When people think about holiness, they often imagine something pure, holy, and perfect. This is why many religions have strict rules about what can be considered sacred and who can enter their temples.
There are exceptions to this rule that have been ignored for centuries, but now more and more people are starting to question them. Queer embodiment challenges traditional notions of holiness because it blurs the line between holy and unholy. In this essay, we will explore how queer embodiment influences conceptions of holiness, sanctity, and divine beauty.
Let's look at some examples of ancient religious artwork depicting human bodies in various forms of embodiment. The ancient Greeks were known for their marble sculptures featuring naked men and women in various poses. Their goddesses were also nude, which was seen as natural and beautiful. But when Christianity became popular, nudity became taboo - except for Jesus himself, whose body was always shown fully clothed. Christians believed that a man's genitals were sinful, so Jesus needed to cover up his body completely. This led to an emphasis on spirituality instead of physicality, and the idea that only pure souls could be close to God.
Queer embodiment brings back the concept of physicality into religion by showing that people come in all shapes and sizes. There is nothing inherently wrong with being born male or female, and those differences should be celebrated rather than hidden away. When we see someone who does not fit into our preconceived notions of gender norms, we may feel uncomfortable or even threatened because we are used to seeing things a certain way. But this discomfort can lead us towards growth and understanding if we allow ourselves to learn from it.
The same goes for intimacy between two or more people - whether they be straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or otherwise. Intimacy is a powerful force that connects us deeply with one another, but many religions have taught us that sex is shameful or wrong unless it leads to procreation. Queer embodiment challenges these beliefs by showing that sexual pleasure can exist outside of reproduction. It opens up new possibilities for relationships and connections between people who might not have been able to explore them before.
How does queer embodiment influence conceptions of holiness, sanctity, and divine beauty?
Queer embodiment is the state of being that encompasses all genders, sexual orientations, and bodily variations outside of heteronormative and cisnormative norms. It can include transgender, genderqueer, nonbinary, intersex, two-spirit, pansexual, asexual, omnisexual, polysexual, demisexual, intersex, and many other identities.