The Politics of Safe Space

safe space symbolThis week at my seminary was LGBT Week.  It’s a 10-year-old tradition that has brought a lot of good to our campus, raising awareness and creating a space in which people can talk and share ideas.  I’m proud of my seminary for being open to the possibilities that this week can provide.

I was gone to the AAR annual meeting at the beginning of the week, but when I arrived at work on Wednesday morning, I was greeted by stickers that had been applied to both of the front doors of the library building, declaring the entire building a safe space.  You can click on the image to the right to see the entire text.

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Eucharist, Prayer and Pacific Mimesis in the Thought of James Alison

Bryce E. Rich
AAR 2009 Annual Meeting
8 November 2009

Over the past couple of decades the Church has been increasingly pulled into the conflict over homosexuality. As Christians rush to take up sides in arguments over scriptural authority, cultural norms, scientific data, and theories of social justice, debates have become increasingly polarized, with both sides engaging in polemic that dehumanizes their opponents and incites some to physical violence. Indeed, not a month goes by without reports of intimidation, assault, and murder of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people caught in the crossfire.[1] Many LGBT Christians have found themselves separated from family, friends and communities of faith.

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