Wellesley College offers ‘Queer Bible’ course to examine ‘varieties of gender in the ancient world’ and ‘queerness of gender’

The class is ‘an examination of queer readings of the biblical canon and the canon of contemporary queer theory.’

The professor is also offering a course on ‘Decolonizing the Bible.’

Wellesley College in Massachusetts is offering a course that attempts to impose gender ideology on the Bible. 

The “Queer Bible” course, offered as part of Wellesley College’s Jewish Studies program, offers an “introduction to the Bible at the intersection of queer theory, biblical interpretation, and the historical study of the ancient Middle East.”

The course conducts “an examination of queer readings of the biblical canon and the canon of contemporary queer theory” and “explores the social construction of gender and examines how people in the biblical world and ancient Middle East maintained and contested gender roles.”

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Students will “consider not only the complex interaction between the categories of gender and sexual orientation, but also how contemporary expectations about ‘biological sex,’ patriarchal structures, and the biblical world impede our capacity to understand the biblical text, explore the experiential varieties of gender in the ancient world, and appreciate the inherent queerness of gender.”

The professor of the course, Eric Jarrard, teaches a number of courses at Wellesley, including one upcoming seminar on “Decolonizing the Bible.” The seminar will “explore the Bible as a tool for decolonization by engaging biblical interpretation by marginalized groups (womanist, mujerista, indigenous, and queer approaches),” and “investigate the role of the Bible as a source of both harm and healing in the history of the world.”

The Jewish Studies program’s “Learning goals” include helping students “Understand the breadth and diversity of Jewish civilization through interdisciplinary learning.”

Other courses offered in the Jewish Studies program include “U.S. Video Game Narratives” and “Minorities in U.S. Comics.”

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Professors at other colleges and universities have also attempted similar interpretations of the Bible through the lens of modern gender ideology. 

A professor at the University of Dayton, for example, wrote an article in March, 2024 stating that the Bible “portrays gender as a colorful spectrum” and provides examples of individuals changing “gender identities.” 

Campus Reform has reached out to Wellesley College and Professor Jarrard for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.