Faith

IN THE COLORS OF THE RAINBOW

About the Project

Faith in the colors of the rainbow is an audiovisual project published in 2023 that aims to convey a different perspective on LGBT issues from a number of people in various positions and roles across churches. There are people in churches in the Czech Republic whose faith does not prevent them from having a welcoming, kind, and understanding attitude toward queer people.

The people featured in the project are not activists who, out of ignorance, confidently proclaim something they do not understand in essence. They are pastors, clergy, and erudite experts in the fields of biblical studies and practical theology (often with associate professor or professor titles who actively teach at theological faculties). They all present their open yet well-founded arguments on queer issues. The broad spectrum of opinions presented spans across churches. These are not the isolated opinions of a few individuals.

The project deliberately presents open and accepting currents of opinion. It intentionally does not map (ultra)conservative attitudes in churches, yet it is not one-sided. It brings a plurality of opinions in all their diversity to a public debate in which predominantly negative attitudes are heard from the Christian community.

The project’s name refers to the fact that the biblical symbol of the rainbow as God’s enduring grace can be understood as a link between the LGBT world and the world of Christian faith. The rainbow is a sign not of division and conflict, but of equal and shared humanity from the perspective of eternity.

WHY?

The project is a private initiative of the author (more about him HERE), who was not carrying out an assignment, nor was he creating on commission, but purely out of the need to show that the clamorous rejectionist attitude of a part of the Christian world is not the only and prevailing voice of the Church. Being a Christian does not automatically mean taking a dismissive attitude towards LGBTQ+ people and the motives behind their actions.

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FILMING WAS ATTENDED BY:

  • Ing. Mgr. Josef Bartošek, Ph.D. – priest, theologian (the Czech Evangelical Brethren Church)
  • Mg. Lukáš Bujna – bishop (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)
  • Jakub Demčo – student of the Evangelical Theological Faculty, Charles University (the Evangelical Methodist Church)
  • Alexandr Flek, BA, MTh – biblicist, translator (the Czech Evangelical Brethren Church)
  • Mgr. David Frýdl – priest (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)
  • Mgr. Adela Frýdlová – deacon (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)
  • Mgr. Jakub Helebrant – priest, Pastoral Brothers (the Czech Evangelical Brethren Church)
  • Mgr. David Hron – priest (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)
  • Mgr. Štěpán Klásek – Bishop Emeritus, priest (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)
  • Jan Koukal – deacon (The Fellowship of Baptist churches)
  • Mgr. Martin Kováč, Ph.D.  – deacon, theologian (the Old Catholic Church)
  • MUDr. Dagmar Křížková – sexologist, co-founder of the Logos association (the Roman Catholic Church)
  • ThLic. Mgr. Jaroslav Lorman, Th.D. – Director of the Život 90 organization, theologian, suspended deacon (the Roman Catholic Church)
  • Mgr. Jiří Lukeš, Th.D. – theologian, Department of Biblical Studies and Judaic Studies, Hussite Theological Faculty, Charles University (the Seventh-day Adventist Church)
  • ThDr. Mgr. Petr Miencil – deacon (the Old Catholic Church)
  • prof. Ivana Noble, Ph.D. – theologian, Founder of the Institute of Ecumenical Studies (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)
  • Mgr. Tomáš Novák, Th.D. – deacon, theologian (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)
  • Mgr. Matěj Opočenský – priest (the Czech Evangelical Brethren Church)
  • Mgr. Erika Oubrechtová – priest (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)
  • doc. PhDr. Jiří Pavlík, Ph.D. – theologian, philologist, Department of Biblical and Judaic Studies, Faculty of Hussite Theology, Charles University (the Roman Catholic Church)
  • prof. PhDr. Tomáš Petráček, Ph.D., Th.D. – deacon, theologian, church historian (the Roman Catholic Church)
  • Mgr. Petr Pivoňka – priest (the Czech Evangelical Brethren Church)
  • Mgr. Pavel Pokorný – Synod Senior, priest (the Czech Evangelical Brethren Church)
  • prof. ThDr. Martin Prudký – Dean Emeritus of the Evangelical Theological Faculty, Charles University, Head of the Department of the Old Testament (the Czech Evangelical Brethren Church)
  • Doc. PhDr. Mireia Ryšková, Th.D. – theologian, Department of Biblical Sciences, Catholic Theological Faculty, Charles University (the Roman Catholic Church)
  • Doc. PhDr. Libor Ovečka, Th.D. – theologian, Department of Systematic and Pastoral Theology, Catholic Theological Faculty, Charles University (the Roman Catholic Church)
  • Mgr. Filip Sedlák, Ph.D. – deacon, theologian (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)
  • ThDr. Petr Šandera, Th.D. – Bishop Emeritus, priest, theologian (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)
  • Bc. Radek Šoustal – psychotherapist, member of the Logos Association (the Roman Catholic Church)
  • ThDr. Filip Štojdl – Bishop Emeritus, priest (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)
  • Mgr. Petr Turecký – priest (the Czech Evangelical Brethren Church)
  • Zdeněk Turek – deacon (the Czech Evangelical Brethren Church)
  • Mgr. Václav Vacek – priest emeritus (the Roman Catholic Church)
  • Petr Vaďura – priest, radio editor (the Evangelical Methodist Church) 
  • Mgr. Eliška Vančová – vicar (the Czech Evangelical Brethren Church)
  • ThDr. Petr Vinš – deacon, theologian (the Old Catholic Church)
  • Doc. ThDr. Jiří Vogel, Th.D. – Dean of the Hussite Theological Faculty, Charles University, deacon, theologian (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)
  • Lukáš Volkman – priest (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)
  • Mgr. Jiří Votava, Ph.D. – Chairman of the Logos Association (the Roman Catholic Church)
  • doc. RNDr. Jan Voves, CSc. – (Church of the Brethren)
  • Mgr. Mikuláš Vymětal, Ph.D. – deacon, theologian (the Czech Evangelical Brethren Church)
  • ThDr. Eva Vymětalová, Th.D. – theologian, Department of Biblical and Judaic Studies, Faculty of Hussite Theology, Charles University (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)
  • Mgr. Petr Wagner – priest (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)
  • Bc. Roman Zábrodský – deacon (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)
  • Mgr. Marika Zvardoň – priest (the Czechoslovak Hussite Church)