How Queer Can Christian Marriage Be? Eschatological Imagination and the Blessing of Same-Sex Unions in the American Episcopal Church

Abstract

Rémy Bethmont (‘How Queer can Christian Marriage Be? Eschatological Imagination and the Blessing of Same-Sex Unions in the American Episcopal Church’) argues that the pace of change in many Western countries over same-sex issues in the last couple of decades and the successful outcome of political campaigns for marriage equality has had a considerable impact on the development of the Christian LGBTQ+ movement. The Episcopal Church’s decision to call same-sex unions ‘marriage’ at its 2015 General Convention is seen as being of great importance. It is argued that it was the changing American secular context and the language of rights that led to the inclusion of same-sex couples in holy matrimony, although this move was questioned by many members of the clergy and laity.