Dear Readers: It is mid-week and I know we are each buried in our workflows, but I had this amazing conversation yesterday with Diana Butler Bass who writes over at The Cottage on Substack and after writing on this platform for three years, since 2020 when it first launched, I’m now leaning into a writing strategy! I’ve been doing public theology since before I started my PhD when I first entered the Twitterverse. Now that I am 8 years out from finishing my PhD, I find myself more compelled by the work of a theology of public life than anything else. I’m so glad Diana and others are mentoring me to figure out how to steward my vocational life in the public square. They are bridges for me to help develop Trans ideas related to theology & ethics, and I remain grateful!

While we were talking, I came up with an idea and shared it with Diana. She loved it, because she is a concerned citizen. I’ve decided that mid-week I will launch a political roundup post for my entire list on the laws impacting LGBTQIA persons and the underside of history.

Writing Strategy is like a Chess Game

Since it is Wednesday, I have an opportunity to share with you what’s happening in the neighboring state of North Carolina and to ask you to get your hands dirty. If you are a faith leader in any capacity, will you consider signing this petition? This is a Call To Action!

Here’s the message I receive today from a concerned pastor, Rev. Kelley Finch out of Wilmington, NC:

Please consider signing the above petition, so that we can reduce harm and steward ethical futures. We want to make certain that the powers that be know that we are also watching closely to what’s happening to our children.

Fridays will be a formation email newsletter / post where I will take the week’s reading for the upcoming Sunday and reread them through a Trans, queer, and Latinx lens to help build Theological Queerness, Ecclesial Feminism, and a Trans Christianity and to also contribute to ‘our collective becoming.’ If you are a clergy member in some capacity, you might find this useful for your own sermon prep. If you are a seminary student or divinity school student, this might also help you! I will utilize the Tradition and my training in philosophy and critical theory to formulate the ideas and then forward a decolonial framework in my analysis and reflection. I will also base the ideas and reflections in and through story, because story still moves folks!

Both Wednesday and Friday will be free posts. Mondays will be for paid subscribers. I will soon introduce exclusive audio and video for paid subscribers. And, I’d love to get 3 more founding members to help cultivate our community here. I plan to gather with Founding Members to listen deeply to the concerns of the world and see how we truly build a community composed of radical difference. Do you know anyone who might want to become a Founding Member?

There is more coming down the pike, too, in terms of in person events and public conversations with scholars, practitioners, activists, and more. So, keep an eye on that. You’ll recognize some of the folks who will join me on the road to be in conversation and some of the scholars will be new to you, but nonetheless powerful!

What musicians would you like to hear? I think Derek Webb, Dan Haseltine from Jars of Clay, Jennifer Knapp, but who else? Who help should I ask to join me for evenings of theology and poetic reason + music?

More soon!

Onward, —Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza.