Customer Reviews

The Queer Bible Commentary

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3 star:		(1)
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This book is heavy going in places but as it is written by many different authors, some chapters are easier than others.

I have been reading Old Testament criticism for about fifty-five years but someone coming to it new gets a very concise summary of the various debates. A lengthy introduction updates us on the `6 Bible bullets' against homosexuality. Scholars seem to turn over this debate endlessly and it is hard to keep up with it.
On the plus side, the book is very fair to the insights of Judaism and seeks to distance itself from supercessionism, for example in using the terms first and second testaments .
One of the best articles is that by Thomas Hanks, on the epistle to the Hebrews.

Marcella Althaus-Reid's article on Mark's Gospel is full of insight (I usually find her work impossible to comprehend) but is also inaccurate - she claims that the earliest manuscripts have no accounts of the resurrection. This is not true - they have no accounts of resurrection appearances but they do contain the empty tomb. Also, she refers to a meeting of the Lambeth Conference is 2003 - does she mean 2008?

Thomas Bohache's article on Colossians argues that it should be removed from the canon of scripture because it endorses, rather than challenges, the status quo of the Roman Empire. It's a pity that he didn't keep his reading up to date. Brian Walshe and Sylvia Keesmaat's Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire demonstrates in considerable detail that the exact opposite was the case.

Bohache also suggests that Barth, Bultmann and Rahner emphasize Christ's divinity at the expense of his divinity. He is woefully ignorant of their theology if he thinks that.

On the negative side, there is some special pleading. It seems like every biblical character is gay. This is a reading into the text, though there is a place for but reading playfully in the style of midrash. However, the chapter on the book of Revelation sees phallic symbols everywhere. Such far-fetched eisegesis is likely to put straight people off; the very people who ought to read this book.

The very first light bulb gave off some light but certainly can't compare to the contemporary, energy saving light bulbs in common use today. This commentary deliberately does not give us a chapter by chapter and verse by verse format, which those following the Revised Common Lectionary faced with the challenge of weekly sermon preparation generally find more helpful. Overall this commentary feels more like a treatise on post modern, deconstructive theology and makes one wonder as to which came first the writer's politics or faith? Like most things "queer" it seems like there is a monochromatic approach -- ironic that the "rainbow nation" would paint with just one color.
Having said all this, this book is really worth having and reading (although why such a high price tag!) The Queer Bible Commentary is a start and does give off a bit of light...looking forward to seeing more work from this perspective that actually practically empowers those engaged in preaching the Gospel to all kinds of communities of faith.

Our culture is at a critical juncture; we are at a crossroad of fear and hope,welcoming or rejecting one another. "The Queer Bible Commentary" can be a healing balm for us today. As a Deacon in the United Methodist Church, I find it important to explore and use new theology, thought and practice in my ministry in order to (hopefully) move people toward God's Kingdom. "The Queer Bible Commentary" is a useful resource for that purpose. This book is not a typical commentary, as it does not provide verse by verse interpretation. In a perhaps unintended way this is a powerful and useful approach. Each contributor maintains the highest academic standards for their Biblical analysis. Contributors: I was pleased to see names I have happened upon before. The short bios were very useful and enlightning. A variety of church traditions is represented. A variety of theological approaches are used.
My congregation is entirely straight (as far as I know). I recently used "The Queer Bible Commentary" for my sermon -- more as a stepping off point, than directly quoting from it. I borrowed concepts. I did not couch these thoughts as either queer of straight in the sermon. one of my goals as a pastor is to help the congregation (and beyond) to "Love our neighbor". "The Queer Bible Commentary" is a terrific resource for that goal.

I have written two exegetical papers using the QBC. It's easy to use, clearly written and insightful. Liberating, thoughful and edgy enough! More!!!

This is a fun and interesting book that opens up biblical text for queer intepretations. If you are looking for arguments against biblical gay bashing or simple want old stories retold in a queer way, this is the book to read.

Great way to look further at what God has to say about some important parts of the Bible. Not for the faint of heart. Be ready to challenge yourself and others. Great for Bible study.