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From Sin to Amazing Grace: Discovering the Queer Christ
Throughout the history of Christianity, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (“LGBT” or“queer”) people have been condemned as unrepentant sinners who are in dire need of God’s saving grace. As a result of this condemnation, LGBT people have been subjected to great spiritual, emotional and physical abuse and violence. This issue takes on a particular urgency in light of the ongoing harassment and bullying of LGBT young people by their classmates.
Cheng argues that people need to be liberated from the traditional legal model of thinking about sin and grace as a violation of divine and natural laws in which grace is understood as the strength to refrain from violating such laws. Rather Cheng proposes a Christological model based upon the theologies of Irenaeus, Bonaventure and Barth, in which sin and grace are defined in terms of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.
This book serves as a useful resource for all people who struggle to make sense of the traditional Christian doctrines of sin and grace in the context of the 21st century.
Cheng argues that people need to be liberated from the traditional legal model of thinking about sin and grace as a violation of divine and natural laws in which grace is understood as the strength to refrain from violating such laws. Rather Cheng proposes a Christological model based upon the theologies of Irenaeus, Bonaventure and Barth, in which sin and grace are defined in terms of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.
This book serves as a useful resource for all people who struggle to make sense of the traditional Christian doctrines of sin and grace in the context of the 21st century.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 7, 2015
Not bad as an intro I expected a lot more far as detail, explanation, and depth goes. It's very good as introduction to the topics outlined and the umbrella topic itself, but again, I felt like there should have been tremendously more depth. chapters one through four became repetitive and I thought once I reached chapter 5 I would get the crux of the material but it seemed to go in a direction where the research felt loosely associated with the text.
I would love to see a second edition with added text such as interview and case studies and the like. I do like this and it is a desperately needed book. I just wanted more and more depth.
I would love to see a second edition with added text such as interview and case studies and the like. I do like this and it is a desperately needed book. I just wanted more and more depth.
March 9, 2025
A great and much-needed introduction to thinking about the topics of sin and grace from a queer Christian perspective. Cheng's writing is clear and concise as ever, even as he tackles what can be dense and tricky topics. He does tend to go over a lot of information very quickly, and many readers will find themselves wanting a little more. Luckily, the "additional reading" lists at the end of each chapter are a great resource for those wanting to dig deeper.
Because this was published in 2012, a few things feel a little dated (like Cheng saying the "a" in LGBTQIA+ stands for "ally," and a very limiting definition of bisexuality). However, there's nothing too egregious and for the most part the book holds up well over a decade later.
Because this was published in 2012, a few things feel a little dated (like Cheng saying the "a" in LGBTQIA+ stands for "ally," and a very limiting definition of bisexuality). However, there's nothing too egregious and for the most part the book holds up well over a decade later.
January 19, 2023
I've felt for a while that "sin" is a taboo "s" word within queer Christian spaces; I appreciate Cheng's attempt to create a new understanding around sin and grace that includes the affirmation of LGBTQ+ folks. In the second part of his book, I found the seven new sins and graces to be a little clunky. The parts wherein he focused on the models of the Queer Christ to be much more compelling.
It's a good starting point for anyone looking to reimagine how we talk about sin and grace.
It's a good starting point for anyone looking to reimagine how we talk about sin and grace.
September 3, 2019
I enjoy ruminating on parallels between Cheng's Queer Christ and my perspective of Christ as a Babaylan.
April 3, 2016
Nobody critiques forensic atonement theories like a lawyer. In autobiographical asides, Cheng describes his legal training, his years of BigLaw striving and dissatisfaction prior to his conversion, and even how he continued in practice during his doctoral study. Thus, his constructive critique of western penal substitution: It relies on a logic of collective punishment antithetical to modern law, and one uniquely dangerous to queer folks, who remain subject to collective sanction under many legal regimes, both civil and churchly.
To start with the constructive argument is a bit beside the point, as like Radical Love this is more a clarifying aggregation than an original monograph. Cheng collates the scattered, uneven literature of queer reflections on Christ, sin, and grace into a structured, systematic Christology, in light of his own reading of (o/O)rthodox deification theology. The volume is structured for maximum ease of use, with short chapters, study questions, and relatively non-technical expositions. A liberal church could use it profitably for a Lent study, provided its members are ready for some seriously queer material. Cheng, to his great credit, never soft-pedals the sexualizing provocation of his sources, even when they might seem to disrupt the relatively moderate character of his own narration.
From a full-blown, formal Christology, I would want more historical, technical specificity—say, in the treatment of Augustine, Anselm, and Calvin, who become cardboard villains here. Even in Cheng's more popular mode, I wanted a bit more clarity about the distinction between collective punishment in modern legal thought and in Biblical theologies of providence (a serious weakness, it seems to me, in his constructive argument). But if you want Gustaf Aulén, read him! What Cheng offers is unique and important precisely for its existential specificity.
To start with the constructive argument is a bit beside the point, as like Radical Love this is more a clarifying aggregation than an original monograph. Cheng collates the scattered, uneven literature of queer reflections on Christ, sin, and grace into a structured, systematic Christology, in light of his own reading of (o/O)rthodox deification theology. The volume is structured for maximum ease of use, with short chapters, study questions, and relatively non-technical expositions. A liberal church could use it profitably for a Lent study, provided its members are ready for some seriously queer material. Cheng, to his great credit, never soft-pedals the sexualizing provocation of his sources, even when they might seem to disrupt the relatively moderate character of his own narration.
From a full-blown, formal Christology, I would want more historical, technical specificity—say, in the treatment of Augustine, Anselm, and Calvin, who become cardboard villains here. Even in Cheng's more popular mode, I wanted a bit more clarity about the distinction between collective punishment in modern legal thought and in Biblical theologies of providence (a serious weakness, it seems to me, in his constructive argument). But if you want Gustaf Aulén, read him! What Cheng offers is unique and important precisely for its existential specificity.
February 18, 2013
I have reached a point in my spiritual journey where I just can't buy into the Augustinian "crime model" of faith anymore. Unfortunately, I haven't found anything to replace it yet. I had high hopes that this book would help me with that. Part I was very helpful in giving me the vocabulary to talk about the old system (crime model with emphasis on acquittal and rehabilitation). He also talked about Irenaeus, Bonaventure and Barth as the basis for a new model of sin and grace. Then I got to Part II, which is where he goes into his 7 new sin and grace paradigms. And we never hear of Irenaeus, Bonaventure and Barth again. What we seem to get is a literature review quoting every modern gay liberation theologian that there is. I found that kind of frustrating and it left me no closer to finding a new path. There were nuggets within his 7 paradigms but they were almost lost in what seemed irrelevant theo-speak. I would have preferred that he talk about how these 7 paradigms related to the ideas of the 3 theologians he based his model on. Or at least not ignore them.
March 2, 2016
An interesting, quick read. Part one critiques the crime-based model of sin and grace from the perspective of a Christ-centered, theosis model that draws on Eastern Orthodox theology for a contemporary, progressive view.
The second part is an exploration of seven images of the Queer Christ and the corresponding sin and grace associated with each image. This also serves as a handy summary of various forms of queer theology.
The most interesting to me was model seven: The Hybrid Christ drawing on postcolonial theory. The sin associated with that image was singularity "the refusal to acknowledge the complex interplay of identity categories. Singularity is our desire to simplify multiple overlapping and intersecting categories." The corresponding grace was hybridity "the simultaneous holding together of two or more intersecting worlds." "Hybrid thinking delights in multiplicities, intersections, and interstitial spaces."
The second part is an exploration of seven images of the Queer Christ and the corresponding sin and grace associated with each image. This also serves as a handy summary of various forms of queer theology.
The most interesting to me was model seven: The Hybrid Christ drawing on postcolonial theory. The sin associated with that image was singularity "the refusal to acknowledge the complex interplay of identity categories. Singularity is our desire to simplify multiple overlapping and intersecting categories." The corresponding grace was hybridity "the simultaneous holding together of two or more intersecting worlds." "Hybrid thinking delights in multiplicities, intersections, and interstitial spaces."
July 27, 2013
While this book is written by a gay Asian American theologian, his view of sin and grace are helpful to people of all genders, ethnic groups, sexual orientations, etc., as he moves away from a punishment/atonement model to an immaturity/deification mode.
February 21, 2019
I have read another of Cheng's books, Radical Love, and enjoyed it. I thought it would be nice to read another book of his. I enjoyed the discussion of sin as it pertains to the queer community. I think this is an important read for all queer Christians and clergy.
January 3, 2019
As other works by Cheng, this is a comprehensive and adaptable primer on queer Christology which stands up over time.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews