Religion, gender, and sexuality in everyday life

Exploring the intersection between religion, gender and sexuality within the context of everyday life, this volume examines contested identities, experiences, bodies and desires on the individual and collective levels. With rich case studies from the UK, USA, Europe, and Asia, Religion, Gender and Sexuality in Everyday Life sheds light on the manner in which individuals appropriate, negotiate, transgress, invert and challenge the norms and models of various religions in relation to gender and sexuality, and vice versa. Drawing on fascinating research from around the world, this book charts central features of the complexities involved in everyday life, examining the messiness, limits, transformations and possibilities that occur when subjectivities, religious and cultural traditions, and politics meet within the local as well as transnational contexts. As such, it will be of interest to scholars of sociology, anthropology, geography and cultural studies examining questions of religion and spirituality, gender and sexuality, and individual and collective identities in contemporary society.

"While understanding religion in everyday life is a growing field relevant to numerous disciplines, its intersection with gender and sexuality is less well-documented. This edited collection breaks considerable new ground and will be of interest to both scholars and students alike by offering contributions from leading researchers engaged with these themes across several traditional faiths as well as emergent spiritualities"--Stephen Hunt, University of the West of England, UK. "This volume begins with the everyday life of sexual subjects from different faiths and backgrounds, and then moves to the broader questions which these real lives pose for an understanding of religion, gender and sexuality, and the intersection between each. The chapters are remarkably fresh, kaleidoscopic in scope and essential reading for students and researchers alike"--Adrian Thatcher, University of Exeter, UK.