On Deconstruction and Reconstruction with Crystal Cheatham

Crystal Cheatham is an LGBTQ rights activist, host of Lord Have Mercy, and founder of two projects—Our Bible App and the IDentity Kit, which help people ditch toxic theology to find spiritual wellness.​

Our Bible App’s The Deconstructionists Playbook takes writers and readers from deconstruction to reconstruction to liberation theology.

Since 2011, Crystal has worked as a ghostwriter and queer rights activist with Soulforce and The Attic Youth Center.

As an outspoken activist, Crystal has written about the intersections of faith and sexual identity for the Huffington Post; a faith and spirituality column for the Philadelphia Gay News; served on the steering committee of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) as the Faith and Spirituality chair; and partnered with Equality PA to influence clergy to support non-discrimination legislation. Crystal received her MFA from Antioch University.

Topics Discussed:

• Faith, Identity: Crystal is a very out and proud black lesbian progressive Christian
• Faith Community: Where no piece or part of Crystal feels unloved or unsupported
• Passionate People: No need to apply pressure, protests for positive outcomes
• My People: Didn’t have to fight to be included; create your own new spaces
• Visionary, not Verbal Leader: Publish uplifting, not problematic language
• The Deconstructionists Playbook: Deconstruct, reconstruct, and liberate theology
• God-in-a-Box Mentality: Epic churning and reckoning of faith in nation’s history
• Evolve Organically: Faith and religion are more personal than allowed to be

Links and Resources:

Crystal Cheatham
Our Bible App
The Deconstructionists Playbook by Our Bible App — Kickstarter
Bemba Press
Lord Have Mercy Podcast
Soulforce
The Attic Youth Center
Equality PA
Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
Vanderbilt University Divinity School
The Black Trans Prayer Book
Bad Theology Kills by Kevin Garcia
2022 Q Christian Fellowship Conference
Queerology Podcast on Instagram
Queerology Podcast on Twitter
Beyond Shame by Matthias Roberts
Matthias Roberts on Patreon