"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made": The Reconciliation of the LGBTQIA+ Community to American Christianity
Date of Award
5-2024
Document Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Justin Glessner
Second Advisor
David Alvarez
Third Advisor
Jess Vooris
Abstract
I explore in this paper the ways in which churches in the United States treat LGBTQIA+ issues and members in their congregations. To do so, I will focus on several case studies, including the Metropolitan Community Church, the Episcopal Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and the United Methodist Church. These examples range from socially affirming to conservative and from traditional to contemporary worship styles. I plan to research the social landscapes of these churches and propose possible solutions for how other faith spaces can create more inclusive membership. I also address my own position as a queer Presbyterian and discuss the reform I hope to see in my denomination. Through studying the roles of gender and sexuality in American Christianity as a whole, I seek to discover more of how our sexual and religious identities intersect and how we can create experiences that uplift these identities mutually.
Recommended Citation
Sailors, Madalyn G. '24, ""Fearfully and Wonderfully Made": The Reconciliation of the LGBTQIA+ Community to American Christianity" (2024). Honor Scholar Theses. 227, Scholarly and Creative Work from DePauw University.
https://scholarship.depauw.edu/studentresearch/227
