Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Queer Religiosities: An Introduction to Queer and Transgender Studies in Religion

Queer Religiosities is the first comprehensive, comparative, and globally focused introduction to queer and transgender studies in religion. Addressing sophisticated topics in clear and accessible language, award-winning teacher and scholar Melissa M. Wilcox brings her engaging lecture style into conversation with the work of scholars around the globe to welcome students into these rapidly growing fields. Following an introduction to key concepts in religious studies, queer studies, and transgender studies and an overview of the history of transgender and queer studies in religion, thematic chapters address the topics of stories, conversations, practices, identities, communities, and politics and power. This inherently comparative organization helps readers to understand the details and complexities of religions, genders, and sexualities as they are lived out around the world. Additional resources include study questions, discussion questions, suggestions for further reading, a glossary, an annotated filmography, and a selected bibliography to encourage further study. Review The entire book is conversational and almost interactive: Wilcox continuously engages the readers and asks us thought-provoking questions. Each chapter ends with study questions, questions for further thought, and recommendations for further readings. At the end of the book, an annotated filmography offers further material to study or teach queer and transgender studies. All of this shows that Wilcox's introduction clearly targets the classroom and undergraduate students. But the book is thought-provoking for advanced students and scholars as well. They certainly reach their goal "to leave readers not with all of their questions answered but with all of their answers questioned."-- "Reading Religion"I'm grateful to Professor Wilcox for Queer Religiosities, and for more than one reason. Rather than offering a framework for what religion might be and then noting how particular traditions address questions of queer people and relationships (a common approach), this book weaves queerness into the conceptualization and framing of religion itself and its many, multiple expressions. Foregrounding the narrative and communal character of religiosity also invites a deeply textured exploration of where religion actually shows up in daily life and relational networks. The "annotated filmography" will be a welcome resource for teachers of all kinds, as will the thoughtful study questions and prompts for further inquiry. I'm eager to use this book in my seminary classes as well as for my congregation's education programs!--Rev. Jay Emerson Johnson, professor, Pacific School of Religion, and author of Peculiar Faith: Queer Theology for Christian WitnessInnovative and accessible, Queer Religiousities is the book I've been waiting for. Written by a scholar whose groundbreaking research helped to establish the field of queer and genderqueer studies in religion, it introduces the study of religion to the queer theorists, explains queer theory to the religionists, and pushes students and scholars in both fields to re-envision the intersections among these seemingly oppositional fields of study. I can't wait to use it in my classroom.--Heather White, visiting assistant professor, University of Puget SoundBrilliant, cutting edge, field-defining--Queer Religiosities is the wonderful outcome we get when the foremost scholar of queer and transgender religious studies condenses their research and pedagogical expertise into a thrilling introductory text. Bringing together religious studies, queer studies, and trans studies, this landmark book also does much to move past the tired paradigm of world religions, not merely by criticizing that model, but by showing new ways to conceive how we approach religion. This book will be an indispensable guide for anyone interested in thinking about or teaching on religion, gender, and sexuality studies for a gr