Dr. Mona West

For over 30 years Mona West has been a leading voice in the area of Queer biblical hermeneutics.  Her publications include Take Back the Word: A Queer Reading of the Bible (Pilgrim Press, 2000); The Queer Bible Commentary, First Edition ( SCM Press, 2006); Queering Christianity: Finding a Place at the Table for LGBTQI Christians (Praeger, 2013); The Queer Bible Commentary, Second Edition (SCM Press, 2022). She has been a featured presenter at conferences and seminaries in Cuba, Indonesia, the Philippines, Eastern Europe, Brazil, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

Mona completed a Ph. D. in Old Testament from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY in 1987 and was ordained in the Southern Baptist denomination that same year. She taught biblical studies at Austin College in Sherman, Texas, and Anderson College in Anderson, South Carolina. 

In 1992, she transferred her ordination credentials to Metropolitan Community Churches where she was active clergy until 2020. While ordained in MCC she served as the Academic Dean of Samaritan Institute, Senior Pastor of Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, Texas, and Senior Pastor of Trinity MCC in Sarasota, Florida.  She was also the Director of Formation and Leadership Development for MCC and an elected Elder of the denomination.

Mona is a confirmed member of the Episcopal Church USA and has served as the Director of Adult Christian Formation at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas, since 2021. She is also adjunct professor at The Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest.

Mona is married to Deb Elder. They live in the Texas Hill country.

(This biographical statement provided by Mona West.)

Biography Date: July 2004; rev. 2023

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