Duke Divinity School has launched "From Baptismal Font to Queer Theology," a course that asks whether and how theology can be "queered." The syllabus explores whether "queer" is best understood as identity politics, antinormativity, a social location, or something else, and asks what queer theology would look like in practice. The program emphasizes engagement with Christian Scripture and tradition while expanding conversations about gender, sexuality, and theological method. The offering and a related course, "Queering the Old Testament," drew external attention after being flagged by Campus Reform; Fox News Digital sought comment from the school.
Duke Divinity School Launches Course Asking: Can "Theology Be Queered?"
A course offered by Duke Divinity School is exploring "queer theology" and reexamining aspects of Christian tradition.(Getty Images)
Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina, has introduced a new course titled "From Baptismal Font to Queer Theology." The offering invites students to engage the emerging field of queer theology and to ask whether and how theology itself might be "queered."
Course Overview
According to the course description, the class "examines and excavates 'queer' in relationship to theology and theory." It frames queer not simply as an identity label but as a set of questions and critical approaches to theology, scripture, and church practice.
Other questions to be examined in the course include, "Does queer have an agenda? Secondly, this course seeks to answer the question of whether or not theology can be queered?"
Key Questions the Course Will Explore
- Is "queer" primarily driven by identity politics, or is it an umbrella term for sexual and gender identities?
- Is queer best understood as antinormativity, a social location, or something conceptually distinct?
- Does queer have an agenda? Can theology be queered, and if so, what would that look like in practice?
- What is "queer theology"—is it a coherent discipline and how might it interact with church tradition and scripture?
Students will "develop strategies for asking questions in a way that broadens the discussion of queerness and theology for a productive intervention in the discipline of constructive theology seeking to hold faithfully to the intersecting realities of church, tradition, and scripture."
Context and Institutional Framing
The Divinity School emphasizes that the program is "grounded in Christian Scripture and theology" and aims to cultivate innovative approaches to ministry while remaining rooted in faith communities and tradition. The syllabus signals an intention to engage critically with scripture, history, and contemporary social questions.
Related Offerings and Public Response
The school also lists a related course, "Queering the Old Testament," which explores interpretive approaches that acknowledge diverse gender expressions and the hermeneutical perspectives of sexual minorities and gender-nonconforming individuals.
The school adds that it strives for a theological vision "that is neither narrow nor homogeneous, but one that is deeply rooted in critical engagement with Scripture and honors a range of theological traditions in conversation with a plurality of historical, geographic, and social settings."
The course offering attracted outside attention after being noted in a Campus Reform report. Fox News Digital reached out to Duke Divinity School for comment about the courses and their aims.
The program represents a deliberate academic engagement with questions at the intersection of theology, identity, and social theory rather than a simple advocacy statement. It is presented as a scholarly inquiry within an accredited divinity curriculum.
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