The sermon heard 'round the internet
Father Flourish Klink, an Episcopal priest at Christ & St. Stephen’s Church on the Upper West Side, is currently going viral for a sermon that is highkey shaking up social media. In a livestreamed clip, Klink—who identifies as nonbinary and transgender—asserted that God is nonbinary and that Jesus Christ was transgender.
The logic behind the claim
Klink’s argument centers on the idea that humans assign gender at birth based on appearance, which they argue doesn't always align with one's "deepest self." Klink claimed that when Jesus was born, Mary labeled him a boy, but since God is inherently nonbinary, Jesus’ true self didn't match that initial assignment. The priest even suggested that Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance—which some disciples reportedly struggled to recognize—was actually evidence of him "transitioning" into his true self. "I think Jesus was not only transfigured; I think Jesus transitioned," Klink told the congregation.
Why it matters
The clips have left many viewers feeling some type of way, with critics calling the sermon "blasphemous" and pointing to biblical passages that describe Jesus as a son from birth. This isn't the first time this theological take has surfaced in public discourse; Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico previously made similar comments about God being nonbinary back in 2021. Talarico later walked those comments back, stating he was being provocative. For you, this means a heated cultural debate is reigniting over how traditional religious narratives are being re-interpreted in modern, inclusive spaces. The real tea is that for many, these boundaries between faith and gender identity are becoming a major battleground for public discourse.
