Reading: Evaluating Queer Theory from a Christian Philosophy Perspective

Evaluating Queer Theory from a Christian Philosophy Perspective with Roy Clouser’s Religious Ground Motive

In evaluating queer theory from a Christian philosophy perspective, it is essential not only to engage with its critique of traditional categories of gender, sexuality, and identity but also to explore its underlying belief systems. From the perspective of Roy Clouser’s Religious Ground Motive (RGM), all human thinking is driven by foundational commitments—often religious in nature, even when they do not explicitly reference traditional religion or a deity. According to Clouser, secular worldviews, like queer theory, may reject the explicit notion of God but nonetheless operate with their own implicit belief systems that shape how they understand reality, identity, and ethics.

Queer theory’s rejection of God and the traditional moral order does not mean that it is neutral or free from religious-like motives. As Clouser would argue, queer theory is grounded in its own religious ground motive that implicitly answers fundamental questions about human nature, meaning, and morality—questions that, in a Christian worldview, are explicitly tied to God's revelation. This analysis can offer deeper insight into the philosophical and theological tensions between queer theory and Christian philosophy.

Key Tenets of Queer Theory

1. Rejection of Essentialism: Queer theory asserts that gender and sexuality are not inherent or fixed but are social constructs. It rejects the notion of stable identities tied to biological sex, advocating instead for fluidity in gender and sexual expression.
2. Deconstruction of Normativity: Queer theory critiques heteronormativity—the societal assumption that heterosexuality and binary gender roles are natural or normal—and seeks to deconstruct these normative frameworks that it sees as oppressive.
3. Focus on Power and Marginalization: Central to queer theory is the critique of power dynamics that enforce traditional norms around gender and sexuality, viewing them as tools of oppression that marginalize non-conforming identities.
4. Embracing Fluidity and Ambiguity: Queer theory advocates for identity fluidity, promoting the idea that identity, gender, and sexuality should not be confined to rigid categories but are open to change and individual exploration.

Roy Clouser’s Religious Ground Motive: The Framework

According to Roy Clouser’s RGM, every philosophical system—whether explicitly religious or secular—is driven by a set of foundational commitments that answer the ultimate questions about what is divine and what grounds reality. These commitments are not neutral; they are shaped by a religious motive that determines what is taken to be the ultimate source of meaning and truth.

In a Christian worldview, the divine is identified as the God of Scripture, who is the creator and sustainer of the world. Human beings are created in God's image, and their identity, purpose, and moral obligations are grounded in this relationship with God.

However, when worldviews reject God, as queer theory does, they substitute other ultimate commitments or belief systems, often unwittingly. Clouser argues that these secular philosophies, though rejecting traditional religion, still function with an implicit religious ground motive because they offer their own answers to questions about human nature, purpose, and morality.

Applying Clouser’s Religious Ground Motive to Queer Theory

1. Queer Theory’s Rejection of God and Essentialism

From a Clouserian perspective, queer theory’s rejection of essentialism and its claim that gender and sexuality are socially constructed can be understood as rejecting the Christian belief in a divinely ordained order. In traditional Christian thought, human identity—particularly male and female distinctions—are grounded in God's created order. Human beings are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and gender and sexuality have an objective meaning within the framework of God's purposes for creation.

Queer theory, in contrast, denies that gender and sexuality are part of any objective moral order and instead insists that they are fluid, subjective, and constructed by society. This reflects a different religious ground motive—one that views human autonomy and self-determination as the ultimate source of meaning and truth, rather than a relationship to a transcendent God. In queer theory, the divine is not God but the self, which has the power to shape and define its identity independently of any external moral or metaphysical structure.

In this sense, queer theory’s religious ground motive can be seen as human autonomy and self-expression, making the individual the ultimate authority in defining identity and meaning. This stands in contrast to the Christian view, where God is the ultimate source of truth, and human identity is rooted in the divine design.

2. Deconstruction of Normativity and Rejection of Divine Moral Order

Queer theory’s critique of heteronormativity and traditional gender roles reflects an underlying rejection of the divine moral order that Christian philosophy upholds. In Christian thought, the moral norms surrounding gender and sexuality are not arbitrary social constructs but are grounded in God’s revelation. For example, marriage between a man and a woman reflects God’s intention for human relationships, and this union is designed to reflect God’s covenantal love.

Queer theory, however, deconstructs these norms and presents them as forms of oppression that must be resisted. From a Clouserian perspective, this rejection of divine moral norms points to a different religious ground motive—one that views traditional moral structures as repressive tools of power, rather than as part of a divinely instituted order. The goal of queer theory is to liberate individuals from these constraints, allowing them to express their identity without being bound by heteronormative expectations.

In doing so, queer theory’s religious ground motive shifts from obedience to divine law to liberation from external authority. The ultimate goal becomes personal freedom and the dismantling of traditional structures that are seen as limiting human autonomy. This focus on liberation from traditional norms parallels a secular salvific narrative, where freedom from oppressive structures is viewed as the highest good—an implicit belief system that substitutes God’s authority with the self's right to define moral and existential truths.

3. Power, Marginalization, and the Role of Institutions

Queer theory places a strong emphasis on the role of power in shaping norms and controlling marginalized groups. It critiques how institutions such as religion, the family, and education enforce heteronormative structures that exclude or oppress those who do not conform. This analysis of power dynamics is deeply influenced by Michel Foucault’s ideas about how power operates through institutions to produce knowledge and regulate behavior.

Clouser’s RGM would suggest that queer theory’s emphasis on power and its critique of institutions reflects a human-centered religious motive. In rejecting the idea that moral truth comes from a divine source, queer theory focuses on how human institutions construct and enforce norms. Power becomes the ultimate framework through which meaning and truth are negotiated. From this perspective, power itself functions as the divine—because it is the force that shapes reality and human identity.

In contrast, Christian philosophy understands power differently. While institutions can be corrupted by sin and used unjustly, the ultimate source of power is God, who orders creation according to justice, love, and truth. The goal for Christian thought is not to reject all norms but to reform institutions to reflect the divine will, ensuring that power is used in a way that honors human dignity and promotes the common good.

4. Fluidity of Identity vs. Identity in Christ

Queer theory celebrates the fluidity of gender and sexual identity, arguing that individuals should not be confined by rigid categories. This reflects an underlying belief in the autonomy of the self—the idea that individuals have the right to continually reshape their identity without reference to any external, objective standard.

From a Christian perspective, identity is not ultimately fluid but is grounded in Christ. For Christians, the highest expression of human identity is found in being a child of God, united with Christ and transformed by the Holy Spirit. This identity is not subject to human will or social construction but is given by God and reflects God's redemptive purposes for humanity. As Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Christian identity transcends cultural and social categories, but it does so through union with Christ, not through the rejection of objective moral and metaphysical truths.

Queer theory’s religious ground motive, by contrast, places ultimate value on the fluidity of identity and the rejection of any external source of truth. This reflects a view of the self as divine, where each person’s autonomous choices are the source of their own identity and meaning.

Conclusion: The Christian Engagement with Queer Theory and Clouser’s Religious Ground Motive

Evaluating queer theory from a Christian philosophy perspective, particularly with the insights of Roy Clouser’s Religious Ground Motive, reveals that while queer theory explicitly rejects the idea of God, it still operates with its own implicit belief system. This belief system elevates human autonomy, fluidity, and personal freedom as ultimate goods, making the self the central authority in defining identity, meaning, and morality.

Christian philosophy, by contrast, views God as the ultimate source of truth and human identity as grounded in the divine order of creation. Gender, sexuality, and moral norms are not arbitrary constructs but reflections of God’s purposes for human flourishing. While Christian philosophy can share queer theory’s concern for justice and the dignity of marginalized groups, it critiques the underlying assumption that autonomous self-expression is the highest good. Instead, Christian thought points to union with Christ as the foundation for true freedom and identity.

In engaging with queer theory, Christian philosophy can affirm the importance of compassion, justice, and inclusion while also holding firm to the belief that true liberation comes not from rejecting God’s order but from living in alignment with it.