MACMILLAN Contemporary Encounters in Gender and Religion: European Perspectives

The fields of gender and religious studies have often been criticized for neglecting to engage with one another, and this volume responds to this dearth of interaction by placing the fields in an intimate dialogue. Taking a multi-disciplinary approach and drawing on feminist scholarship, the book undertakes theoretical and empirical explorations of relational and co-constitutive encounters of gender and religion. Through varied perspectives, the chapters address three interrelated themes: religion as practice, the relationship between religious practice and religion as prescribed by formal religious institutions, and the feminization of religion in Europe. Review “Contemporary Encounters in Gender and Religion is a novel, well-written and thorough volume that deserves to be on the bookshelf of anyone interested in gender and religion in contemporary society. … It offers an abundance of empirical insights, and it is to be considered a must-read for graduate students as well as senior researchers in the field of religious studies, sociology of religion, gender studies, and anthropology.” (Louise Lund Liebmann, Nordic Journal of Religion and Society, Vol. 30 (2), 2017) From the Back Cover The fields of gender and religious studies have often been criticized for neglecting to engage with one another, and this volume responds to this dearth of interaction by placing the fields in an intimate dialogue. Taking a multi-disciplinary approach and drawing on feminist scholarship, the book undertakes theoretical and empirical explorations of relational and co-constitutive encounters of gender and religion. Through varied perspectives, the chapters address three interrelated themes: religion as practice, the relationship between religious practice and religion as prescribed by formal religious institutions, and the feminization of religion in Europe.  About the Author Lena Gemzöe is an anthropologist and associate professor of gender studies at Stockholm University, Sweden. Her publications in the area of gender and religion deal with death-related practices and pilgrimage in various forms. Her research interests also include feminist theory, reflexive ethnography, and culture theory. Marja-Liisa Keinänen is Associate Professor of History of Religions and Senior Lecturer at Stockholm University, Sweden. Her research is in gender, ethnicity, and vernacular religion, especially women’s rituals and ritual agency. Avril Maddrell is Associate Professor in Social and Cultural Geography at University of West England, Bristol, UK, and Co-Editor of the journal Gender, Place and Culture. Her research addresses sacred mobilities, landscape, deathscapes, gender, and geographical thought.