Panel: QUEER(ING) LIVING SYSTEMS: AN INTERFAITH DIALOGUE



991.3 - QUEER(ING) MATRIMONY? BLESSING POLYCULES AND NON-MONOGAMOUS PARTNERSHIPS AS A CHALLENGE FOR THE PROTESTANT CHURCH IN GERMANY

AUTHORS:
Thomaier S. (University of Hildesheim ~ Hildesheim ~ Germany)
Text:
The "living system" of Matrimony remains one of society's most enduring and debated institutions, shaped by both legal norms and religious traditions. Historically anchored in patriarchal structures, marriage is frequently at the center of queer and emancipatory justice debates: Can, and should, the institution be transformed to embrace more diverse queer realities? If so, how? Recent developments in Germany and the Protestant Church (EKD) reflect evolving discourse. Following the extension of marriage and church weddings to (monogamous) same-sex couples - the so-called "Ehe für alle" - a vibrant new debate has emerged: Should Protestant churches also bless non-monogamous and polyamorus partnerships? The 2025 blessing of a polyamorous constellation in a pop-up church event, brought the issue to attention and exposed both resistances and possibilities within the protestant church. This paper critically explores whether matrimony as a "living system" can be queered by engaging with an ethic of non-monogamy. Employing queer theory and feminist theology, this paper asks how a protestant understandings of marriage might open toward more just, inclusive, and dynamic forms, and whether queering matrimonial practices within Protestantism could unsettle normative assumptions around kinship, fidelity, and relational ethics. In doing so, this contribution highlights both the opportunities and challenges facing faith communities committed to justice and inclusivity and seeks to imagine new modes of flourishing beyond heternormativ matrimonial boundaries.