Robert E. Shore-Goss is a theologian and author. Goss was brought up in a devout

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

family and felt called to the priesthood, being

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform var ...

as a Jesuit in 1976. He left the Jesuits in 1978 going on to receive a Th.D. in Comparative Religion from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. Goss taught in the Religious Studies Department of

Webster University Webster University is a private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri. It has multiple branch locations across the United States and countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. It offers undergraduate and graduate program ...

(1994–2004), and served as chair of the department. His denial of tenure by the university was controversial with allegations by Goss that this was due to his outspoken views on sexuality. Webster Pride, the student organization for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights, did not take an official stance. Webster Pride's president was quoted in the student newspaper as not opposed to the decision "because she doesn't believe the decision had anything to do with homophobia." He has been involved in gay organizations such as

ACT UP AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) is an international, grassroots political group working to end the AIDS pandemic. The group works to improve the lives of people with AIDS through direct action, medical research, treatment and advocacy ...

Queer Nation Queer Nation is an LGBTQ activist organization founded in March 1990 in New York City, by HIV/AIDS activists from ACT UP. The four founders were outraged at the escalation of anti-gay violence on the streets and prejudice in the arts and media. ...

, and the

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

Roman Catholic group DignityUSA. Goss has served as co-chair of the Gay Men's Issues in Religion Group of the

American Academy of Religion The American Academy of Religion (AAR) is the world's largest association of scholars in the field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association, serving as a professional and learned society for scholars involv ...

. He serves on the National Advisory Board of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry of the

Pacific School of Religion The Pacific School of Religion (PSR) is a private Protestant seminary in Berkeley, California. It maintains covenantal relationships with the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church, and the Disciples of Christ, ensuring the scho ...

. He married for the second time in 2009.

Works

His published works include: * ''Jesus ACTED UP: A Gay and Lesbian Manifesto'' 1993, San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins * ''Take Back the Word: A Queer Reading of the Bible'' 2000 (co-edited with West, Mona), Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim Press * ''Queering Christ: Beyond Jesus ACTED UP'' 2002, Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim Press * ''Gay Catholic Priests and Clerical Sexual Misconduct: Breaking the Silence of Sodom'' 2005 (co-edited with Boisvert, Donald), New York, NY: Haworth Press * ''The Queer Bible Commentary'' 2006 (co-edited with Bohache, Thomas; Guest, Deryn; West, Mona), London: SCM-Canterbury Press * ''Queering Christianity: Finding a Place at the Table for LGBTQI Christians'' 2013 (co-edited with Bohache, Thomas; Cheng, Patrick S.; West, Mona), Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO Shore-Goss is currently an adjunct faculty member at

Claremont School of Theology Claremont School of Theology (CST) is an American graduate school focused on religion and theology and located in Claremont, California. CST is fully recognized and approved as one of thirteen official theological schools of the United Methodis ...

References

External links

Bio of Rev Dr Goss
from webpage of MCC in the Valley - the Church he pastors American gay writers LGBT Protestant clergy LGBT rights activists from the United States Liberation theologians Harvard Divinity School alumni Webster University faculty Metropolitan Community Church clergy Queer theologians Former Jesuits Living people Converts to Protestantism from Roman Catholicism Year of birth missing (living people) {{US-Christian-clergy-stub