Queer Thriving in Catholic Education: The Role of Queer Theologies

This chapter develops the concept of ‘queer thriving’ in relation to Catholic education. Rather than begin from discourses of vulnerability, trauma, or suicidality that typically characterise engagements across LGBTQ+ and religious concerns, the analysis begins from the assumption that LGBTQ+ lives are not ‘problems’ or ‘issues’ to be accommodated, tolerated, or ‘saved’ by Catholic education, but are instead sites of infinite potential from which Catholic education can gain insight and inspiration. The argument here is structured around making the case for two potential contributions queer theologies can bring to Catholic education. First, queer theologies can offer Catholic education a theological resource that remedies overly disembodied approaches to questions of sexuality, gender, and education. Second, Queer theologies can offer Catholic education alternative, more expansive, understandings of LGBTQ+ and religious subjectivities that foreground the agency of LGBTQ+ people. The final part of the chapter reflects on three commitments which are needed in order to enact a queer approach to Catholic education. The opening part of this chapter clears the ground by clarifying the concepts of queer, queer-theologies, queer agency and embodiment.