Queer God de Amor

Miguel H. Díaz is the John Courtney Murray, SJ, University Chair in Public Service at Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Díaz, who served under President Barack Obama as the ninth U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, is co-editor of the series Disruptive Cartographers: Doing Theology Latinamente (Fordham University Press). The series opened in 2021 with his edited volume The Word Became Culture. He is also the author of the third book in this series, Queer God de Amor. As a public theologian, Professor Díaz regularly engages print, radio, and television media. He also contributes to writing a column for the National Catholic Reporter titled “Theology en la Plaza.” As part of his ongoing commitment to advance human rights globally, he participates in a number of diplomatic initiatives in Washington, D.C., including being a member of the Atlantic Council and a member of the Ambassadors Circle at the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

Preface to the Series | ix

Carmen M. Nanko-Fernández, Gary Riebe-Estrella, Miguel H. Díaz

Acknowledgments | xiii

A Note on References and Translations | xvii

Introduction: Inflamed by God’s Queer Love | xix

1. Doing Theology Sanjuanistamente | 1

Juan de la Cruz, a Disruptive Theological Voice | 3

A Starting Point in Ordinary and Daily Experience | 6

Mysticism and Sexuality | 7

Mysticism and Popular Catholicism | 9

Mysticism and Poetry | 11

A Queer “y qué” | 15

2. Disrupting God-Talk | 21

Option for the Bedroom and Human Sexuality | 23

On Knowing God | 30

The Apophatic Way: On the Dark Night of Knowing | 34

The Cataphatic Way of Knowing God | 38

On Naming God as un no sé qué | 44

The un no sé qué God Is Self-Communicating Love | 50

3. God’s Self-Communication | 52

God’s Self-Communication Conceived Sanjuanistamente | 55

The Recipient of God’s Self-Communication | 61

The Effects of God’s Self-Communication | 65

On Divine and Human Self-Communicating Love | 67

4. Ecstasis Divine and Human | 69

Making Room for Another | 71

The Fluidity of Divine and Human Persons: Personal and Dynamic | 78

Mystically Performative Fluidity | 82

On Divine and Human Desire | 85

5. Queering the God de Amor | 93

Queering Juan’s Mysticism, a Precedent | 97

Queering God-Talk Sanjuanistamente | 101

Queering God’s Self-Communication | 106

Queering the Ecstasis Divine and Human | 111

A Journey toward the Queer God de Amor | 114

Conclusion | 117

Index | 125