This 1.5-credit online course offers a brief introduction to – and broad overview of – queer spiritual leadership as expressed in the lives, writings, and activism of several queer leaders and organizations in US history.

Students will be invited to reflect upon, articulate – and queer! – their own personal visions of spiritual leadership through a variety of learning projects, culminating with the creation of a Personal Vision of Spiritual Leadership Final Learning Project.

The topics for each day of this 7-week course:

• Class 1: Overview of the Course; Challenge to Queer Your Leadership!
• Class 2: Models of Queer Spiritual Leadership 1: Paolo Freire and Audrey Lorde
• Class 3: Models of Queer Spiritual Leadership 2: Radical Women of Color and Marginalized Mothers of Color
• Class 4: Models of Queer Spiritual Leadership 3: Howard Thurman and James Baldwin
• Class 5: Models of Queer Spiritual Leadership 4: Marsha P. Johnson and Silvia Rivera
• Class 6: Models of Queer Spiritual Leadership 5: The Black Lives Matter Movement

COURSE REGISTRATION INFORMATION

• For information on Taking a Class at Pacific School of Religion (PSR), click here;
• For an Application for Auditing Classes at PSR, click here;
• For an Application for Special Student Status at PSR, click here;
• For information on Continuing Education options, click here. and
• For information on PSR Fees, click here.

Bernard Schlager, PhD

Professor Bernard Schlager

Dr. Bernard Schlager, Associate Professor of Historical & Cultural Studies at Pacific School of Religion and Executive Director of The Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies in Religion (CLGS), received his PhD from Yale University in the history of medieval and Latin American Christianities.  He has taught at the University of New Hampshire, Trinity College, and Yale.

Professor Schlager was one of the original staff members of CLGS when it was founded in 2000. Since then he has held a number of positions at the Center, including program director and interim deputy director, before becoming executive director in 2009. In addition, he directs the development and advancement work of the Center, coordinates the Certificate in Sexuality and Religion Program (CSR) at PSR, and serves as an editorial consultant for the CLGS/Pilgrim Press Book series.

Dr. Schlager’s research interests include queer studies, the history of Christianity, LGBTQ pastoral care, and medieval social and religious history. He has published articles on ancient church history, medieval hagiography, LGBTQ history, and the history of education; he is co-author with David Kundtz of the book Ministry Among God’s Queer Folk: LGBTQ Pastoral Care (Second Edition, 2019).

For more information on this course, please contact Professor Bernard Schlager at: bschlager@psr.edu.