Understanding Senyonjo’s ministry in the light of Christian theology

This article reflects on the work of Bishop Christopher Senyonjo in the light of Christian theology. It pursues a simple yet complex question: what is theological about Senyonjo’s ministry among, and advocacy for, LGBT people in Uganda? Offering a reading of Senyonjo’s autobiography In Defense of All God’s Children, I point out that his work is not so much informed by a secular agenda or an abstract conception of human rights, but is fundamentally oriented towards missio dei. In other words, it is concerned with, and contributes to, what God is doing in the world, especially among communities most vulnerable to, and damaged by, the dehumanizing effects of homophobia as sin-talk. Senyonjo’s ministry is theologically grounded in the belief that God is love, and that love therefore is the primary Christian virtue, radically affirming the humanity of all God’s children.