Shameless Theology: Queer Feminist Latine Decolonial Faith

Love Letters From Reverend Sex S2:04 What is a Queer Christian?

What if your queerness isn’t just who you love—but the lens that teaches you to question everything?  Reflecting on a rainy night at home and a recent visit to United Lutheran Seminary, Reverend Sex (Rev. Alba Onofrio) answers a seminarian’s brave question: “What is a Queer Christian?” They unpack how identity-shaping adjectives matter, and how “Queer” differs from “gay” as a politicized, countercultural refusal to conform to broken systems.  Through examples like chosen family, bodies and sexuality, and gendered language for God, they describe Queerness as a power analysis that challenges authority, including how biblical canon was formed. Seeing Jesus as anti-imperialist and resisting unjust power, they frame queer Christianity as hope-filled sacred resistance, then close with a prayer for courage to ask hard questions and build community. 00:00 Welcome Back Beloveds 01:45 The Seminary Question 03:16 Identity Words Matter 05:47 Queer As A Lens 06:35 Gay Does Not Equal Queer 09:28 Chosen Family And Bodies 12:12 Power And Authority 14:37 Jesus The Rebel 17:07 Hope And Liberation 19:45 Prayer For Holy Trouble 22:04 Closing and Resources Hosted by Reverend Sex [http://reverendsex.com] (Rev. Alba Onofrio - Executive Director of Soulforce [http://www.soulforce.org/]), Love Letters from Reverend Sex is confession and revelation, intimate and inspirational. This weekly message from an ordained pastor, spiritual healer, and bruja troublemaker will empower you to reject practices of spiritual violence and eradicate shame and fear in your life. This is the spiritual home you’ve been looking for. The entire Shameless Theology podcast channel offers connection, reflection, and community for anyone feeling spiritually marginalized or exiled but still resiliently faithful. It’s a space for exploration--un/learning and re/membering our spiritual journeys through sharing the experience, wisdom, and connections Soulforce has built as an international LGBTQIA+ social justice nonprofit organization over the last 30 years. Join in our community of Sinvergüenzas by visiting our Shameless Theology homepage [https://soulforce.org/teosinverguenza-en/] or our Spanish WhatsApp Lista de Difusión. If you’d like to support this cutting-edge movement of ferocious Latine power building, please make a donation [https://soulforce.org/donate/]. https://soulforce.org/donate/ [https://soulforce.org/donate/] FREE PREVIEW: Spiritual Violence and Religious Phenomena that Defile the Faith [https://soulforce.org/download/spiritual-violence/]: https://soulforce.org/download/spiritual-violence/ Find episode transcripts at https://soulforce.org/podcast/ [https://soulforce.org/podcast/]

Shameless Theology S2:04 Faith as Costly Love w/Rev. Rhina Ramos

What do you do when you can’t find a spiritual home? You build one. In pursuit of a faith that could withstand questioning and a community that embraced freedom and dignity, guest Rev. Rhina Ramos worked to create the spiritual home she’d been searching for. In today’s episode, Rev. Alba Onofrio invites Rhina to share her journey from a punitive Catholic upbringing in El Salvador, through migration to the U.S., and a decade in a Salvadoran Baptist church to the rupture of coming out as a lesbian, divorcing, and trusting God’s grace amid rejection. Today, as the co-founder and pastor of the country’s only Spanish‑speaking, queer‑led UCC congregation, she and the Ministerio Latino [https://ministeriolatino.org/] community offer both material support for newly arrived immigrants and a healing, affirming space where Queer and Trans people can be fully seen. With more than 25 years of experience as an activist and advocate, Rhina has seen the effects of Spiritual Violence up close in our communities. In today’s conversation, Rev. Alba and Rhina reflect on those stories, the spiritual trauma carried by Queer immigrants and Trans people, our responsibility to costly love as an expression of faith, and the practices that sustain us: community care, rest, and drawing strength from revolutionary ancestors. Rev. Rhina Ramos is an ordained United Church of Christ minister leading Ministerio Latino, a Spanish speaking open and affirming congregation for LGTBQI Latinx immigrants founded as her call in 2011. Rhina was born in El Salvador and emigrated to the United States at age 14 in 1983. As an immigrant undocumented during the first 3 years in the United States, Rhina knows first hand the fear and pain of belonging to an invisible community. She graduated from Hofstra University Law School in 1995 and was a labor attorney for five years recouping thousands of dollars in unpaid wages for immigrant workers. In 2003, she obtained a Masters in Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA. Pastor Rhina has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 25 years as an activist, community organizer and manager. In November 2024, she published her first book In My Heart, A Volcano in Spanish about her family and memories of growing up in El Salvador during the 80’s and her journey north as undocumented immigrant. Find Rev. Rhina at ministeriolatino.org [http://ministeriolatino.org/] or on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/rhina.m.ramos.3/] & Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/revrhinaramos] Hosted by Reverend Sex [https://soulforce.org/alba/] (Rev. Alba Onofrio - Executive Director of Soulforce [http://www.soulforce.org/]), 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 [https://soulforce.org/download/spiritual-violence/]: soulforce.org/download/spiritual-violence/     Join in our community of Sinvergüenzas by visiting our Shameless Theology homepage [https://soulforce.org/teosinverguenza-en/] or our Spanish WhatsApp Lista de Difusión. If you’d like to support this cutting-edge movement of ferocious Latine power building, please make a donation [https://soulforce.org/donate/]. https://soulforce.org/donate/ [https://soulforce.org/donate/]

Love Letters From Reverend Sex S2:03 Dirty Words, Holy Resistance

Profane or impolite? How do the words we choose relate to the faith we practice? Honoring a rebellious heart and faithful spirit Reverend Sex (Rev. Alba Onofrio) explores why profanity unsettles many Christians but can be a political and spiritual practice rooted in activism where survival leaves little room for polite society. Drawing on the Battle of Hastings and the class divide between Old English and French-derived “educated” language, they show how “cuss words” became labeled vulgar. They distinguish swearing, cursing, and cussing, and invite a redefinition of “profane” as that which causes harm.  00:00 Welcome Back Beloveds 01:45 Why This Love Letter 03:49 Activism And Real Talk 05:41 Unbecoming Of A Lady 06:23 Medieval Swearing Origins 07:40 Battle Of Hastings 09:18 Class And Language Split 12:47 Profanity Word Examples 15:11 Swearing Cursing Cussing 17:21 Redefining The Profane 17:57 Prayer For Holy Speech 20:10 Closing And More Shows Hosted by Reverend Sex [http://reverendsex.com] (Rev. Alba Onofrio - Executive Director of Soulforce [http://www.soulforce.org/]), Love Letters from Reverend Sex is confession and revelation, intimate and inspirational. This weekly message from an ordained pastor, spiritual healer, and bruja troublemaker will empower you to reject practices of spiritual violence and eradicate shame and fear in your life. This is the spiritual home you’ve been looking for. The entire Shameless Theology podcast channel offers connection, reflection, and community for anyone feeling spiritually marginalized or exiled but still resiliently faithful. It’s a space for exploration--un/learning and re/membering our spiritual journeys through sharing the experience, wisdom, and connections Soulforce has built as an international LGBTQIA+ social justice nonprofit organization over the last 30 years. Join in our community of Sinvergüenzas by visiting our Shameless Theology homepage [https://soulforce.org/teosinverguenza-en/] or our Spanish WhatsApp Lista de Difusión. If you’d like to support this cutting-edge movement of ferocious Latine power building, please make a donation [https://soulforce.org/donate/]. https://soulforce.org/donate/ [https://soulforce.org/donate/] FREE PREVIEW: Spiritual Violence and Religious Phenomena that Defile the Faith [https://soulforce.org/download/spiritual-violence/]: https://soulforce.org/download/spiritual-violence/ Find episode transcripts at https://soulforce.org/podcast/ [https://soulforce.org/podcast/]

Shameless Theology S2:03 Their Calling, My Body: A Pastor's Kid Story w/Yolanda Santiago-Correa Pt. 2

When purity is preached as protection but feels like surveillance, pastor’s kids can become extensions of the pulpit under constant scrutiny.  In part two of a conversation with Yolanda Santiago-Correa,, the story turns personal. Yolanda describes how her parents—shaped by their own religious trauma—protected her through honest, nuanced dialogue rather than censorship. Even so, she navigated policing of her body, social isolation, pressure to represent her family, and the constant fear that any misstep could jeopardize her parents’ employment.   Together, Rev. Alba (Reverend Sex) and Yolanda examine how white Christian Supremacist purity culture and rigid binaries create conditions for Spiritual Terrorism. They explore the tension between embodied Puerto Rican culture and church repression, and why Pentecostalism’s intimate, physical spirituality can feel grounding amid disenfranchisement.  The episode invites listeners to take responsibility for their own faith—naming harm honestly while seeking ways to protect what is sacred without reproducing violence. Yolanda M. Santiago Correa is a doctoral candidate in Religion and Culture. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico and an M.Div. from Duke Divinity School. Her research explores the intersection of Puerto Rican racial imagination and Christian practice, centering Black Boricua experiences to challenge colonial frameworks and reimagine religious life in the archipelago and diaspora. She currently serves as Program Coordinator for the Hispanic House of Studies at Duke Divinity School and as the inaugural Director of the AfroLatine Theology Project. Hosted by Reverend Sex [https://soulforce.org/alba/] (Rev. Alba Onofrio - Executive Director of Soulforce [http://www.soulforce.org/]), 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 [https://soulforce.org/download/spiritual-violence/]: soulforce.org/download/spiritual-violence/     Join in our community of Sinvergüenzas by visiting our Shameless Theology homepage [https://soulforce.org/teosinverguenza-en/] or our Spanish WhatsApp Lista de Difusión. If you’d like to support this cutting-edge movement of ferocious Latine power building, please make a donation [https://soulforce.org/donate/]. https://soulforce.org/donate/ [https://soulforce.org/donate/]

Love Letters From Reverend Sex S2:02 Called Out, Called In, Called Forward

If you’ve been wondering whether that persistent tug in your spirit is a real calling, this love letter is your sign to listen—and be brave. Reverend Sex (Rev. Alba Onofrio) shares their own improbable path toward divinity school as a queer, non-monogamous mother, guided by Rev. Dr. Katie Cannon’s mantra: “Do the work your soul must have.”  A transformative moment during a Moravian Love Feast—known for its ritualized welcome and egalitarian table—cracked something open: a divine challenge to their anger about the absence of affirming church spaces. What followed was a season of discernment, surprising confirmations, and the courage to “just apply,” ultimately leading them to seminary.  This episode encourages listeners to ask what makes them come alive, to pray boldly, and to trust that callings often begin as a whisper.  00:00 Welcome Beloveds 01:45 Called To Something 03:42 Soul Must Have Work 05:06 Moravian Love Feast 10:27 Searching For Church 13:43 God Asks What Now 14:17 Just Apply Anyway 15:57 Hearing The Call 18:59 Prayer For Discernment 21:16 Closing And Resources Hosted by Reverend Sex [http://reverendsex.com] (Rev. Alba Onofrio - Executive Director of Soulforce [http://www.soulforce.org/]), Love Letters from Reverend Sex is confession and revelation, intimate and inspirational. This weekly message from an ordained pastor, spiritual healer, and bruja troublemaker will empower you to reject practices of spiritual violence and eradicate shame and fear in your life. This is the spiritual home you’ve been looking for. The entire Shameless Theology podcast channel offers connection, reflection, and community for anyone feeling spiritually marginalized or exiled but still resiliently faithful. It’s a space for exploration--un/learning and re/membering our spiritual journeys through sharing the experience, wisdom, and connections Soulforce has built as an international LGBTQIA+ social justice nonprofit organization over the last 30 years. Join in our community of Sinvergüenzas by visiting our Shameless Theology homepage [https://soulforce.org/teosinverguenza-en/] or our Spanish WhatsApp Lista de Difusión. If you’d like to support this cutting-edge movement of ferocious Latine power building, please make a donation [https://soulforce.org/donate/]. https://soulforce.org/donate/ [https://soulforce.org/donate/] FREE PREVIEW: Spiritual Violence and Religious Phenomena that Defile the Faith [https://soulforce.org/download/spiritual-violence/]: https://soulforce.org/download/spiritual-violence/ Find episode transcripts at https://soulforce.org/podcast/ [https://soulforce.org/podcast/]