Reading Revelation 12 with Black Trans Ancestors

Reading Audaciously

Eric A. Thomas, CLBSJ Board Member
Published 08 December 2025

In accordance with the spirit of Sankofa, where one of its meanings is ‘it is not taboo to fetch that which is at risk of being left behind’, I’d like to invoke the memory and brilliance of Dr. Lynne St. Clair Darden. Her friendship and mentorship made it possible for me to pursue biblical studies beyond seminary, and I miss her very much. Our discussion of the future of gender studies in the book of Revelation at the 2024 annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature happened between Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20) and World AIDS Day (December 1). Therefore, I want to also invoke the memory of queer ancestors and transcestors, especially those of African descent, who are part of my great cloud of witnesses. It is on their behalf that I propose a Black Trans reading of Revelation 12 as a sign (or semeia) of Black and brown transgender futures where we not only survive, but we also thrive. […]

In her 2015 book Scripturalizing Revelation: An African American Postcolonial Reading of Empire, Darden summarizes scripturalization as a process through which marginalized communities, especially African Americans, reinterpret biblical texts in ways that connect sacred narratives to their unique historical and social struggles. Scripturalization serves as a transformative interpretative method, allowing communities to reclaim scriptural stories and symbols, shaping them to reflect their lived realities, communal memory, and resistance against systemic oppression. We see examples of African American and Caribbean scripturalization in the Negro spirituals (e.g., ‘Ride on King Jesus’) and Bob Marley’s song ‘Babylon’. I argue that we can engage an Africana Queer scripturalization of Revelation through queer of color critique by viewing the woman in chapter 12 as a sign (or semeia) of Black Trans futures and flourishing.

Read Eric’s full article from the Journal for the Study of the New Testament’s Special Issue on Revelation, December 2025. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0142064X251390585

Image from lgbtqnation.com