Religious aspects of sexuality, gender and relationships Books

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisLGBTQ people are a gift to the Church and have the potential to revitalize Christianity.As an openly lesbian Episcopal priest and professional advocate for LGBTQ justice, the Reverend Elizabeth Edman has spent her career grappling with the core tenets of her faith. After deep reflection on her tradition, Edman is struck by the realization that her queer identity has taught her more about how to be a good Christian than the church.In Queer Virtue, Edman posits that Christianity, at its scriptural core, incessantly challenges its adherents to rupture false binaries, to “queer” lines that pit people against one another. Thus, Edman asserts that Christianity, far from being hostile to queer people, is itself inherently queer. Arguing from the heart of scripture, she reveals how queering Christianity—that is, disrupting simplistic ways of thinking about self and other—can illuminate contemporary Christian faith. Pushing well past the not

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhether you''ve been married a few months or a few years, the deepest longing for all couples is to discover a richer intimacy with God and each other. In OUR BEST LIFE TOGETHER, Joel and Victoria Osteen will help you do just that. Through these proven principles you and your mate will find the help you need to meet each other''s relational needs, learn to communicate effectively, practice love and respect, handle adversity, honor each other, show compassion and patience, encourage one another, and grow together spiritually. There''s no better way to experience the fulfilling marriage God intends for you than to set aside a devotional time together each day.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe New York Times Bestseller[An] earth-shaking exposé of clerical corruption. - National Catholic ReporterIn the Closet of the Vatican exposes the rot at the heart of the Vatican and the Roman Catholic Church today. Now in a revised translation and with updated material, this brilliant piece of investigative writing is based on four years'' authoritative research, including extensive interviews with those in power. The celibacy of priests, the condemnation of the use of contraceptives, the cover up of countless cases of sexual abuse, the resignation of Benedict XVI, misogyny among the clergy, the dramatic fall in Europe of the number of vocations to the priesthood, the plotting against Pope Francis--all these issues are clouded in mystery and secrecy.In the Closet of the Vatican is a book that reveals these secrets and penetrates this enigma. It derives from a system founded on a clerical culture of secrecy wTrade Review[An] earth-shaking exposé of clerical corruption [...] What Martel does, quite masterfully, is to connect the dots that reveal an ecclesial system in profound decay [...] In the Closet of the Vatican examines in impressive detail the double lives led by many of the church's prelates [...] Without question, [the book] is a truly remarkable publishing event * National Catholic Reporter [US] *A truly shocking theory about the Vatican; the largest gay community in the world * Il Giornale [Italy] *I urge every Catholic to read it, however difficult that may be […] The book did not surprise me, as such, but it still stunned, shocked, and disgusted me. You simply cannot unread it, or banish what is quite obviously true from your mind […] This may seem like hyperbole, but in my view, the last drops of moral authority the Vatican might hope to have evaporate with this book. -- Andrew Sullivan * New York Magazine *Probably one of the best books by a journalist ever written * Gazeta Wyborcza [Poland] *Martel’s conversational style is that of the raconteur […] he tells a captivating story * Catholic Herald *Stunned may be a much-overused word, but it's the best one I know to describe my wonderment at the dimensions of what has come into view […] All this builds up to the realisation that you are seeing something which, once seen cannot be unseen. By anyone who has seen it. Once it is seen, it is known as a fact about the Church's institutional working that cannot be got around. To pretend otherwise is a sign of delusion. -- James Alison * ABC.net.au *A glimpse of the poisonous world that Frédéric Martel, himself gay, has spent five years researching for this book -- Andrew Brown, * Guardian *An important revelation * Daily Telegraph *Sensational … this is much, much more than an expose of some taffeta-clad hypocrites…fascinating * Sunday Times *Explosive … Pope Francis seems to be … determined to reform the Vatican … If Martel’s book proves anything, it is that this is now seriously overdue … It would be a mistake to rubbish this book … [Martel is] a highly intelligent and honest journalist and the Church will need courage to respond to his revelations fruitfully * The Tablet *A remarkable feat of investigation … Any friend of the Roman Catholic Church needs to take this book’s message seriously. -- Diarmaid MacCulloch * The Times *When God died, the official cause was elderly enfeeblement; after reading Frederic Martel’s expose of infamy in the Catholic church, I suspect that the old boy committed suicide in remorse, aghast at the crimes and un-Christian sins of organised religion * Observer *Table of ContentsNote from the author and the publishers Prologue PART I: FRANCIS 1 Domus Sanctae Marthae 2 Gender theory 3 Who am I to judge? 4 Buenos Aires 5 The Synod 6 Roma Termini PART II: PAUL 7 The Maritain Code 8 Loving friendship PART III: JOHN PAUL 9 The sacred college 10 The Legion of Christ 11 The ring of lust 12 The Swiss Guard 13 The crusade against gays 14 The pope's diplomacy 15 Strange househld 16 Rouco 17 CEI 18 Seminarians PART IV: BENEDICT 19 Passivo e biano 20 The vice-pope 21 Dissidents 22 Vatileaks 23 The abdication Epilogue Acknowledgements

Read more less

Book SynopsisA mandate for women to believe in their world-changing potential.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLA LA LOVELY shows you that beauty is right in the center of the mess of life.Author Trina McNeilly has spent almost a decade blogging, collecting and cataloging beautiful images, sharing ideas and information. While she spent her days sharing beauty, redecorating her home, looking for lovely things and sharing her finds, her parents'' divorce after almost forty years of marriage shattered her vision of home.Through this journey, Trina learned that beauty is not beyond the laundry pile, chipped paint, dirty dishes, broken table or broken life. It''s right in the center of it. Trina found that God IS beauty. And that he invites us to look, discover, uncover and find because when we find beauty, we find God.In LA LA LOVELY, Trina shares stories and inspiration from her journey of finding, and being found, by beauty. You will find deep matters of the heart along with practical pointers on things like decorating your home, finding your style, and creating

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisCandy Marballi discovered that declaring the promises of God through prayer led to untold blessings and opportunities. One prayer comprised of ten themes (grace, love, compassion, repentance, worship, commitment, dependence, influence, discipleship, and authority) will refresh your prayer-life. He Hears Her Voice is a prayer strategy that offers proven steps to guide you to a richer relationship with God. Filled with vivid personal stories, meditative scripture, beautiful hymns, and meaningful prayers, this devotional provides a grounding worship experience. He Hears Her Voice will change the way we pray-and equip a generation of women to live boldly in their faith.

Read more less

Book SynopsisStop drifting apart and instead thrive together with this practical five-step plan for God's best possible life for your family.Despite the best of intentions, the busyness of life and endless distractions frequently cause parents to put their family's development on the back burner. Family Shift shows parents how to realign their families with easy but critical steps to follow to start living intentionally. Author Rodney Gage and his wife, Michelle, saw a drift start to threaten their own family's well-being and set out to stop it in its tracks. They wanted to defy the alarming statistics of the decline of the family unit and share with families everywhere that they can learn to thrive as a family, not merely survive.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs co-pastor of one of the nation's largest megachurches, Hope Carpenter had perfected the roles of supportive wife, good mother, devoted worship leader, and dutiful homemaker. But inside, she was secretly ashamed, sad, and afraid. She didn't know who she was, and she didn't know how to ask for help without bringing down the whole façade. A series of bad choices led to multiple affairs; her husband kicked her out and announced from the pulpit of their church that their marriage was over.Hope was sure her life was done. But in her lowest moments, something beautiful happened. God met her there, and, with a lot of hard work, time, and mountains of therapy, she started to understand the pain that had caused her to act out. She and her family faced their brokenness together, and in powerful acts of forgiveness only God could have arranged, they all found real breakthrough and healing. Ron and Hope rebuilt their marriage and their family, and their ministry thrives today.In The Most Beautiful Disaster, Hope helps readers understand the lasting impact of childhood trauma and gives readers practical steps to uncovering the root of pain in their own lives. She shows how small decisions can lead to big changes, and helps readers find healing and wholeness in Scripture and prayer. Ultimately, readers will be led to hope, reconciliation, and true freedom.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn accessible introduction to important topics that are deeply contested within the Church of England - marriage, gender equality and sexuality. It draws on sources displaying an inclusive perspective whilst staying respectful to those who take a different view.It explores a diverse and fascinating range of questions such as: How should the church treat those who do not conform to gender stereotypes, or experience their gender atypically? Are there limits to inclusion? What should the church say about desire and self-control?Informative and thought-provoking, this book enables the reader to 'think better' about the issues discussed by presenting the history, the religious texts, the forms of reasoning and the recent scholarship which these topics have attracted both inside and outside of theology.Trade ReviewMandy Ford concludes that 'There is more to life than this.' The observer would imagine, however, that the church is obsessed with the issues of gender, sex and marriage. This book and study guide is a valuable contribution to the ongoing conversation that may help Christians to move on. -- Andrew Nunn, Dean of SouthwarkQuestions of human sexuality are central to who we are, and yet resources to help us think carefully and live justly are in very short supply. In this book Mandy Ford offers exactly the sort of calm and clear resource we need. Please read it. -- Paul Bayes, Bishop of LiverpoolA journey through complex and confusing landscape needs a reliable guide. This book provides an accessible, well-informed, detailed and impartial map through the often divisive and highly defended territories that mark out the Church of England's debates on human sexuality. This will be a gift to all who seek to see the paths more clearly. -- Rev David Runcorn is a theological teacher, writer and speakerIn this thoughtful book Mandy invites the reader into the complexity of gender, marriage, desire, sexuality and identity. Rather than provide answers this book encourages curiosity; it is a resource personally and to enable careful conversations with others with whom we might disagree. -- Sandra Cobbin, trainer, coach and mediator, facilitator for the Church of England Shared Conversation on Human Sexuality.The sexuality debate has become sterile in the church. Mandy Ford's God, Gender, Sex and Marriage provides an accessible, never over-simplified, account of the issues that bedevil the Church around gender and sexuality. Ideal for study groups, excellent as a discussion resource between progressives and conservatives, a model for 'good conversation' where 'bad disagreement' is too often what we settle for. -- Canon Simon Butler, Prolocutor of Canterbury (General Synod)This book is a delight. It is lucid, elegant, learned, highly informative, compassionate, and totally free from rhetoric. It is a book written by a very gifted facilitator (I had the privilege of working closely with Mandy as a co-facilitator of the Shared Conversations on Human Sexuality); and a book that is itself a significant gift from her to her readers. She concludes her introduction with the words : "...[this book is] the gift I want to share with you" . I, for one, am very grateful. -- Stephen Ruttle, QCThis is a firework of a book. Mandy insistently opens up our engagement with discipleship, human identity and sexuality. We find scholarship worn lightly; bible and faith teased out as rich and intriguing. This slakes curiosity yet fuels desire for more Godly conversation. -- The Very Revd David Monteith, Dean of LeicesterTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Gender, Sex and Marriage Today; 2. Making Decisions; 3. Gender; 4. Desire; 5. Same Sex Desire; 6. Marriage; 7. Looking Forward; Appendix: What the Church of England has said about Sex and Marriage; References; Notes

Read more less

Book SynopsisThere remains a lack of knowledge and understanding about trans people in the church, and trans people who are religious can experience bias in their faith communities. With the help of their many years of experience working with trans people negotiating their relationships with religious institutions, the authors (one of whom is trans) have created this accessible, valuable guide that will educate and improve churches' relationship with trans people.Combining first-hand interviews, the authors' own experiences and scripture analysis, this thought-provoking guide uses this combination of ancient and contemporary stories to outline a theology that welcomes and includes all people whatever their gender identity or sexual orientation. Written from this inclusive Christian perspective, the book answers questions about trans people that are specific to church communities.Trade ReviewHere is an invitation, written with honesty, openness and sensitivity, to walk with those on their gender journey, of hurts and hope, misunderstandings and truth, rejections and affirmation, to discover together the love of God, the identity we each have in Christ, and shared support of a Faith community around us. -- Revd Kevin Watson, former Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed ChurchThis Guide should be mandatory reading for anyone in church leadership. It tackles head on many of the myths that have existed around trans people with searing honesty and courage, and sets out practical steps about how to pastorally support a community that is sadly so often under fire. I pray that this book will break our hearts and help us see how best to love such a precious part of Christ's body. -- Jayne Ozanne, Director of the Ozanne FoundationThrough stories of lived experience, the use of Scripture, and insightful commentary on contemporary discourse on gender, Tina and Chris have written a resource that challenges and encourages the reader on a timely and necessary journey towards a truly Trans inclusive theology and practice. -- Luke Dowding, Executive Director of OneBodyOneFaithTable of ContentsAcknowledgements; The Authors; Foreword by Dr Susannah Cornwall; Introduction; 1. Understanding who trans people are; 2. What the Bible really tells us about trans people; 3. The culture wars and the Christian community; 4. Loving someone trans; 5. Towards a transgender inclusive liturgy; 6. How to be a transgender affirming congregation; Appendices A: A suggested outline syllabus on trans awareness for a clergy continuing ministerial development/continuing professional development day; B: The Genderbread Person; C: Useful Organisations & Networks; D: Poem - Grave Robbers by Peterson Toscano; References

Read more less

Book SynopsisA transformative exploration of queer theology and the debate around same-sex marriage within the Church. Clare Herbert draws on her experience as a priest within the Church of England in a committed same-sex relationship and considers the questions that have shaped religious debate for many years. This book explores the concept of same-sex marriage in relation to the heteronormative definition of marriage, and its effect on past understandings of the sacrament. Interweaving stories from Christians struggling to reconcile their faith with their sexuality alongside wider queer theology and the theology of marriage, Herbert explores the unique understanding of God provided by the experience of committed same-sex love , and lays the groundwork for redefining the traditional definition of marriage.Trade ReviewIn this compelling book, Clare Herbert provides a timely and potent case for the claim that LGBT relationships expand, renew and enrich Christian understandings of Marriage. Herbert balances genuine theological engagement with actual human stories. She gathers out of the fragments and promises of human lives fresh conceptions of hallowed relationships. A book for everyone - queer and straight - who longs to escape humbug and artificial holiness, and who wants to know more about how God blesses our lives and longings. -- Canon Rachel Mann, Priest, Poet, and TheologianClare Herbert's study of the lives of gay and lesbian Christian couples in civil partnerships is an example of qualitative research and practical theology at its best. Committed, honest and searching, it shines a light on the struggles but also the courage and faithfulness of LGBT couples in the church and thus reveals movingly the goodness, the very holiness, of these lives. And it is beautifully written in intelligent, accessible prose. Herbert brings the witness of her interviewees into dialogue with her own life story, the policies of the church and with queer theology in a creative interplay which is both insightful and challenging. Every single priest, bishop, pastoral carer and theological educator in the Church of England should read it. -- Professor Nicola Slee, Director of Research at the Queen's Foundation, BirminghamIt is a strange truth that it is when the Church is talking about loving relationships that it tries to be most controlling. Those who do not fit its acceptable categories quickly learn shame, anger, fear and, whilst wanting to be faithful Christians, know they are being seen as protesting radicals - which is the last thing they can feel inside. Who can open the window and let some fresh air in to this unhealthy and often hypocritical state of affairs? Well, Clare Herbert does in this excellent new book. With a heart that has come close to cracking but which has been resuscitated by her partnership, she draws on the experience of those who want to love God and love their loved one with truth, integrity and hope. The result is an inspiriting, theologically informed and pastorally sensitive contribution to a conversation that needs all the help it can get. She shows in this project that by being heard, you hear yourself and, with love on your side, can hear the voice of God calling you to the better place. -- Mark Oakley, Dean of St John's College, Cambridge

Read more less

Book SynopsisAt the heart of everything there is one very good idea – the true currency of our society, the key to all human flourishing and happiness. That idea is very simple. It is love, actually. Love God. Love one another. Your neighbour. Your enemy. Simple – but far from easy. As the statistics and prolific stories of broken friendships, toxic workplaces, divided churches, dysfunctional families and lonely people testify. And yet it is a commandment. Not just a good idea, but the most important one, the one from which all the others flow. With brilliant storytelling and deep theological insight, Mark Greene explores Jesus' familiar yet greatest command as a simple but liberating framework to help us make decisions that enhance rather than damage our relationships – whether it’s about replacing a dishwasher or managing a team. He challenges us to put relationships deliberately back at the heart of all things Full of humour, contemporary examples and research, Probably The Best Idea in the World shows how Jesus’ emphasis on thinking relationally is not only a liberating basis for our personal lives, but a dynamic foundation for our workplaces, our society, and our global community... ... because putting relationships first transforms everything.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDrawing on fieldwork at First Place, a popular Christian weight-loss program, and Exodus International, a network of ex-gay ministries, this title explores why some Christians feel that being fat or gay offends God, what exactly they do to lose weight or go straight, and how they make sense of the program's results - or, frequently, their lack.Trade Review"Seeking the Straight and Narrow explores with sensitivity, respect, and nuance the ways participants focus on the problems of the body and its unruly desires. A thoroughly original book, it absolutely enriches our understanding of the significance of the straight body - in both senses of that term - in American Christian culture. (Amy Farrell, Dickinson College)"

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewHindu Widow Marriage threw down a major challenge to popular attitudes about the destinies of widows. It was both denounced by traditionalists and embraced by reformers. In his translation of and extensive introduction to Ishvarchandra Vidyasagar's text and context, Brian A. Hatcher brings to life the contentious debates within Calcutta's emerging middle class about how a modern world can be embraced within the framework of an enduring tradition. This book is a masterful contribution to our understanding of how traditional textual authority, prevailing social practices, and the pressures of colonialism collided and brought into being a religious and cultural world that was both in continuity with and a departure from the past. -- Paul Courtright, Emory University, coeditor of From the Margins of Hindu Marriage: Essays on Gender, Religion, and Culture Brian Hatcher is to be commended for giving them such detailed and responsible treatment and, thereby, making Vidyasagar's documents accessible to a wide scholarly audience. -- David Brick Journal of the American Oriental Society It is superbly researched and written, with useful resources that go a long way towards making the text intelligible to non-specialists. -- Ferdinando Sardella Journal of Hindu Studies Hatcher's masterly translation of Ishvarchandra Vidyasagar's Hindu Widow Remarriage affords us a rare opportunity to peer deeply into the world of the nineteenth-century Bengali intelligentsia... [this translation] must now be considered "required reading." International Journal of Hindu Studies A triumph of historical scholarship... Hatcher's translation of Vidyasagar's Bengali text is exemplary with its close attention to details and his concern for readability and integrity. His annotations are ample and meticulous. Orientalistische LiteraturzeitungTable of ContentsPreface A Word About the Translation Hindu Categories for First-Time Readers Chronology: Events Pertaining to the Widow Marriage Movement in Bengal Introduction A Short Life of Ishvarchandra Vidyasagar Widow Marriage in Bengal Hindu Widow Marriage as Modern-Day Commentary The Real Significance of Hindu Widow Marriage Hindu Widow Marriage: The Complete English Translation Book One Book Two Glossary Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisShowcases the best in modern medieval and religious scholarship, deploying spirited and progressive approaches to the study of Christian mysticism and the philosophy of religion.Trade ReviewAmy Hollywood's Acute Melancholia and Other Essays is a brilliant and challenging text that asks us all to read religious sources more carefully and productively as we try to fathom the contemporary meaning of critique, the ethical relations that bind us within an unfathomable horizon of loss. Known for her incisive and persuasive work in feminist religious studies, Hollywood takes us into new regions of theory and history by affirming the complex genres in which we think, the pervasive function of ritual within accounts of speech acts and symbolic actions, and the animated histories of metaphor and image. This book prompts us to think critically not only about conceits of the secular that are purified of religious content but also forms of psychoanalysis that discount Freud's writings on religion at a profound cost. The challenge delivered here is to become more capacious thinkers, to attend to ethical demands without a fugitive recourse to the narcissism of imagination, and to encounter the limits of what we can know about what we have lost-or have yet to lose. At that limit emerges an ethical demand that allows us to think beyond the narrow divisions of genre and discipline that stop us from engaging in living thought. -- Judith Butler, University of California, Berkeley Acute Melancholia and Other Essays will be an essential resource for teachers, students, and all sorts of readers inside and outside of religious studies. Hollywood carefully and meticulously occupies the arguments of so many different thinkers from a wide variety of fields. She invites everyone to her seminar table, and suddenly whole avenues of inquiry unfold tantalizingly before you. Her work, in other words, is not only excellent and exciting-it is also inspiring and provoking. -- Michael Cobb, University of Toronto Amy Hollywood is the rare scholar who is equally at home with medieval spiritual texts and modern critical theory. These essays that span her career show her virtuosic reading of complex religious and philosophical texts from the Middle Ages in the light of contemporary theories of reading, history, and sexuality. This collection offers delightful and informative reading for anyone interested in medieval Christianity. -- E. Ann Matter, University of Pennsylvania Hollywood's essays deftly navigate and bring into fruitful connection an astounding range of literatures-from Medieval Christianity, anthropology, historiography, feminist theory, and philosophy of religion. They demonstrate what philosophy of religion can learn from careful historical work and why historical work requires critical self-consciousness of a sort that philosophical analysis brings. The prose is learned, sensitive, elegant, and precise; and the result is a major contribution to theorizing central topics in the study of religion as well as the humanities more generally-from practice to experience to sexuality. Acute Melancholia and Other Essays deserves broad and repeated reading. -- Thomas A. Lewis, Brown University Hollywood makes far-reaching interventions into medieval studies, philosophy, theology, religious studies, feminist and queer studies, and psychoanalysis in this bracing collection of essays. But in my view her most profound thinking concerns critique itself: her insistence that its sources include not only sorrow and anger but also joy is a proposition that could, indeed, lead to lives more fully lived. -- Carolyn Dinshaw, New York University A valuable addition to the literature in a variety of disciplines... Highly recommended. CHOICETable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction: A Triptych Part I 1. Acute Melancholia Part II. History 2. Feminist Studies in Christian Spirituality 3. On Gender, Agency, and the Divine in Religious Historiography 4. Reading as Self-Annihilation: On Marguerite Porete's Mirror of Simple Souls Part III. Sexuality 5. Sexual Desire, Divine Desire; Or, Queering the Beguines 6. The Normal, the Queer, and the Middle Ages 7. "That Glorious Slit": Irigaray and the Medieval Devotion to Christ's Side Wound Part IV. Practice 8. Inside Out: Beatrice of Nazareth and Her Hagiographer 9. Performativity, Citationality, Ritualization 10. Practice, Belief, and Feminist Philosophy of Religion Part V 11. Love of Neighbor and Love of God: Martha and Mary in the Christian Middle Ages Notes Sources Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn essays and conversations, leading writers reflect on how Black churches have participated in recent discussions about issues such as marriage equality, reproductive justice, and transgender visibility. They consider the varied ways that Black people and groups negotiate the intersections of religion, race, gender, and sexuality.Trade ReviewThe Black church is a complexly rich institution, and its sexual politics are even more complex. Yet the Black church has been caricatured as culturally monolithic and its sexual politics as dogmatically conservative. The Sexual Politics of Black Churches reveals the inaccurate and gross simplification of both of these characterizations. The interdisciplinary voices and varied approaches represented in this volume provide the kind of cultural, theological, historical, and political analyses that are necessary if one is ever to appreciate the intricate nature of Black churches and their sometime opaque sexual politics. For anyone who wants to move beyond the stereotypic tropes about Black churches as stubbornly homophobic, this volume is a must read. It does not simply build upon previous studies of Black church sexual politics; rather, it provides a new interdisciplinary approach that allows for a nuanced understanding of what has seemed too easily misunderstood and casually dismissed. -- The Very Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, author of Resurrection Hope: A Future Where Black Lives Matter and dean of Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological SeminaryBlack churches have been stalked by flat-footed depictions of civil rights mythology on one hand and homophobia on the other. Thankfully, this volume brings together leading scholars and thinkers to trouble those waters, helping all of us to see a history and present that is far more complex, interesting, and beautiful. -- Lerone Martin, associate professor of religious studies, Martin Luther King, Jr., Centennial Chair, director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, Stanford UniversityAttitudes about LGBTQ rights have changed dramatically in the United States since the start of the twenty-first century and the legalization of same-sex marriage by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015. Communities of faith have both championed and challenged these changes. In this important and timely work, scholars explore Black churches’ responses to questions of gender, sexual identity, and marriage equality. It is a must-read for those doing ministry in the twenty-first century and those thinking about the future of Black religious faith and sexuality. -- Marla Frederick, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Religion and Culture, Candler School of Theology, Emory UniversityCombining the genres of dialogue and essay, Josef Sorett curates one of the most rigorous and riveting engagements with the state of the Black church and its political-cultural-sexual complexities. This collection overthrows theological and critical tables, providing essential and original close readings of the contemporary Black church, its pitfalls and possibilities. The Sexual Politics of Black Churches is a refreshing and welcomed contribution to Black church and sexuality studies! -- Jeffrey Q. McCune, director of the Frederick Douglass Institute for African and African-American Studies, University of RochesterJosef Sorett and the team of scholars, practitioners, artists, and thinkers—blended at the intersections of their expertise—present readers with an invitation to explore and feel our way through important discussions of blackness, sexuality, and church/spiritual politics. Written and presented as a communal practice of listening, learning, and "reasoning together," this volume illuminates what matters today in black religious discourse. -- Thelathia “Nikki" Young, author of Black Queer Ethics, Family and Philosophical ImaginationI am a Same-Gender Loving African American Woman, Pastor, Bishop, Teacher, Preacher, Mother and evolving-Pentecostal Justice Warrior! I find my whole self and my community deeply situated in The Sexual Politics of Black Churches…a collection of experiences and studies focused on The Black Church and Sexuality. It was a joy to be part of the conversations, and the finished product is filled with scholarship and liberation power! May the Black Church and all of Her beautiful Spirit-filled Children read and experience the Christ-Call to Radical Inclusivity & Extravagant Grace! -- Rev. Dr. Yvette A. Flunder, presiding bishop of the Fellowship of Affirming MinistriesThe Sexual Politics of Black Churches is not only timely—even overdue—but especially rewarding intellectually, politically, and ethically. Advancing conversations on sexuality and Black Christianity, this work is essential reading for anyone interested in Black Christianity in general, in religion and sexuality, in studies of religion and race, and in accounts of theology and politics in the U.S. A wonderful achievement. -- Anthony Petro, author of After the Wrath of God: AIDS, Sexuality, and American ReligionTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction, by Josef SorettPart I. A Call to Conversation1. Religion, Race & Sexuality in American Culture: A Public Conversation, featuring Victor Anderson, Serene Jones, and Barbara Savage; moderated by Cathy Cohen and Josef SorettPart II. Sacred Texts, Social Authority, Sexual Difference2. Jephthah’s Daughter and #SayHerName, by Nyasha Junior3. An Inconsistent Truth: The New Testament, Early Christianity, and Sexuality, by Michael Joseph BrownPart III. Historical and Cultural Formations of Black (Christian) Sexual Politics4. “Have the Sons of Africa No Souls?” Manliness, Freedom and Power in the Cultural Roots of Afro-Phallic Protestantism, by Jonathan Lee Walton5. Everybody Knew He Was “That Way”: Chicago’s Clarence H. Cobbs, American Religion, and Sexuality during the Post-World War II Period, by Wallace Best6. Interrogating the Passionate and Pious: Televangelism and Black Women’s Sexuality, by Monique MoultriePart IV. Identity and Inclusion in Black Churches7. The Self Interested Politics of Collective Religious Transformation: Issues of Family Definition and LGBT Inclusion in Black Churches, by Melynda J. Price8. Intersectional Invisibility and the Experience of Ontological Exclusion: The Case of Black Gay Christians, by Valerie Purdy-Greenaway, Richard Eibach, and Nick CampPart V. Theological and Pastoral Visions of Inclusive Black Churches9. Gay Is the New Black, Theologically Speaking, by Monica A. Coleman10. Flesh That Needs to be Loved: Wounded Black Bodies and Preachin’ in the Spirit, by Luke A. Powery11. Aiding and Abetting New Life: “Sex-Talk” in the Pulpit, Pew and Public Square, by Brad R. Braxton12. An Experiment in Inclusion: A Conversation with Christine and Dennis Wiley, an Interview by Derrick W. McQueenEpilogue by Josef SorettNotesList of ContributorsIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn essays and conversations, leading writers reflect on how Black churches have participated in recent discussions about issues such as marriage equality, reproductive justice, and transgender visibility. They consider the varied ways that Black people and groups negotiate the intersections of religion, race, gender, and sexuality.Trade ReviewThe Black church is a complexly rich institution, and its sexual politics are even more complex. Yet the Black church has been caricatured as culturally monolithic and its sexual politics as dogmatically conservative. The Sexual Politics of Black Churches reveals the inaccurate and gross simplification of both of these characterizations. The interdisciplinary voices and varied approaches represented in this volume provide the kind of cultural, theological, historical, and political analyses that are necessary if one is ever to appreciate the intricate nature of Black churches and their sometime opaque sexual politics. For anyone who wants to move beyond the stereotypic tropes about Black churches as stubbornly homophobic, this volume is a must read. It does not simply build upon previous studies of Black church sexual politics; rather, it provides a new interdisciplinary approach that allows for a nuanced understanding of what has seemed too easily misunderstood and casually dismissed. -- The Very Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, author of Resurrection Hope: A Future Where Black Lives Matter and dean of Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological SeminaryBlack churches have been stalked by flat-footed depictions of civil rights mythology on one hand and homophobia on the other. Thankfully, this volume brings together leading scholars and thinkers to trouble those waters, helping all of us to see a history and present that is far more complex, interesting, and beautiful. -- Lerone Martin, associate professor of religious studies, Martin Luther King, Jr., Centennial Chair, director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, Stanford UniversityAttitudes about LGBTQ rights have changed dramatically in the United States since the start of the twenty-first century and the legalization of same-sex marriage by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015. Communities of faith have both championed and challenged these changes. In this important and timely work, scholars explore Black churches’ responses to questions of gender, sexual identity, and marriage equality. It is a must-read for those doing ministry in the twenty-first century and those thinking about the future of Black religious faith and sexuality. -- Marla Frederick, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Religion and Culture, Candler School of Theology, Emory UniversityCombining the genres of dialogue and essay, Josef Sorett curates one of the most rigorous and riveting engagements with the state of the Black church and its political-cultural-sexual complexities. This collection overthrows theological and critical tables, providing essential and original close readings of the contemporary Black church, its pitfalls and possibilities. The Sexual Politics of Black Churches is a refreshing and welcomed contribution to Black church and sexuality studies! -- Jeffrey Q. McCune, director of the Frederick Douglass Institute for African and African-American Studies, University of RochesterJosef Sorett and the team of scholars, practitioners, artists, and thinkers—blended at the intersections of their expertise—present readers with an invitation to explore and feel our way through important discussions of blackness, sexuality, and church/spiritual politics. Written and presented as a communal practice of listening, learning, and "reasoning together," this volume illuminates what matters today in black religious discourse. -- Thelathia “Nikki" Young, author of Black Queer Ethics, Family and Philosophical ImaginationI am a Same-Gender Loving African American Woman, Pastor, Bishop, Teacher, Preacher, Mother and evolving-Pentecostal Justice Warrior! I find my whole self and my community deeply situated in The Sexual Politics of Black Churches…a collection of experiences and studies focused on The Black Church and Sexuality. It was a joy to be part of the conversations, and the finished product is filled with scholarship and liberation power! May the Black Church and all of Her beautiful Spirit-filled Children read and experience the Christ-Call to Radical Inclusivity & Extravagant Grace! -- Rev. Dr. Yvette A. Flunder, presiding bishop of the Fellowship of Affirming MinistriesThe Sexual Politics of Black Churches is not only timely—even overdue—but especially rewarding intellectually, politically, and ethically. Advancing conversations on sexuality and Black Christianity, this work is essential reading for anyone interested in Black Christianity in general, in religion and sexuality, in studies of religion and race, and in accounts of theology and politics in the U.S. A wonderful achievement. -- Anthony Petro, author of After the Wrath of God: AIDS, Sexuality, and American ReligionTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction, by Josef SorettPart I. A Call to Conversation1. Religion, Race & Sexuality in American Culture: A Public Conversation, featuring Victor Anderson, Serene Jones, and Barbara Savage; moderated by Cathy Cohen and Josef SorettPart II. Sacred Texts, Social Authority, Sexual Difference2. Jephthah’s Daughter and #SayHerName, by Nyasha Junior3. An Inconsistent Truth: The New Testament, Early Christianity, and Sexuality, by Michael Joseph BrownPart III. Historical and Cultural Formations of Black (Christian) Sexual Politics4. “Have the Sons of Africa No Souls?” Manliness, Freedom and Power in the Cultural Roots of Afro-Phallic Protestantism, by Jonathan Lee Walton5. Everybody Knew He Was “That Way”: Chicago’s Clarence H. Cobbs, American Religion, and Sexuality during the Post-World War II Period, by Wallace Best6. Interrogating the Passionate and Pious: Televangelism and Black Women’s Sexuality, by Monique MoultriePart IV. Identity and Inclusion in Black Churches7. The Self Interested Politics of Collective Religious Transformation: Issues of Family Definition and LGBT Inclusion in Black Churches, by Melynda J. Price8. Intersectional Invisibility and the Experience of Ontological Exclusion: The Case of Black Gay Christians, by Valerie Purdy-Greenaway, Richard Eibach, and Nick CampPart V. Theological and Pastoral Visions of Inclusive Black Churches9. Gay Is the New Black, Theologically Speaking, by Monica A. Coleman10. Flesh That Needs to be Loved: Wounded Black Bodies and Preachin’ in the Spirit, by Luke A. Powery11. Aiding and Abetting New Life: “Sex-Talk” in the Pulpit, Pew and Public Square, by Brad R. Braxton12. An Experiment in Inclusion: A Conversation with Christine and Dennis Wiley, an Interview by Derrick W. McQueenEpilogue by Josef SorettNotesList of ContributorsIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis transdisciplinary book brings together essays that explore the variety and diversity of Buddhist masculinities, from early India to the contemporary United States, and from bodhisattva-kings to martial monks.Trade ReviewIn a series of fascinating essays, . . . scholars contend with how Buddhists have negotiated with masculine ideals and the effect that this has had on Buddhist culture. * Buddhadharma: Lion's Roar *This is the first book to critically explore masculinity across such a broad swath of the Buddhist tradition in different periods and cultures. The authors—experts in fields as diverse as philology, ethnography, archeology, art history, the study of popular culture, and film studies—provide us with new and important insights into the diverse and sometimes competing notions of maleness in different parts of the Buddhist world and how these notions have often functioned to subordinate women. A theoretically sophisticated yet accessible book, Buddhist Masculinities is must read for anyone interested in Buddhism and the comparative study of gender. -- José Ignacio Cabezón, author of Sexuality in Classical South Asian BuddhismThis volume brings much needed attention to the diversities and continuities of Buddhist masculinity throughout Asia and beyond. Across four sections, Buddhist Masculinities shows how Buddhists generated masculine ideals, performed machismo, adapted to culturally specific definitions of masculinity, and responded to transgressive masculinities. This is a welcome and timely addition to the study of Buddhism and gender for a new generation of scholars. -- Bernard Faure, author of The Red Thread: Buddhist Approaches to Sexuality and The Power of Denial: Buddhism, Purity, and GenderBuddhist Masculinities sheds light on masculinity as an object of analysis, refusing to allow it to go unmarked as it so often does in Buddhist texts and scholarship. The book is bound to become an important reference for future work in this burgeoning field, as it maintains an expansive and critical definition of masculinity, engaging masculinity theorists to think about diverse Buddhist texts and contexts. -- Sarah Jacoby, author of Love and Liberation: Autobiographical Writings of the Tibetan Buddhist Visionary Sera KhandroTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsAbbreviationsIntroduction: Masculinities Beyond the Buddha, by Megan BrysonPart 1: Masculine Models1. Middle Way Masculinity: The Bodhisattva Siddhārtha as a Renunciant in Early Buddhist Texts and Art, by Dessislava Vendova2. How Chan Masters Became “Great Men”: Masculinity in Chinese Chan Buddhism, by Kevin Buckelew3. Men of Virtue: Reexamining the Bodhisattva King in Sri Lanka, by Stephen C. BerkwitzPart 2: Mighty Masters4. The Siddha Who Tamed Tibet: Padmasambhava’s Tantric Masculinity, by Joshua Brallier Shelton5. Building a Nation on the Dharma Battlefield: Lay Zen Masculinities in Modern Japan, by Rebecca Mendelson6. Macho Buddhism (Redux): Gender and Sexualities in the Diamond Way, by Bee SchererPart 3: Making Men7. Being a Man vs. Being a Monk: Alternative Versions of Burmese Buddhist Masculinity, by Ward Keeler8. Hanuman, Heroes, and Buddhist Masculinity in Contemporary Thailand, by Natawan Wongchalard9. Buddhism and Afro-Asian Masculinities in The Man with the Iron Fists, by Marcus EvansPart 4: Breaking Boundaries10. The Afterlife of the Tang Monk: Buddhist Masculinity and the Image of Xuanzang in East Asia, by Geng Song11. Real Monks Don’t Have Gṛhastha Sex: Revisiting Male Celibacy in Classical South Asian Buddhism, by Amy Paris LangenbergAppendix: Character GlossaryContributorsIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis transdisciplinary book brings together essays that explore the variety and diversity of Buddhist masculinities, from early India to the contemporary United States, and from bodhisattva-kings to martial monks.Trade ReviewIn a series of fascinating essays, . . . scholars contend with how Buddhists have negotiated with masculine ideals and the effect that this has had on Buddhist culture. * Buddhadharma: Lion's Roar *This is the first book to critically explore masculinity across such a broad swath of the Buddhist tradition in different periods and cultures. The authors—experts in fields as diverse as philology, ethnography, archeology, art history, the study of popular culture, and film studies—provide us with new and important insights into the diverse and sometimes competing notions of maleness in different parts of the Buddhist world and how these notions have often functioned to subordinate women. A theoretically sophisticated yet accessible book, Buddhist Masculinities is must read for anyone interested in Buddhism and the comparative study of gender. -- José Ignacio Cabezón, author of Sexuality in Classical South Asian BuddhismThis volume brings much needed attention to the diversities and continuities of Buddhist masculinity throughout Asia and beyond. Across four sections, Buddhist Masculinities shows how Buddhists generated masculine ideals, performed machismo, adapted to culturally specific definitions of masculinity, and responded to transgressive masculinities. This is a welcome and timely addition to the study of Buddhism and gender for a new generation of scholars. -- Bernard Faure, author of The Red Thread: Buddhist Approaches to Sexuality and The Power of Denial: Buddhism, Purity, and GenderBuddhist Masculinities sheds light on masculinity as an object of analysis, refusing to allow it to go unmarked as it so often does in Buddhist texts and scholarship. The book is bound to become an important reference for future work in this burgeoning field, as it maintains an expansive and critical definition of masculinity, engaging masculinity theorists to think about diverse Buddhist texts and contexts. -- Sarah Jacoby, author of Love and Liberation: Autobiographical Writings of the Tibetan Buddhist Visionary Sera KhandroTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsAbbreviationsIntroduction: Masculinities Beyond the Buddha, by Megan BrysonPart 1: Masculine Models1. Middle Way Masculinity: The Bodhisattva Siddhārtha as a Renunciant in Early Buddhist Texts and Art, by Dessislava Vendova2. How Chan Masters Became “Great Men”: Masculinity in Chinese Chan Buddhism, by Kevin Buckelew3. Men of Virtue: Reexamining the Bodhisattva King in Sri Lanka, by Stephen C. BerkwitzPart 2: Mighty Masters4. The Siddha Who Tamed Tibet: Padmasambhava’s Tantric Masculinity, by Joshua Brallier Shelton5. Building a Nation on the Dharma Battlefield: Lay Zen Masculinities in Modern Japan, by Rebecca Mendelson6. Macho Buddhism (Redux): Gender and Sexualities in the Diamond Way, by Bee SchererPart 3: Making Men7. Being a Man vs. Being a Monk: Alternative Versions of Burmese Buddhist Masculinity, by Ward Keeler8. Hanuman, Heroes, and Buddhist Masculinity in Contemporary Thailand, by Natawan Wongchalard9. Buddhism and Afro-Asian Masculinities in The Man with the Iron Fists, by Marcus EvansPart 4: Breaking Boundaries10. The Afterlife of the Tang Monk: Buddhist Masculinity and the Image of Xuanzang in East Asia, by Geng Song11. Real Monks Don’t Have Gṛhastha Sex: Revisiting Male Celibacy in Classical South Asian Buddhism, by Amy Paris LangenbergAppendix: Character GlossaryContributorsIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"In this innovative, interdisciplinary collection of essays, Downs, Morgan, and Brier update the insights and methods of intersectionality for a new generation of scholars whose questions interrogate the heteronormative and racial practices that have marginalized black female and queer historical subjects."--Kathleen Brown, author of Foul Bodies: Cleanliness in Early America"This is a timely and important volume that encourages temporal conversations about the intersection of race and sexuality. The essays are bold and thought provoking and consider underexplored areas of historical inquiry. The editors and contributors should be commended for doing a superb job of drawing connections over three centuries, thereby inviting readers to critically interrogate this contested history. The multi-disciplinary scope of this anthology will generate a body of new scholarship in the field of race, gender, and sexuality studies."--Daina Ramey Berry, author of Swing the Sickle for the Harvest Is Ripe: Gender and Slavery in Antebellum GeorgiaThis volume takes its readers on a sweeping journey from American plantations to the U.S. Supreme Court, from southern households to brothels in Barbados, from the Bible to the Silver Screen, from college campuses in the 1950s to mass marches in the 1990s, and from journal entries to African American popular print magazines to propose new methodologies to more deeply understand the vexed relationships between race, gender, class, and sexuality. At each turn, the authors urge readers to reconsider the roles of fantasy and history in the construction of beauty, same-sex desire and relationships, kinship, and property. This collection's greatest achievement is to broaden readers' approaches to intersectional identities and to enable readers to re-imagine the humanity of the actors in this volume.--Allyson Hobbs, author of A Chosen Exile: A History of Racial Passing in American Life"The contributions are first rate. Connexions would be an important book to assign in graduate seminars on race or sexuality in several disciplines. For undergraduates, a lighter sampling of the essays might be appropriate. However Connexions is used, readers will agree that the project of seeing 'race and sexuality as driving forces of historical research' is necessary."--Journal of American History"A superb collection of essays [that] models an intelligent and effective approach to teaching historically about sensitive topics, like race and sex, through its meticulous attention to language and its commitment to close reading."--Journal of American Studies"This volume takes its readers on a sweeping journey from American plantations to the U.S. Supreme Court, from southern households to brothels in Barbados, from the Bible to the Silver Screen, from college campuses in the 1950s to mass marches in the 1990s, and from journal entries to African American popular print magazines to propose new methodologies to more deeply understand the vexed relationships between race, gender, class, and sexuality. At each turn, the authors urge readers to reconsider the roles of fantasy and history in the construction of beauty, same-sex desire and relationships, kinship, and property. This collection's greatest achievement is to broaden readers' approaches to intersectional identities and to enable readers to re-imagine the humanity of the actors in this volume."--Allyson Hobbs, author of A Chosen Exile: A History of Racial Passing in American Life

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinner of the Mormon History Association Best International Book Award The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continues to contend with longstanding tensions surrounding gender and race. Yet women of color in the United States and across the Global South adopt and adapt the faith to their contexts, many sharing the high level of satisfaction expressed by Latter-day Saints in general. Caroline Kline explores the ways Latter-day Saint women of color in Mexico, Botswana, and the United States navigate gender norms, but also how their moral priorities and actions challenge Western feminist assumptions. Kline analyzes these traditional religious women through non-oppressive connectedness, a worldview that blends elements of female empowerment and liberation with a broader focus on fostering positive and productive relationships in different realms. Even as members of a patriarchal institution, the women feel a sense of liberation that empowers them to work against oppression and agTrade Review"Scrupulously researched. . . . Kline's conclusions are vitally important, not only for scholars who must now expand their sense of the variety of responses Mormon women have to Church teachings and policies, but also for missionaries, travelers, investigators, and leaders at all levels in this hierarchical, patriarchal, imperfect, Utah-based church." --Association of Mormon Letters“Reading Caroline Kline's Mormon Women at the Crossroads: Global Narratives and the Power of Connectedness has been an exercise of discovery, delight, and richly provoking insights. . . . I would enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone with a stake in the tradition. " --Juvenile Instructor"Mormon Women at the Crossroads blends personal stories with theological considerations of women’s roles in contemporary Mormonism." --Foreword Reviews"Yes! Mobilizing her powerful skills as a researcher and her lived understanding of Mormonism, Caroline Kline amplifies the voices of women from the global Mormon movement with a level of respect for complexity and nuance we just don’t get from official LDS venues. In so doing, she offers us all a model for Mormon Studies--and, more broadly, religious studies--of how to navigate the vast distances in geography, history, and perspective that one faith tradition can embrace. This is how we understand our fellow Saints: we listen and let them teach us. Thank you, Dr. Kline. This book should be taught in introductory religious studies courses nationwide, and I hope no Mormon Studies class in the country proceeds without this text on the syllabus."--Joanna Brooks, author of Mormonism and White Supremacy: American Christianity and the Problem of Racial Innocence

Read more less

Book SynopsisReflects how women respond to the notion of the gift and relationships of giving.Trade Review[S]eeks a broad audience and draws from philosophy, anthropology, religion, and feminist studies yet remains in a theoretical and philosophical realm . . .2014 * NONPROFIT & VOLUNTARY SEC QTLY *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction \ Morny Joy1. Pandora and the Ambiguous Works of Women: All-Taking or All-Giving? \ Deborah Lyons2. Nietzsche, the Gift, and the Taken for Granted \ Lorraine Markotic3. "Everything Comes Back to It": Woman as the Gift in Derrida \ Nancy J. Holland4. Melancholia, Forgiveness, and the Logic of The Gift \ Kathleen O'Grady5. Gift of Being, Gift of Self \ Mariana Ortega6. The Gift of Being, Gift of World(s): Irigaray on Heidegger \ Maria Cimitile7. Graceful Gifts: Hélène Cixous and the Radical Gifts of Other Love \ Sal Renshaw8. John Milbank and the Feminine Gift \ Rachel Muers9. De Beauvoir and the Myth of the Given \ Victoria Barker10. Women and the Gift: Speculations on the "Given" and the "All-Giving" \ Morny JoyContributorsIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis is a superb book and an important contribution to the literature on African religion. * Nova Religio *West Africa's Women of God is an important intervention in scholarship on African religious traditions, women's movements in West Africa, and histories and cultures of Diola peoples. * Journal of West African History *This book importantly demonstrates that a religious system oriented around female prophets emerged among the rice cultivators of Senegambia. Baum's claim that it is a uniquely West African tradition will hopefully inspire others to explore similar practices of messianic revelation along the Guinea Coast. * Journal of African History *A masterful and meticulous study of religious history. * African Studies Review *The whole of West Africa's Women of God represents an exceptional and long-awaited monograph. The quality of Baum's research and writing alike solidify this book as a tour de force that sets an exceedingly high standard for scholars to follow. * Religious Studies Review *[T]his intelligibly constructed and well-structured book will be useful to scholars of African religions, cultural anthropologists, and theologians alike. The field of African religious studies would certainly diminish without its contributions. * Reading Religion (JAAR) *Baum (African and African American studies and religion, Dartmouth) focuses on the history of women prophets who came into prominence after WW I with the increasing oversight of French colonial officials. Highly recommended. * Choice *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments 1. Prophets, Gender, and Religious Change among the Diola of Senegambia 2. The Diola: An Ethnographic Introduction 3. Koonjaen, Felupe, and Diola Prophets in Precolonial Senegambia 4. Women Prophets, Colonization, and the Creation of Community Shrines of Emitai, 1890–1913 5. Prophetism at the Peak of Colonial Rule, 1914–1939 6. Alinesitoué Diatta and the Crisis of the War Years, 1939–1944 7. The Prophetic Teachings of Alinesitoué, Her Successors, and a Contested Diola Prophetic Tradition Conclusion Glossary Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis is a superb book and an important contribution to the literature on African religion. * Nova Religio *West Africa's Women of God is an important intervention in scholarship on African religious traditions, women's movements in West Africa, and histories and cultures of Diola peoples. * Journal of West African History *This book importantly demonstrates that a religious system oriented around female prophets emerged among the rice cultivators of Senegambia. Baum's claim that it is a uniquely West African tradition will hopefully inspire others to explore similar practices of messianic revelation along the Guinea Coast. * Journal of African History *A masterful and meticulous study of religious history. * African Studies Review *The whole of West Africa's Women of God represents an exceptional and long-awaited monograph. The quality of Baum's research and writing alike solidify this book as a tour de force that sets an exceedingly high standard for scholars to follow. * Religious Studies Review *[T]his intelligibly constructed and well-structured book will be useful to scholars of African religions, cultural anthropologists, and theologians alike. The field of African religious studies would certainly diminish without its contributions. * Reading Religion (JAAR) *Baum (African and African American studies and religion, Dartmouth) focuses on the history of women prophets who came into prominence after WW I with the increasing oversight of French colonial officials. Highly recommended. * Choice *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments 1. Prophets, Gender, and Religious Change among the Diola of Senegambia 2. The Diola: An Ethnographic Introduction 3. Koonjaen, Felupe, and Diola Prophets in Precolonial Senegambia 4. Women Prophets, Colonization, and the Creation of Community Shrines of Emitai, 1890–1913 5. Prophetism at the Peak of Colonial Rule, 1914–1939 6. Alinesitoué Diatta and the Crisis of the War Years, 1939–1944 7. The Prophetic Teachings of Alinesitoué, Her Successors, and a Contested Diola Prophetic Tradition Conclusion Glossary Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis monograph would be best for people grounded in anthropology, religion, and English history, but offers many insights to nonexperts. It would be a good addition to any university library. * Religion and Gender *Hausner's is an affectionate and sympathetic portrayal of the Crossbones ritualists, and it is excellent to see this tradition receiving scholarly attention * Reading Religion *Table of ContentsIntroduction Set And Setting1. The Myth of the Winchester Goose2. Medieval Bankside3. Shamanism and the Ritual Oscillation of Time4. The Virgin Queen and the English Nation5. Southwark, Then and NowConclusion Making the PresentEpilogue Crossbones Garden

Read more less

Book Synopsis1. This book is one of the first Jewish theological treatments of motherhood and childrearing. 2. It is among the first feminist works to treat maternal experience as theologically productive. 3. It was awarded the 2017 Cashmere Subvention Grant in Jewish Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies from the AJS Women's Caucus.Trade ReviewIn this elegantly written, provocative, scholarly, and accessible work, Mara Benjamin contributes to the growing body of literature using maternal experience as a source for theology and religious ethics. * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *It is rare to find an academic text that is so creative, honest, and thoughtful, and uniquely contributes to multiple fields of inquiry—in this case, Jewish theology, feminist theory, and parenting. Bringing together a wide variety of resources in an artful display of academic research that is both intellectually stimulating and personally vulnerable, readers will find Benjamin's offering to be a continued reservoir for reflecting on what unites humanity perhaps more universally than anything else: that we have all been parented and most of us will also, at some point, embark on the risky, adventurous, deeply enriching journey of parenting. * Journal of Jewish Identities *In The Obligated Self: Maternal Subjectivity and Jewish Thought, Mara H. Benjamin offers a thought-provoking (and often humorous) meditation on motherhood as a prism for one's relationship with God. Inspired by Jewish thinkers, including Franz Rosenzweig, Martin Buber, and Emmanuel Levinas, Benjamin argues that relationships can be "theologically productive." -- Rabbi Dr. Stu Halpern * YU News - Yeshiva University *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart IChapter 1: ObligationChapter 2: LoveChapter 3: PowerChapter 4: TeachingPart IIChapter 5: The OtherChapter 6: The ThirdChapter 7: The NeighborEpilogueBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book Synopsis1. This book is one of the first Jewish theological treatments of motherhood and childrearing. 2. It is among the first feminist works to treat maternal experience as theologically productive. 3. It was awarded the 2017 Cashmere Subvention Grant in Jewish Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies from the AJS Women's Caucus.Trade ReviewIn this elegantly written, provocative, scholarly, and accessible work, Mara Benjamin contributes to the growing body of literature using maternal experience as a source for theology and religious ethics. * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *It is rare to find an academic text that is so creative, honest, and thoughtful, and uniquely contributes to multiple fields of inquiry—in this case, Jewish theology, feminist theory, and parenting. Bringing together a wide variety of resources in an artful display of academic research that is both intellectually stimulating and personally vulnerable, readers will find Benjamin's offering to be a continued reservoir for reflecting on what unites humanity perhaps more universally than anything else: that we have all been parented and most of us will also, at some point, embark on the risky, adventurous, deeply enriching journey of parenting. * Journal of Jewish Identities *In The Obligated Self: Maternal Subjectivity and Jewish Thought, Mara H. Benjamin offers a thought-provoking (and often humorous) meditation on motherhood as a prism for one's relationship with God. Inspired by Jewish thinkers, including Franz Rosenzweig, Martin Buber, and Emmanuel Levinas, Benjamin argues that relationships can be "theologically productive." -- Rabbi Dr. Stu Halpern * YU News - Yeshiva University *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart IChapter 1: ObligationChapter 2: LoveChapter 3: PowerChapter 4: TeachingPart IIChapter 5: The OtherChapter 6: The ThirdChapter 7: The NeighborEpilogueBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisConceiving Agency: Reproductive Authority among Haredi Women explores the ways Haredi Jewish women make decisions about their reproductive lives.Trade ReviewMichal Raucher is part of a small but growing cohort of scholars working in the field of religious ethics who challenge the former practice of privileging "scriptural sources, religious doctrines and law, and central forms of religious authority" (16) when engaging in bioethical decision-making and formulating health policies.In this precise and carefully researched study, with clear writing making it available to readers of diverse backgrounds, Raucher reveals how she has come to understand how Haredi women in Israel (unfortunately she does not specify which community), who typically have large families, make their reproductive decisions in a number of contexts. -- Vanessa Ochs - University of Virginia * AJS Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction1. Medicine and Religion: Doctors and Rabbis in Israel2. Books and Babies: Pathways to Authority3. The Embodiment of Pregnancy4. Reproductive Theology: Embodying Divine Authority5. Abortions, Finances, and Women's Reproductive AuthorityConclusion: Haredi Women's Bodies and BeyondWorks CitedIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisA commentary on Catholic ethical views of marriage and reproduction.Trade ReviewKalbian (Florida State Univ.) explains the meaning behind her provocative title Sexing the Church: it captures the way Catholicism's attitudes about gender (what it means to be male or female) permeate its teachings about sexuality, reproduction, and church authority. Kalbian's study of gender, power, and ethics in contemporary Catholicism hinges upon the twofold meaning of order within Catholic tradition and institutions: order is conformity to God's will and purpose (right order), and it is also the regulation and enforcement of right order by church authorities (giving orders). Kalbian examines Vatican documents from Pius XI onward, illuminating the ways in which both meanings of order come into play in the articulation of official Catholic teachings on marriage, gender, and sexuality. She pays special attention to recent intramural controversies over contraception, new reproductive technologies, same-sex marriage, and sexual abuses perpetrated by priests. Kalbian draws upon the best recent scholarship on Catholic sexuality and ethics. Eschewing Mark Jordon's attitude of hostile suspicion, she embraces a polite suspicion that calls attention to the problems and contradictions in official Catholic teachings and policies and leaves readers with much food for thought. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readerDecember 2005 -- D. Campbell * Colby College *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments1. Order and Sexual Ethics2. Theology and Marriage3. Reproduction4. Gender5. ConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisOffers teenage boys a framework for navigating life as a Christian, and not only suggests where healthy boundaries might lie, but invites them to see faith in Christ as the most exciting, purpose-finding and potential-releasing adventure imaginable.Trade ReviewAccessible, practical, honest, insightful, funny and vulnerable. This book will help many men (young and not so young) in their search for meaning and an authentic life that reflects the purpose of their creator. Martin doesn't shirk the tough questions but meets them head on with his usual combination of kindness, integrity and humour. * Mike Pilavachi *Outstanding … witty and wise ... a gift to the UK church. * Christianity Magazine *I want every guy to read this book … truly excellent. * Rachel Gardner, Director of National Work, Youthscape *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Jesuits and Matriarchs takes a novel approach to the history of the seventeenth-century Jesuit China missions by focusing on Chinese Catholic women’s domestic religiosity, analyzing the gendered spatial relations in the Jesuits’ mission and connecting them with post-Tridentine perceptions and development in Europe. . . . [this book] will be an accessible and rewarding read for scholars and any interested readers who wish to gain new insights into women’s religiosity in Chinese Catholicism." * Asian Ethnology *"Amsler’s meticulous archival industry, innovative analysis of a wide sweep of materials, and cogent narrative serve as an example of first-rate scholarship that shall remain the authoritative word on Catholic women in early China for years to come." -- Anthony Clark * China Review International: A Journal of Reviews of Scholarly Literature in Chinese Studies *"Jesuits and Matriarchs constitutes a significant contribution to our understanding of the history of Christianity in East Asia and complicates the state of ongoing debates about the situation of women in late imperial China. Amsler sheds light on the importance of gender as a novel channel to help reconsider the nature of Chinese Catholic communities and raises numerous questions for future research, for example by advocating for a comparative analysis of the global situation of women in the Catholic Church, which unequivocally makes the book thought-provoking and useful for a broad audience." * New Books Asia *"By seeking to fill a gap in scholarship on Chinese Catholics in the seventeenth century, particularly how women in China were introduced to Catholicism and contributed to its development and spread, Nadine Amsler makes crucial contributions to many different fields of study in this slim, tightly organized book." * Journal of the American Oriental Society *"In this important study, Nadine Amsler investigates the Jesuit mission to China from the late sixteenth through most of the seventeenth century, focusing on how Chinese customs and sensibilities shaped and constrained the Jesuit ministry to women." * Monumenta Serica *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Jesuits and Matriarchs takes a novel approach to the history of the seventeenth-century Jesuit China missions by focusing on Chinese Catholic women’s domestic religiosity, analyzing the gendered spatial relations in the Jesuits’ mission and connecting them with post-Tridentine perceptions and development in Europe. . . . [this book] will be an accessible and rewarding read for scholars and any interested readers who wish to gain new insights into women’s religiosity in Chinese Catholicism." * Asian Ethnology *"Amsler’s meticulous archival industry, innovative analysis of a wide sweep of materials, and cogent narrative serve as an example of first-rate scholarship that shall remain the authoritative word on Catholic women in early China for years to come." -- Anthony Clark * China Review International: A Journal of Reviews of Scholarly Literature in Chinese Studies *"Jesuits and Matriarchs constitutes a significant contribution to our understanding of the history of Christianity in East Asia and complicates the state of ongoing debates about the situation of women in late imperial China. Amsler sheds light on the importance of gender as a novel channel to help reconsider the nature of Chinese Catholic communities and raises numerous questions for future research, for example by advocating for a comparative analysis of the global situation of women in the Catholic Church, which unequivocally makes the book thought-provoking and useful for a broad audience." * New Books Asia *"By seeking to fill a gap in scholarship on Chinese Catholics in the seventeenth century, particularly how women in China were introduced to Catholicism and contributed to its development and spread, Nadine Amsler makes crucial contributions to many different fields of study in this slim, tightly organized book." * Journal of the American Oriental Society *"In this important study, Nadine Amsler investigates the Jesuit mission to China from the late sixteenth through most of the seventeenth century, focusing on how Chinese customs and sensibilities shaped and constrained the Jesuit ministry to women." * Monumenta Serica *

Read more less

Book SynopsisOffers the story that begins with the discovery and commercialization of the remnant of an ancient "queendom" on the Sichuan-Tibet border. This title examines the consequences of development of the queendom label for local ethnic, gender, and political identities and for state-society relations.Trade Review"In his willingness to wrestle on the page with these fraught questions of Tibetan identity politics, Jinba has not only provided a refreshing new standpoint on the politics of ethnicity and ethnic representation in the context of Tibet, he has also thrown down the gauntlet for the debate-to-come about the collision of Tibetan and Chinese nationhood." -- Tashi Rabgey * Insight Tibet *"A highly recommended reference for feminist scholars working on the intertwining of ethnicity and gender as well as policy makers and practitioners seeking to design policies that closely align with local concerns and sensitivities." -- Phan Phuong Hao * Asian Journal of Women’s Studies *"A refreshing contribution to our understanding of the complexities of gender and ethnicity along the Sino-Tibetan border regions." -- Enze Han * The China Quarterly *"This is a short and intriguing reading that artfully weaves ethnography with larger discussions of the politics of gender and ethnicity. It opens up new dimensions to study ethnic politics and state-society relations at the grassroots level in contemporary China. . . . The book thus . . . sheds significant light on the complexities of the Tibet question by drawing attention to local politics in quotidian Tibetan lives in the age of booming tourism." -- Xiaofei Kang * Signs *"[An] excellent contribution to the fields of Tibetan, Chinese, and Borderlands Studies, this book provides much needed insights into the complexity and multidimensionality of ethnicity and identity construction along the Sino-Tibetan border at a time of profound socio-economic transformation. It will also serve as an illustrative and helpful example of the many-sided and unfolding intricacies of state-society interactions throughout Tibetan areas and China in general." -- Tricia Kehoe * CHINET (Forging A Scientific Team and International Networking in the Field of Chinese Studies) *"This is one of only a handful of books and articles (in any language) since the 1990s addressing gender politics among Tibetans, and it is [one of] the first book[s] that situates gender as an important aspect of the politics of ethnicity among Tibetans in the PRC’s western frontier zone. . . . [This] book is . . . perhaps a harbinger of a new era of PRC frontier ethnography to be dominated by scholars who are citizens of China." -- Charlene Makley * Journal of Asian Studies *"The book is a must read for scholars who are interested in the sociopolitical transformation of contemporary China, especially those who specialize in studying the intersection between gender and ethnicity." -- Yuxin Ma * WAGNet: Women and Gender in Chinese Studies Network *"This is an in-depth and nuanced ethnography, exploring carefully relations between a marginalize people, the central state, and local government, unpacking with great subtlety and perception the adversarial relationship with representatives of intermediary level government and the contrastive high regard for the distant central authorities in Beijing." -- Maria Jaschok * China Review International *"With the publication of [In the Land of the Eastern Queendom and Mapping Shangrila], we see that “Sino-Tibetan Borderland Studies” has in a sense come of age as a distinct area of inquiry. . . . The Sino-Tibetan frontiers are thus of considerable interest in their own right, while bringing an important range of broad issues facing China into close focus as well." -- Matthew T. Kapstein * Pacific Affairs *"[A]n excellent example of how conceptions of the Other affect local people, and how they react to and engage in the construction of these imaginings. . . . [V]ery rich in ethnographic detail, and gives a voice to the local people. . . In the Land of the Eastern Queendom contributes to a better understanding of what it means to be a Tibetan and how that identity is negotiated." -- Sonja Laukkanen * Nan Nü *"Through his carefully researched ethnography, Jinba provides important insights into tourism and cultural heritage issues in China. . . . In the Land of the Eastern Queendom brilliantly brings to life an understudied ethnic population and some of the critical issues it is facing. It also adds much-needed complexity to discussions of ethnic minority relations with (and within) the Chinese government." -- Timothy Thurston * Modern Chinese Literature and Culture *Table of ContentsForeword by Stevan Harrell  Preface and Acknowledgments  Maps Introduction 1. Setting Foot in the Queen’s Land  2. Masculine and Feminine Internal Others in China  3. From the Valley of Beauties to the Eastern Queendom 4. The Queendom and Grassroots Politics  5. The Moluo Tourism Association: How Far to Go? Conclusion  Notes Glossary  Bibliography  Index 

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis thoughtful, practical guide shows readers a way through the minefield of condemnation and persecution faced by gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Christians and helps foster a faith that is bulletproofimpervious to attacks, yet loving and savvy in its approach. Bulletproof Faith is filled with useful insights and proven spiritual practices that deflect attacks and enhance and strengthen faith by turning attacks into opportunities for spiritual growth.Trade ReviewChellew-Hodge, a former journalist, is a UCC pastor who runs the online magazine Whosoever.org. Her experiences as a gay Christian searching for how to live with integrity while contending with sometimes hateful opposition inform this book. The “spiritual survival tips” that conclude each chapter serve not only as summaries but also as direct points of advice for GLBT persons coping with inevitable conflict. She also includes brief meditation exercises. Chellew-Hodge offers a realistic voice of experience filled with compassion and love—not just for her intended audience but also for their attackers. Although some may find her impulse to forgive premature, Chellew-Hodge does not naïvely excuse much less accept the abusive language and behavior of antigay Christians. This is not a book explaining relevant Bible passages and their interpretations, though Chellew-Hodge advocates biblical literacy beyond literalism. Instead, it is a confident, sensible approach to handling the opposition and self-doubt that can undermine a GLBT person's sense of worth and belonging as a Christian. (Oct.) (Publishers Weekly, August 11, 2008)Table of ContentsAcknowledgments. Introduction: There Is Only One Side. Chapter 1: Becoming Bulletproof. Chapter 2: Losing Our Religion. Spiritual Survival Exercise: Reclaiming Our Authentic Self. Chapter 3: Learning to Love the Questions. Chapter 4: Wisdom Before Weapons. Spiritual Survival Exercise: Surrender Before Battle. Chapter 5: Learning the Outward Moves. Chapter 6: The Gift of the Enemy. Spiritual Survival Exercise: Breathing into Our Pain. Chapter 7: The Only Thing That Counts. Chapter 8: You Know Your Faith Is Bulletproof When . . .. Chapter 9: "No Weapon Shall Prosper". Spiritual Survival Exercise: Is That Your Final Answer? Notes. Recommended Reading. Online Resources. About the Author.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLooks at the language of the chastity movement and discovers a savvy campaign that uses sex to 'sell' abstinence. Drawing from interviews with evangelical leaders and teenagers, this title examines the strategy to shift from a negative 'just say no' approach to a positive one: 'just say yes' to great sex within marriage.Trade Review"An excellent qualitative examination of how religious persons make sense of their sexuality within contemporary society." -- Kelsy C. Burke Sociology Of Religion "Making Chastity Sexy is important and perceptive in a profound way... Brilliant." -- Frank Schaeffer Huffington Post "Making Chastity Sexy offers a convincing critique ... will appeal to a broad audience." Sociology Of ReligionTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Abstinence, AIDS, and Evangelicals: An Introduction 1. From Abstinence to Purity: The Changing Tropes of Chastity 2. Of Purity Rings and Pop Stars: Using Sex to Sell Abstinence 3. "Someday My Prince Will Come": The Fairy-tale Narrative and Female Power 4. Disciplining Sexuality: How American Evangelical Youth Are Committing to Abstinence--and Sticking with It 5. The Fractured Fairy Tale: When True Love Doesn't Wait 6. Fearing God, Not AIDS: Abstinence in Africa 7. The Condom Conflict: Saving Lives or Promoting Promiscuity? 8. What's Not So Great about Great Sex Appendix: List of Interviewees Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrans Talmud places eunuchs and androgynes at the center of rabbinic literature and asks what we can learn from them about Judaism and the project of transgender history. Rather than treating these figures as anomalies to be justified or explained away, Max K. Strassfeld argues that they profoundly shaped ideas about law, as the rabbis constructed intricate taxonomies of gender across dozens of texts to understand an array of cultural tensions. Showing how rabbis employed eunuchs and androgynes to define proper forms of masculinity, Strassfeld emphasizes the unique potential of these figures to not only establish the boundary of law but exceed and transform it. Trans Talmud challenges how we understand gender in Judaism and demonstrates that acknowledging nonbinary gender prompts a reassessment of Jewish literature and law. Trade Review"In a world that seeks to erase our history and our bodies, these texts provide images of a past where we may have existed, albeit with complexities. To study Talmud is to dream our past into the future, and to engage in the act of traveling through time accompanied by our ancestors’ voices. . . . As queer, trans and nonbinary Jews do the work of consciously creating a usable past, Trans Talmud invites us to do so with more integrity and precision." * Lilith *"Dr. Max Strass­feld, Assis­tant Pro­fes­sor of Reli­gious Stud­ies at the Uni­ver­si­ty of Ari­zona, now offers us a wel­come guide to Tal­mu­dic gender(s) in this metic­u­lous, far-reach­ing, and lyri­cal book. It wel­comes a wide vari­ety of read­ers with patient expla­na­tions of cen­tral con­cepts in the fields of gen­der and queer stud­ies and the world of the Tal­mud and rab­binic lit­er­a­ture of late antiq­ui­ty." * Jewish Book Council *"Strassfield…nourishes the discussion of the ancient texts on a marginalized community then and now. Recommended to interested individuals and academic libraries." * Association of Jewish Libraries Reviews *"Trans Talmud regularly disrupts our understandings of sex, gender and sexuality, and so too of what scholarship itself is meant to be. Strassfeld makes these texts come to life as he sprinkles gems of insight and relevance throughout." * Journal of Jewish Studies *"A thought-provoking book. . . . [that] will be a point of reference for future studies on bodies that challenge the binary categorization of sex/gender in late ancient Jewish literature and beyond." * Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsContents Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Transing Late Antiquity: The Politics of the Study of Eunuchs and Androgynes 2. The Gendering of Law: The Androgyne and the Hybrid Animal in Bikkurim 3. Sex with Androgynes 4. Transing the Eunuch: Kosher and Damaged Masculinity 5. Eunuch Temporality: The Saris and the Aylonit Conclusion: Rereading the Rabbis Again Bibliography Glossary Inde

Read more less