We received an advance copy of this book, that we asked one of our members to read and review:

In Queer & Christian, “TikTok pastor” Rev. Brandan Robertson sets out to help the queer reader “reclaim your power and know deep in your bones that you are beloved by God, just as you are.” It aims to be an accessible yet academically grounded exploration of queer theology, setting us up to reclaim the Bible “with confidence.”

The project is as ambitious as it sounds and is divided into four parts. The initial part contextualizes the book through Robertson’s own story, the second wrestles with difficult parts of the Bible, the third explores queer affirming parts of the Bible, and the final part is a Q&A section.
It is a well-structured book that is what it claims to be: accessible, easy to read, and with a friendly and personal tone – much thanks to Robertson’s willingness to share of his own story and personal anecdotes. In the Bible-parts, every chapter ends with “Quick response” – a few helpful sentences to sum up the argument, which can be used by the reader.

Robertson has done his research, particularly the Bible-parts are full of references to scholars. Yet, some arguments end up being rather simplistic. Perhaps it comes from the wish to be accessible, but the section that wrestles with the more difficult parts of the Bible falls a little flat. Robertson downplays the role of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in Christian lives, saying that it ONLY applies to Jews/Hebrews. I wish he would’ve taken a more engaging approach with the texts. The dismissal becomes counterintuitive when Robertson in the next part embraces the stories of Ruth and Naomi, David and Jonathan, and Joseph.

The book is accessible for sure, although perhaps a little wordy at times – the editing could’ve been better. But Robertson’s book is an overall good starting-point for those new to queering theology.

Lina Landström
PhD Candidate at Vrije Universiteit and President of the Swedish Christian Rainbow Movement (EKHO)