The Rev. Dr. Patrick S. Cheng
"St. Augustine of Hippo once described God's beauty as 'ever ancient, ever new.' For me, the beauty of Christian theology lies in the ongoing synthesis of ancient scripture, creeds, and doctrines with exciting new disciplines such as queer theory and postcolonial thought. In my view, Episcopal Divinity School is an ideal community in which to live out this witness, both in terms of theory and praxis."
The Rev. Dr. Patrick S. Cheng, Associate Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, was appointed to the faculty of Episcopal Divinity School in 2010. He holds a PhD, MPhil, and MA from Union Theological Seminary in New York, a JD from Harvard Law School, and a BA from Yale College. Professor Cheng’s research interests relate to the intersections of sexuality, race, ethics, and theology.
Cheng is the author of Radical Love: An Introduction to Queer Theology (Seabury, 2011), which has been used by seminaries and congregations around the world. His most recent book is From Sin to Amazing Grace: Discovering the Queer Christ (Seabury, 2012). Cheng’s essays have appeared in a number of anthologies, including the second edition of Sexuality and the Sacred (WJK, 2010) and The Queer Bible Commentary (SCM, 2006). His articles have been published in peer-reviewed journals such as CrossCurrents, The Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, Semeia, and Spiritus.
Cheng is a member of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Christian Ethics. He is one of the five members of the AAR Committee on the Status of LGBTIQ Persons in the Profession. He delivered the 2011 John E. Boswell Lecture at the Pacific School of Religion, as well as the 2012 Gilberto Castañeda Lecture at the Chicago Theological Seminary.
Professor Cheng is an ordained minister with the Metropolitan Community Churches, and he blogs for the Religion and Gay Voices sections of the Huffington Post. His website is http://www.patrickcheng.net.