Pride Month Reading List
Some Suggested Titles from AAR's Reading Religion
Reading Religion is an openly accessible book review website published by the American Academy of Religion. The site provides up-to-date coverage of scholarly publishing in religious studies, reviewed by scholars with special interest and/or expertise in the relevant subfields. Reviews aim to be concise, comprehensive, and timely.
Below, the editors of Reading Religion have selected some books and reviews from the site and have shared some titles available to review. If you’re interested in reviewing books for Reading Religion, take a look at the guidelines. If there are any books missing from the Reading Religion site that you think should be there, email readingreligion@aarweb.org.
Reviews to Read
Queer Callings: Untimely Notes on Names and Desires
By Mark D. Jordan
From the review:
“Jordan wants his readers to grapple with how language, especially as it pertains to ‘sex’ and ‘identity,’ is not stagnant. There is no straightforward glossary of queer callings, so complex is sex and identity language that when used by someone who is versed in heteronormative speak, violence and harm may ensue. He encourages us to be suspicious of coordinated and organized naming . . .” – Kimberly Fillion
Muslims on the Margins: Creating Queer Religious Community in North America
By Katrina Daly Thompson
From the review:
“[I]n the present geopolitical climate, where the space for Muslims—and queer Muslims in particular—is increasingly constrained, and their rights often marginalized or undermined, [this book] stands as a vital and meticulous ethnographic exploration.” - Shahana Munazir
The Widening of God's Mercy: Sexuality Within the Biblical Story
By Christopher B Hays and Richard B Hays
From the review:
“He begins by reminding readers of the radical openness and inclusivity of Jesus' message—how his expansive vision of God's mercy was both shocking and disruptive. However, he also spends a significant portion of this section looking at how the early Christians reasoned when encountering situations without direct parallels to the ministry of Jesus; they made new, surprising applications that expanded the boundaries of the fledgling group.” - Zachariah Motts
Appalling Bodies: Queer Figures Before and After Paul's Letters
By Joseph A. Marchal
From the review:
“Appalling Bodies builds on an array of previously published articles in leading journals and is of an incredibly high academic standard, proving difficult to read both in its theoretical rigor and often discomfiting subject matter. Nevertheless, the book rewards the reader with a wealth of penetrating insight into ancient and modern topics and will prove an essential text for any further scholarly engagement with corporeality in Paul.” – J. Andrew Doole
Dirt, Shame, Status: Perspectives on Same-Sex Sexuality in the Bible and the Ancient World
By Thomas Kazen
From the review:
“The book provides an accessible introduction to how discussions of same-sex sexuality in ancient writings are driven by a combination of concerns about purity, power, and honor. . . . There is much to praise about this slim volume.” – Kelsi Morrison-Atkins
Available for Review
Mapping New Terrain in Queer Religious Scholarship: Essays in Honor of John Eastburn Boswell
Edited by Bernard S. Schlager
From the publisher:
“Mapping New Terrain in Queer Religious Scholarship builds upon the work and legacy of Professor John Boswell, bringing together contributions that were delivered at the annual CLGS Boswell Lecture Series at Pacific School of Religion, USA. Boswell is lauded as a major scholar in gender and sexuality studies and is recognized as an early advocate for the full inclusion of LGBTQ people in faith communities. Drawing inspiration from Boswell’s ground-breaking book Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality (1980), the chapters address a variety of relevant topics in theology, scripture, queer studies, ethics, and social justice. Boswell’s legacy of scholarly excellence and his prophetic activism continue to live on in the writings of these noted academics, religious leaders, and activists. The book will be of particular interest to scholars working in the fields of gender and sexuality studies, religious studies, and the history of Christianity.”
Yes Gawd!: How Faith Shapes LGBT Identity and Politics in the United States
By Royal G. Cravens III
From the publisher:
“Yes Gawd! explores the effects of religious belief and practice on political behavior among the LGBT community, a population long persecuted by religious institutions and generally considered to be non-religious. Royal Cravens deftly shows how faith impacts the politics of LGBT people. He details how the queer community creates, defines, and experiences spirituality and spiritual affirmation as well as the consequences this has for their identity, socialization, and political development.
Cravens also demonstrates the mobilizing power of faith for LGBT people by contrasting the effects of participation in faith and secular communities on political activism. He explores how factors such as coming out, race, and LGBT-affirming churches influence political attitudes and behavior and explains how the development of LGBT politico-religious activism provides opportunities for LGBT people to organize politically.”
Queering Black Churches: Dismantling Heteronormativity in African American Congregations
By Brandon Thomas Crowley
From the publisher:
“Drawing on the experiences of several historically Black churches that became open and affirming (ONA), Queering Black Churches explores how historically Black churches have queered their congregations. Crowley examines the similarities and differences in their approaches and synthesizes them into a methodology called Black ecclesial Queering: a theoretical analysis and a practical method of queering that centers on the lived experiences of Black Queer folks seeking to subvert the puritanical ideologies of Black churches.
Crowley argues for a systematic approach to dismantling homophobia within African American congregations that moves beyond surface-level allyship toward actual structural renovation. With its groundbreaking documentation of ONA congregations and its practical proposals for change, this book will be a valuable resource for students, scholars, and clergy alike.”
Jewcy: Jewish Queer Lesbian Feminisms for the Twenty-First Century
Edited by Marla Brettschneider
From the publisher:
“Jewcy: Jewish Queer Lesbian Feminisms for the Twenty-First Century presents the rich diversity of Jewish life from perspectives that center lesbian and queer Jewish feminist people and issues. Blending scholarship with poetry, memoir, and other genres, it reopens the field of Jewish lesbian writing that has been largely dormant since the early 2000s. The contributors illustrate the diversity of Jewish lesbian experience through a range of topics, voices, and genres and explore how this experience intersects with Black, Mizrahi, Sephardi, Indigenous, and trans identities. Opening timely new dialogues between the various fields of Jewish, feminist, queer, trans, decolonial, and critical race studies, Jewcy encourages readers both inside and outside the academy to rethink narrow conceptions of Jewishness.”
The Sexual Politics of Black Churches
Edited by Josef Sorett
From the publisher:
“This book brings together an interdisciplinary roster of scholars and practitioners to analyze the politics of sexuality within Black churches and the communities they serve. In 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 in American society. They consider the varied ways that Black people and groups negotiate the intersections of religion, race, gender, and sexuality across historical and contemporary settings.
Individually and collectively, the pieces included in this book shed light on the relationship between the cultural politics of Black churches and the broader cultural and political terrain of the United States. Contributors examine how churches and their members participate in the formal processes of electoral politics as well as how they engage in other processes of social and cultural change. They highlight how contemporary debates around marriage, gender, and sexuality are deeply informed by religious beliefs and practices.”
