Between Determination and Liberation - Rethinking Christian Mystical Theology and the Relation between Existence, the Self, and Gender

Smith, Janet and Stone, Alison and Hemming, Laurence (2025) Between Determination and Liberation - Rethinking Christian Mystical Theology and the Relation between Existence, the Self, and Gender. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

In my thesis I am arguing for an inclusivist image of the Christian Divine which leads towards a spiritual notion of identity. The aim of my argument is to contradict, from a Christian point of view, exclusionary attitudes from fundamentalist Christian churches and groups towards queer people, but also to challenge queer-feminist criticisms on Christian beliefs. Possibly facing discrimination from both sides, queer people who also identify as Christian, find themselves caught between the worlds. As objections from either side rely on a dualistic, hierarchal, and patriarchal image of the Divine, I want to tackle this issue by dealing with underlying theological dimensions. In my work I am referring to the German medieval theologian Meister Eckhart and the Spanish early modern Doctor of the Church Teresa of Ávila. By relating Eckhart's notion of the 'Ground of the Soul' and Teresa's notion of the 'Innermost Centre of the Soul' to Paul Tillich's notion of the 'self', I am attempting to develop a concept of the self which is based on a unified identity with the Divine. This notion not only evokes an existentialist courage to embrace creativity and diversity of life, but also, following Dorothee Sölle's interpretations of mystical theology, entails potential for spiritual empowerment and resistance. This can be seen as a first step towards a fearless encounter with Gender Theory and, in consequence, opens ways for Christian and queer journeys of life, based on equality, justice, and love.