, Israelis have taken to the streets, mostly in Tel Aviv, to protest the decision by the current right-wing government of Israel to initiate an overhaul of its judicial system. Israel’s “Unreasonableness Law” is a measure that removes the courts’ power to overturn decisions made by Israel’s
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