Shameless Theology S2:08 Beyond the Binary: Embracing Queerness within Faith w/Dr. Arelis Benítez Pt.1

Summary

What happens when the place that taught you God’s love also teaches you to divide your spirit from your body—and to call your body the problem?

In this week’s episode, we bring you Part One of our conversation with Dr. Arelis “Aly” Benítez, a beloved friend, colleague, and one of the people whose encouragement and editorial insight helped shape the book at the center of this season. Years ago, Aly joined us on TSV in Spanish to where she spoke publicly about her identity for the first time. Today, she reflects on that moment’s significance and emotions it still brings forward.

Aly shares her story as a Queer daughter of Mexican migrant parents raised within the Seventh‑day Adventist tradition, and how the church’s teachings split her soul from her body long before she had language for sexuality. She describes the liminal space of being undocumented, the fear of losing community, and the impossible contradictions placed on Queer people who are told to love God while denying themselves.

Together, we explore how spiritual violence and religious abuse take shape not only in doctrine, but in the internal fractures they create—fractures that can lead to profound spiritual and emotional harm. We discuss the survival strategies that helped her endure: theological imagination, resistance, and the deep knowing that God had never abandoned her, even when her church did.

This episode mentions suicide. If you or a loved one is struggling with thoughts of self harm or suicide, please reach out for help. Contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by texting or calling 988.

The Trevor Project offers 24/7 support for LGBTQ+ young people through text: 678-678, phone: 1-866-488-7386, or chat: www.thetrevorproject.org 

Join us next week for Part Two, where we continue this powerful conversation with Aly and trace the path from survival toward healing and community. We’ll explore topics like cognitive dissonance, getting comfortable with liminality, code switching as a survival skill, and stubbornness as a spiritual asset. 

Arelis Benítez, PhD (ella/she) serves as Assistant Professor of the Practice of Religion,

Psychology, and Culture, and Director of Field Education at Vanderbilt Divinity School.

Grounded in Chicana feminist theory and Mesoamerican wisdom, her scholarship

reimagines pastoral theology, cultivating identity formation, cultural engagement, and

spiritual care as pathways of transformation in theology and praxis.

Hosted by Reverend Sex (Rev. Alba Onofrio - Executive Director of Soulforce), this podcast channel offers connection, reflection, and community for anyone feeling spiritually marginalized or exiled but still resiliently faithful, while centering dialogue on Queer, Trans, and feminist theology.

Shameless Theology seeks to decolonize faith, mixing theological education with real-life experiences to support human rights and life abundant for all of Creation. Initially launched in Spanish as Teología Sin Vergüenza, this show addresses the monopolization of religious discourse by the extreme Right. Here, we gather people of diverse faith backgrounds and Christian denominations--pastors, activists, and scholars--to discuss gender identity, the erotic, and real life in the context of a radically inclusive faith, aiming to heal the wounds of colonizing religion and create a welcoming space for topics often considered taboo in religious spaces.

This season forefronts our new book: Spiritual Violence: Religious Phenomena that Defile the Faith. This timely resource identifies and examines the consequences of white Christian Supremacy through historical context and case studies, centering lived experiences of marginalized people, and offers critical analysis and practical tools for healing and resistance. Each week, we’ll share engaging conversations with brilliant guests familiar with the work, as we explore the concepts and lived experiences of Spiritual Violence. The podcast is not a repetition of the book but an expansion of conversation adding new voices: experts in their fields who share their experience with our community. Even if you haven’t read the book yet, these are engaging conversations relevant to the here and how, and we invite you to join us and continue the conversation in your own communities. 

FREE PREVIEW: Spiritual Violence and Religious Phenomena that Defile the Faith: soulforce.org/download/spiritual-violence/      

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