Matthew Vines: Expressive Individualism, Queer Theology, and Our Identity in Christ

Matthew Vines speaks on identity and Christianity at The Reformation Project's Reconcile & Reform Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, on Friday, October 27, 2023. Topics covered include expressive individualism, queer theory and queer theology, and a Christian view of identity.

[@GilbertGTV]

Wow!! Bravo, Matthew! Super brave! 🎉❤ This is probably one of the gutsiest messages I’ve seen from you since your original KZbin video that started it all! (BTW, Happy 10 Year Anniversary of The Reformation Project! I’m super honored and proud to be one of the original 50 members at that pivotal birthing stage a decade ago!) Look how far our culture has come in the past ten years! Your example and hard work is absolutely part of that! It’s been super encouraging, but I can see how continuing that fight is still important and part of continuing that fight is to gently point out where movements that may seem similar differ as they move along side by side. I’m so proud of you Matthew! I love how diplomatic you are and I thank you for the grace, love, and compassion you exude while speaking on these sensitive topics. Here’s to the next 10 years!! ❤🎉

[@lukebaskin6924]

🔥🔥🔥

[@gramps2matt]

Thank you, Matthew. I've been following you since that first video 10 years ago. You have given this 66 yo, CIS, BI guy, hope. Assurance, and validation of all I've felt about my acceptance by God. God has blessed you in so many ways. The Reformation Project is so needed for all of us LGBTQ who love God. Your materials renew my faith. Bless YOU.

[@jackpaul3315]

My friend God calls sodomy an abomination. Dont be deceived.

[@theissuesfromleft2right]

I heard of you years ago, said "That's interesting", and then just went on with my life. Since that time I have married, commtted myself to monogamy with my amazing husband, and have also found my way to God. But I have held off on choosing a specific church. This is in big part because I don't want a church that will try to pray the gay out of me, but at the same time I don't want a church that puts identity before God. I have no desire to attend a church that hangs a Pride flag. I am conservative in my politics as well. So at this time I feel lost not in my belief in God, but lost in my search for a church. It's interesting that, years later, I once again come across you as I travel this path to God.

[@a.miller2702]

Exceptionally well done presentation, thank you so much for your work

[@KindConsiderations]

Thank you for such an amazing word, and in such an important moment in my life. May the Lord bless you Matthew, for your steadfast commitment to Christ, one that rejects the oppressive hierarchies of old and self-destructive hedonism of the modern. May the Lord bless you.

[@HenryJuhala]

Thank you Matthew for making this video available to the general public. I am only partly into the talk. So far I am loving everything I have been hearing as I have been of things you have addressed over the past 10 years. Thank you for being your authentic and virtuous self as a role model for so many others. Thank you are sharing that part of yourself with us. May God bless you richly in your ministry and education of others.

[@maryhake8383]

Very helpful information about queer theology. Thank you!

[@Warhol-jb9zx]

thank you Matthew for this nuanced speech about identity and queer theology !

[@donj2222]

I would have totally guessed wrong about what Queer Theology is. Thanks for clarifying this.

[@LoriLSingleton]

I couldn’t be happier to see you mentioning TImothy Keller. The man was brilliant and he has had a lasting impact on me. Further, I’m also happy to see you clarifying this very important issue. For the Christian who happens to be gay, it’s so important to make it clear that Christ alone is the basis of our identity. Happy 10 years btw. When you announced it on social media all those years ago, I was the first person who commented. God bless you always.

[@user-jg7ti2uf9u]

Such an important and thoughtful message. Thank you!

[@dalehulst4128]

Thank you for your clear, well-reasoned, and inspiring exploration on identity! Bravo!

[@robertsleight8013]

When I became Christian I found this very helpful. I have quite a few friends in the LGBT community and obviously I was worried about them.

[@joncarllewis]

I'm curious why "Being true to your heart" needs to mean something negative. And do we want people to be inauthentic? My work as a spiritual director is to help people respond to the calling of the Holy Spirit to align their will with the will of God. That is what discernment is about. So, I'm not sure why "living my truth" for a Christian who is on a journey more deeply into the heart and will of God necessarily needs to be cast in a negative light as something to distance ourselves from. Also, I'm not sure why I need to spend energy changing my metaphors about my walk with Christ in my Christian community with my Christian siblings to make non-affirming people have to find something else to nit-pick about? Because that is often what they do. We twist ourselves into pretzels talking about what we're not, which is energy we could be using modeling Christlike love as we care for those in need and let those who blaspheme against the Sprit moving in our communities meet their reward.

[@ckyung1312]

Thank you, Matthew!

[@jeffscott329]

I think it’s interesting the scripture that speaks of working out your own salvation with fear and trembling! If people would focus on working out their own salvation they would not be a busybody meddling in other peoples affairs! One can not work out another persons salvation! It can be a corporate journey but it’s by far and individual relationships with the creator that brings fullest joy beyond measure! A relationship with the helper / comforter, the Holy Spirit surpasses all the articulation of man and their abilities to define the Work of the Master of the potters wheel as he mold and makes us into that vessel of pure Gold created in his image!

[@pebblesq2010]

God bless you Matthew.

[@echopines1460]

This needs timestamps for the key moments

[@changing_thoughts80]

This is an overall, good presentation; it was particularly useful for clarifying how queer theology differs from affirming theology. There were a few of issues that stuck out to me though. First, the assertion that queer theory/theology are a prime example of the idea of expressive identity. At first glance there may appear to be numerous similarities, but correlation doesn't equal causation, as they say. Imho the arguments of queer theory need to be engaged with on their own merit, not strawmanned. Second, that queer theory/theology necessarily leads to a new good/bad dichotomy. As you point out, queer theorists criticise the existence of the dividing line at all, so any sort of good or bad that might arise from queering the norm cannot be placed at the feet of Queer, it is necessarily a result of reaction against that process. One more thing I'll mention, you say there's no "sex in the park"-type of person; what is an exhibitionist then? If you only define sex as something people do with their genitals then may be there isn't, but i think queer theorists would have something to say about that too. Again, good talk, love what you're doing, hugs and blessing. Now, off to join the queer revolution.

[@echopines1460]

Some of the conservatives in the comments are getting triggered by this. This is what they need to hear

[@johnlonie7899]

Thank you and congratulations for such an intelligent, affirming and fluent presentation.

[@jeffscott329]

We are all blind until he chooses to allow us to truly see! I believe God sees man through a different lens as man in his blindness sees each other! God sees our spirit/ our hearts! Man sees through his own wounded self individualized by his own fleshy differences and pain and insecurities! God see us like the crystal! His light flows in and only then do we sparkle! In the kingdom of God there is not Jew nor Greek, male or female! Man in his limited understanding, Christian or not, until God opens one’s eyes they truly can’t understand the vastness of this reality! Procreation is for a time, but all things shall pass away! When he appears we shall be changed in a twinkling of an eye! Until then our egos limit us from truly seeing each other as God see us in his holiness!

[@jeffscott329]

God does not place labels on man! Man does this! We are all created in his image! Bottom line, Christian/ people need to grow up and reach a level of maturity and stop being so immature, however this is a process! Enjoy your own process of spiritual growth at your own individual pace! At some point a baby must give up his diaper and pacifier! Love is patient, kind, long suffering, etc/ never fails! Gods love that is not the love of the flesh! I don’t think a God that created the world is worried about peoples petty sexual appetites! Get over yourselves! It’s not all about me or you! Move on or remain in trivial indifference! What really matters is how we treat each other!

[@edwardhenderson7273]

I can assure you that if you want to find support for your lifestyle in scripture you can. Mathew is jumping through some incredible hemeneutical hoops to arrive at his conclusions. Neither God nor Christ was confused as to what constituted a marriage nor the biblical relationship between man and women. I too have a biased reason for wanting what he says to be true. Both family and friends who I love dearly are falling into this false teaching. When it comes to scripture there are two ways to approach it; you are either over scripture or you are under it; which one choose will have a profound effect on your understanding. God bless each and everyone of you.

[@bradwalker7233]

This so intellectually spiritual well done with love and compassion thank you!!!🙏✝️🕊🔥🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🫂😍😍😍😍😍

[@jackpaul3315]

Sin is bad

[@ddrse]

Good

[@tm33398]

I appreciate thois message for it sdistinguishing attribute because I have had questions about what goes on with some otjher queer christians and what they accept.

[@joshuamay5807]

Thanks for everything you do!

[@Runguyt]

I am same sex attracted and agree with some of what Matthew Vines says here like his thoughts on the popular notion of "living your truth" as if truth is up to the individual to decide truth. But isn’t this the fruit of false teaching on gay relationships? Isn’t this the slippery slope that traditional Christians warned about? Do homosexual attractions have to define us? I feel like the affirming movement has to continually cajole itself into an affirming thought pattern rather than accepting that perhaps traditional Christians were right all along. "Gay marriage" is not marriage.

[@cathy7382]

If you claim to be a Christian why don't you obey Him?

[@ChangingTides777]

Maybe he does.

[@mange87]

You don't have a clue about his standpoint. Read the books and learn the arguments. You are simply attacking your own ideas of what his standpoint is.

[@jackpaul3315]

@@mange87He has deviant attractions and wants to act out on them and now he’s telling people what their itching ears want to hear. Nothing new under the sun.

[@413TomaccoRoad]

Yeshua said. ... Deny yourself , take up your cross and follow. Repent. from the abomination.

[@user-pd5qz2vt2c]

...and what is your cross?

[@webz3589]

The assumption here is that he doesn't have a cross which you dont see which he takes up daily.

[@joshuamay5807]

My cross is dealing with people like yourself 😅

[@ChangingTides777]

Grow up.

[@413TomaccoRoad]

@@ChangingTides777 Narcissist.

[@schoenburger]

I worry that your message still runs the risk of leaving too many people behind

[@ChangingTides777]

Matthew is hot. There I said it.

[@adamgilbert8383]

Very deceived. I pray the Lord would open his eyes.

[@kirkstevens8499]

Sounds like a bunch of snakes got loose in that room. “Ssssss”