Today we answer a listener question from someone who has recently reconnected with her faith. While she is building this renewed relationship with the divine, she worries about her partner who has negative attitudes towards religion. She asks, “What is the best way to encourage your partner to reconsider their stance on their faith especially when they, like so many of us, have been very hurt by religion? Or is it better to just let it be?”
We also queer a text from a book that we haven’t covered before in the many years that we’ve been doing this podcast. In this episode, we queer Wisdom of Solomon, and Fr. Shay gives a short explanation of what this book is all about, especially to our non-Roman Catholic listeners. And of course, we explain how this passage relates to the queer community and the work that we’ve been doing.
Key takeaways:
- Brian and baking (again) [0:46]
- Fr. Shay: office revamping and journal categorizing [2:22]
- Listener question: on reconnecting faith and supporting a partner who has negative associations with religion [5:01]
- Faith or being in a relationship with someone religious [7:04]
- Own your feelings [8:59]
- Your partner’s faith life is their responsibility [10:08]
- Queering the Bible: Wisdom of Sol 6:12-20 [13:35]
- Relating this passage and the Transfigured course [16:12]
- The activeness of this wisdom [16:39]
- What exactly is the work that we do in QueerTheology? [17:36]
- Wisdom personified [18:22]
If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology
If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com
Wisdom of Sol 6:12-20
Wisdom is bright and unfading. She readily appears to those who love her. She’s found by those who keep seeking after her. She makes herself known even in advance to those who desire her with all their hearts. Someone who awakens before dawn to look for her will find her already sitting at the door. Taking wisdom to heart is the way to bring your thinking to maturity. The one who can’t sleep at night because he’s consumed with thinking about her will soon be free from worry.
She herself goes about looking for those who are worthy of her. She graciously makes herself known to them as they travel. She comes to them in each of the ideas that they think.
The real beginning of wisdom is to desire instruction with all your heart. Love for instruction expresses itself in careful reflection. If you love Wisdom, you will keep her laws. If you are attentive to her laws, you can be assured that you will live forever. If you live forever, you will be near to God. If you desire wisdom with all your heart, you will know what good leadership is.