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A website supporting my switchingview YouTube Channel |
There have been widespread reports across history where Intermediate Type (LGBTQ) people have been closely involved with spiritual vocations; as priests, shamans, counsellors, or other forms of spiritual leadership - a phenomenon I have labelled Queer Ministry.
These Queer Ministry videos and website pages explore this issue in detail.
I start by describing new research into Patriarchy.
It used to be thought that patriarchy and male dominance was the natural, universal human condition. But there is now a lot of new but high quality evidence showing that before patriarchy came into the world, many societies across history displayed gender equality. These pre-patriarchal cultures were often Matrilineal, with inheritance passed down the female side of the family. These cultures valued women's roles highly, but also valued intermediate type lives and queer ministry vocations. The two issues appear to be linked. If a society values women and men equally, then a person containing both male and female qualities might be seen as of great benefit.
Sadly attitudes changed when patriarchal values spread across the world. Within patriarchal cultures women's freedoms and queer ministry vocations were both supressed. The problem was made worse when Christianity, as a state religion, adopted and enforced patriarchal ideas.
I will tell the Queer Minstry story in two phases. Firstly I describe many pre-patriarchal, gender egalitarian cultures across history where Queer Ministry flourished and gender variant people could live freely. I then describe how things changed when patriarchal cultures linked to Judaism and Christianity got involved.
The videos in the Queer Ministry series are like chapters in a book, each video building on and following after the previous one. The first video is an introduction which carefully defines key concepts and explains this new research into Patriarchy.
The second video describes these gender egalitarian, matrilineal cultures, and shows how Queer Ministry vocations were lived out freely within these societies.
The remaining Queer Ministry videos takes the learning about Queer Ministry lives into the study of Judaism and Christianity. Queer Ministry vocations were common in the early stages of both religions. But such activity was suppressed when each religion later adopted patriarchal ideas. I want to recover the many stories of LGBT lives hidden with Judeo-Christian Scripture and history.
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QUEER MINISTRY Part 1. How Patriarchy suppressed LGBT and Third Gender Priests and Spiritual Leaders. The first of a series of recordings. First I explain key concepts and definitions, and then describe how recent research into Patriarchy can inform our understanding of LGBTQIA+ history. YouTube Video (Re-edited and re-uploaded January 2025) Texts and Resources Document - Listing the texts and references used in the recording, and recommendations for further reading. Discussion Definitions and Laws - a webpage which defines and explains the various ideas used in the project in more detail than I can give in the videos. |
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QUEER MINISTRY Part 2. Gender Variant Spirituality in the Pre-Patriarchal World This video follows on from Queer Ministry part 1. I describe pre-patriarchal cultures right across the world where Queer Ministry was free to flourish - in America, Africa, India, Europe and Siberia. In each culture I describe how Intermediate Type lives and Queer Ministry vocations were accepted and valued. But this acceptance was within cultures which also accepted great gender equality, and where women often had great personal, financial and sexual autonomy. These two issues seem to go hand-in hand. YouTube Video (uploaded June 2025) Texts and Resources Document - Listing the texts and references used in the recording, and recommendations for further reading.
Discussion Definitions and Laws - a webpage which defines and explains the various ideas used in the project in more detail than I can give in the videos. |
Future planned recordingsThe first two videos are a sort of Queer Ministry Phase 1. They describe patterns of Queer Ministry behaviour in the pre-patriarchal world. The final videos in the series are Queer Ministry Phase 2 - using this learning to look for these patterns of Queer Ministry lives within Jewish and Christian history and Scriptures. Such Queer Ministry vocations were common in the early history of both religions, but these stories were supressed or denied when the religions later adopted more patriarchal values. I want to recover the many stories of LGBT lives hidden with Judeo-Christian Scripture and history. QUEER MINISTRY Part 3. Gender Variant Spirituality in Mesopotamia QUEER MINISTRY Part 4. Gender Variant Spirituality in the Hebrew Scriptures QUEER MINISTRY Part 5. Gender Variant Spirituality in Pagan Rome QUEER MINISTRY Part 6. Gender Variant Spirituality in the Gospels QUEER MINISTRY Part 7. How Jacob and Joseph in the Hebrew Bible are stories of gender variance.
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Finally, can I ask you a favour. I put a lot of work into these recordings, and it would be good if they can be seen by the largest number of people. If you have a friend or colleague who you think would benefit from knowing about these issues, please do pass it on. TELL A FRIEND! - SPREAD THE WORD!I would welcome comments and suggestions on this work - Contact Me. Thank You |