Brueggemann's Theological Posture on LGBTQ+ Inclusion: A Framework for Full Affirmation
This document explores theologian Walter Brueggemann's theological framework supporting the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons in Christian communities. While not the central focus of his early scholarly work, Brueggemann's later writings and public statements reveal a consistent theological trajectory that affirms the dignity, worth, and full participation of LGBTQ+ individuals in the life of the church. The following sections outline five key theological pillars that form the foundation of Brueggemann's inclusive posture, drawing from his extensive work on biblical interpretation, prophetic imagination, and covenantal theology.

by Mark Poyner

The Bible Is Not a Flat Rulebook
Walter Brueggemann consistently argues against simplistic, literalistic readings of Scripture that reduce the Bible to a collection of timeless rules. According to Brueggemann, the Bible represents a complex, multilayered testimony to God's ongoing engagement with humanity across different cultural and historical contexts. This understanding fundamentally shapes how we approach texts often weaponized against LGBTQ+ persons.
As Brueggemann eloquently states, "The Bible's authority is not in its rules but in its testimony to God's life-giving engagement with the world." This perspective invites us to read Scripture as a dynamic conversation rather than a static document. The handful of texts seemingly condemning same-sex relations must be understood within their ancient cultural contexts, which had no concept of sexual orientation or committed same-sex partnerships as we understand them today.
When we recognize the Bible as testimony rather than rulebook, we open ourselves to its transformative power without binding ourselves to cultural expressions that no longer reflect our contemporary understanding of human sexuality. Brueggemann's hermeneutical approach emphasizes that faithful interpretation requires both rigorous historical context and theological discernment informed by the broader biblical witness to God's justice and love.
Brueggemann challenges Christians to engage in what he calls "imaginative remembering" - a process that honors the text while recognizing our responsibility to interpret it faithfully for our time and place. This approach rejects both rigid fundamentalism and dismissive liberalism, instead inviting us into a third way that takes Scripture seriously as a witness to God's ongoing revelation.
Contextual Interpretation
Scripture must be read within its historical, cultural, and literary contexts, recognizing the vast differences between ancient and modern understandings of sexuality and relationships.
Scripture as Testimony
The Bible witnesses to God's revelation rather than providing a comprehensive rulebook. Its authority lies in its witness to God's liberating work, not in isolated verses extracted from their context.
Evolving Understanding
As with slavery and women's roles, our interpretation of Scripture regarding sexuality must be informed by growing human understanding of sexual orientation as an inherent aspect of human identity.
God Is Free and Faithful
A cornerstone of Brueggemann's theology is his understanding of God's sovereignty and freedom. Contrary to theological perspectives that confine God to rigid, unchanging categories, Brueggemann emphasizes that the God revealed in Scripture consistently breaks through human expectations and limitations. This theological principle has profound implications for LGBTQ+ inclusion in Christian communities.
The Old Testament repeatedly demonstrates God's penchant for showing up in surprising, even scandalous ways. From choosing the younger son over the firstborn to selecting the shepherd boy David as king, God consistently defies conventional wisdom and social hierarchies. Brueggemann's work illuminates how God's freedom allows for new understandings and expressions of faith that may challenge traditional interpretations.
Simultaneously, God remains steadfastly faithful to covenant promises. This faithfulness is not contingent on conformity to a narrow set of behaviors but is grounded in God's inherent character of chesed—steadfast love. As Brueggemann notes, "God's fidelity to humankind is not determined by our adherence to cultural norms but by God's own commitment to relationship."
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Old Testament Witness
God repeatedly chooses the unexpected person, defies social conventions, and embraces those deemed "other" by dominant society—from Ruth the Moabite to eunuchs in Isaiah 56.
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Gospel Narratives
Jesus extends God's love beyond expected boundaries, engaging with those deemed ritually unclean, morally suspect, or socially marginalized.
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Early Church
The Spirit moves the early church to recognize God's presence among unexpected communities, as in Peter's vision leading to Gentile inclusion.
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Contemporary Witness
LGBTQ+ Christians bear spiritual fruit and demonstrate faithful discipleship, offering evidence of God's active presence in their lives and communities.
This understanding of God's freedom and faithfulness creates theological space for affirming LGBTQ+ persons. If God consistently shows up in unexpected places and among marginalized communities, then the vibrant faith of LGBTQ+ Christians should not surprise us but rather affirm God's ongoing work beyond human boundaries and expectations.
Covenantal Love Is More Important Than Gender Pairing
Brueggemann's theology of covenant provides a powerful framework for understanding human relationships, including intimate partnerships. Throughout his work, he emphasizes that the Bible's primary concern regarding human relationships is not gender complementarity but rather the quality and character of the covenant formed between persons. This covenantal perspective shifts the ethical focus from the gender of the partners to the nature of their commitment.
The biblical witness consistently elevates relationships grounded in faithfulness, mutuality, and love. From Ruth and Naomi's covenant of loyalty to Jonathan and David's soul-binding commitment, Scripture celebrates bonds characterized by self-giving love rather than rigid adherence to patriarchal norms. Even marriage in Scripture evolves significantly from patriarchal property arrangements in early texts to the mutual submission endorsed by Paul in Ephesians.
As Brueggemann notes, "The covenantal ethic at the heart of Scripture calls us not to replicate ancient gender hierarchies but to form relationships that reflect God's own faithfulness and justice." This perspective allows us to evaluate relationships based on their fruits—fidelity, commitment, self-giving love, and mutual support—rather than the gender configuration of the partners.
"The quality of covenant fidelity matters more than the gender of the covenant partners. What the Bible consistently affirms is not a specific arrangement of gender roles but the transformative power of committed, faithful love."
Mutual Love
Covenantal relationships are characterized by genuine affection and care that seeks the good of the other, regardless of gender. This self-giving love reflects God's own commitment to humanity.
Faithful Commitment
The biblical ethic celebrates promises kept over time through both joy and hardship. This steadfast commitment, not gender complementarity, forms the core of covenant.
Justice and Equity
True covenantal relationships reject domination and embrace mutual respect and shared power. This ethical standard applies equally to same-sex and different-sex partnerships.
When we center covenant rather than gender in our theology of relationships, we create space for affirming committed same-sex partnerships that embody the biblical values of faithfulness, mutuality, and love. Brueggemann's covenantal theology offers a path forward that honors Scripture's deepest concerns while recognizing the full humanity and relational capacity of LGBTQ+ persons.
Justice and Mercy Are Central to God's Character
Throughout his extensive writings on the prophetic tradition, Brueggemann consistently emphasizes that justice and mercy stand at the very heart of God's character and must therefore shape Christian ethics. This theological principle has profound implications for how faith communities approach LGBTQ+ inclusion.
According to Brueggemann, the Bible's persistent concern for justice demands that we examine how our interpretations and practices impact vulnerable communities. As he powerfully states, "To deny people access to love is to violate the gospel at its core." When religious communities exclude or marginalize LGBTQ+ persons based on identity, they contradict the fundamental biblical witness to God's justice and compassion.
The Bible's testimony regarding justice is not peripheral but central to understanding God's character. From the Exodus narrative of liberation to the prophets' denunciation of economic exploitation to Jesus' proclamation of good news to the poor, Scripture consistently reveals a God who sides with the oppressed and works to restore right relationships. This biblical witness challenges Christians to examine whether their treatment of LGBTQ+ persons reflects God's justice or perpetuates harm.
Biblical Justice
Scripture reveals that God's justice is not merely about punishment but about restoring right relationships and ensuring the flourishing of all people, especially the vulnerable.
Divine Compassion
God's mercy consistently extends beyond legal boundaries, embracing those deemed "other" by religious authorities and restoring them to community.
Ecclesial Responsibility
Churches are called to embody God's justice and mercy by creating communities where all persons, including LGBTQ+ individuals, can flourish in their full, God-given identity.
Brueggemann's emphasis on justice challenges Christians to recognize that theological positions are never neutral—they have real consequences in people's lives. When churches exclude LGBTQ+ persons from full participation, they inflict documented psychological and spiritual harm. A theology centered on God's justice and mercy must account for these harmful impacts and work toward healing and inclusion.
The Prophetic Tradition Stands with the Marginalized
Brueggemann's work on the prophetic imagination provides a powerful lens for understanding God's special concern for marginalized communities. Throughout Scripture, from Moses confronting Pharaoh to Jesus' ministry among the outcasts, God consistently sides with those pushed to society's margins. This prophetic tradition has direct implications for how churches should engage with LGBTQ+ persons who have experienced rejection and marginalization from religious communities.
The biblical prophets consistently challenge religious and political systems that exclude or oppress vulnerable populations. Isaiah denounces religious practices disconnected from justice: "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free?" (Isaiah 58:6). Similarly, Jesus begins his ministry by announcing good news to the poor and liberation for the oppressed (Luke 4:18-19).
Brueggemann's analysis of this prophetic pattern reveals how God's redemptive work often begins at the margins rather than the center of religious power. As he observes, "The prophetic tradition consistently demonstrates God's preferential option for those excluded by dominant religious systems." This theological principle challenges churches to recognize LGBTQ+ Christians not as problems to be solved but as potential prophetic voices calling the church to greater faithfulness.
"The prophetic tradition does not merely accommodate the marginalized—it centers their experience and perspective as essential to understanding God's work in the world. LGBTQ+ Christians offer a prophetic witness that the church ignores at its peril."
Naming Injustice
The prophetic tradition begins by honestly naming systems of exclusion that harm LGBTQ+ persons in the name of religion, recognizing how theological language has been weaponized against vulnerable communities.
Announcing Alternative Vision
Prophetic imagination offers a counter-narrative of God's inclusive community where all persons are welcomed as bearers of divine image, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Embodying New Community
Churches fulfill their prophetic calling by creating communities that actively celebrate the gifts and leadership of LGBTQ+ Christians and advocate for their full dignity in society.
Brueggemann's work on prophetic imagination reminds us that Scripture's primary concern is not maintaining religious purity codes but establishing communities of justice and compassion that reflect God's character. When churches exclude LGBTQ+ persons, they align with the temple authorities Jesus criticized rather than with Jesus himself, who consistently transgressed religious boundaries to welcome those deemed "unclean" or "sinful" by religious leaders.
Suggested Reading from Brueggemann
For those seeking to deepen their understanding of Walter Brueggemann's theological framework and its implications for LGBTQ+ inclusion, the following resources provide valuable insights. While Brueggemann did not write a single comprehensive work focused exclusively on LGBTQ+ theology, his broader theological perspectives on biblical interpretation, prophetic witness, and justice provide robust foundations for inclusive theology.
The Prophetic Imagination
This seminal work explores how prophetic voices challenge dominant consciousness and offer alternative visions of community. Particularly relevant are Brueggemann's insights on how prophetic critique disrupts unjust systems and nurtures new possibilities for marginalized communities.
Truth Speaks to Power
Examining the countercultural nature of Scripture, this book illuminates how biblical texts consistently critique systems of domination. Brueggemann's analysis of how truth challenges entrenched power provides a framework for understanding how LGBTQ+ affirmation represents fidelity rather than deviation from biblical witness.
Essays and Articles
Brueggemann's contributions to publications like The Christian Century and Sojourners often address contemporary social justice issues, including occasional direct engagement with LGBTQ+ inclusion. These shorter pieces frequently apply his broader theological framework to specific contemporary contexts.
Beyond these specific works, Brueggemann's extensive commentary on Old Testament texts provides valuable resources for reexamining passages often weaponized against LGBTQ+ persons. His contextual approach to texts like the Sodom narrative (focusing on hospitality violations rather than sexuality) and the Levitical prohibitions (situating them within ancient purity codes) helps readers understand these passages within their proper historical and theological contexts.
For those interested in how Brueggemann's theological framework has been specifically applied to LGBTQ+ inclusion, secondary sources that build upon his work include Jack Rogers' "Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality," Miguel De La Torre's "A Lily Among the Thorns," and Megan DeFranza's "Sex Difference in Christian Theology." These scholars extend Brueggemann's hermeneutical approaches to address questions of sexuality and gender identity more directly.
For Church Leadership Reflection
As church leaders engage with questions of LGBTQ+ inclusion, Brueggemann's theological framework offers valuable guidance for reflection and discernment. The following questions are designed to help faith communities thoughtfully apply these theological principles within their specific contexts.
Examining Our Hermeneutics
How does our approach to Scripture reflect or resist the tendency to use the Bible as a rulebook rather than a testimony? Are we giving adequate attention to historical context, literary form, and the broader biblical witness when interpreting texts related to sexuality?
Recognizing God's Freedom
Where might we be limiting God's freedom to work in unexpected ways and among unexpected people? How can we become more attentive to the spiritual fruits evident in LGBTQ+ Christians and communities?
Centering Covenantal Ethics
How can our theology of relationships focus more on the quality of covenant (faithfulness, mutuality, love) rather than on gender configuration? What would it mean to evaluate all relationships by the same ethical standards?
Embodying Justice and Mercy
How do our current theological positions and practices impact the well-being of LGBTQ+ persons in our community? Are we creating spaces of healing or contributing to harm?
Hearing Prophetic Voices
How might we listen more attentively to the experiences and insights of LGBTQ+ Christians? What prophetic challenge might they offer to our community's understanding of faithfulness?
Moving Beyond Theory
What concrete steps can our community take to become more fully inclusive and affirming of LGBTQ+ persons? How might our liturgy, leadership structures, and congregational life need to change?
These questions are not meant to be answered quickly or individually, but rather to foster ongoing communal discernment. Brueggemann's work reminds us that faithful theological reflection happens in community, with particular attention to voices that have been marginalized. Church leaders might consider creating intentional spaces for LGBTQ+ Christians to share their experiences and theological insights as part of this discernment process.
As communities engage these questions, Brueggemann's emphasis on prophetic imagination encourages churches not merely to accommodate change but to actively envision and embody new possibilities for inclusive community. The goal is not simply to resolve a "problem" but to discover how LGBTQ+ inclusion might enrich the church's witness to God's expansive love and justice in the world.