Contemporary Theological Approaches to Sexuality provides a much-needed overview of the state of scholarship on Christian theological reflection on sexuality and sexual theology. Critically, it also intervenes in the cultural debate over sexuality by privileging feminist, queer, and other counter-normative perspectives. Comprising twenty-three chapters by a team of international contributors this volume is divided into four parts:

* Normativity and transgression

* Bodies

* Economies and violence

* Divinity.

Within these sections central issues, debates and problems are examined, including consideration of the complexities of Christian theology in regard to contemporary sexuality debates. Contemporary Theological Approaches to Sexuality is essential reading for students and researchers in the field of religion, sexuality, and Christianity.

About the Author

Lisa Isherwood is Professor of Feminist Liberation Theologies and Director of the Institute for Theological Partnerships at the University of Winchester, UK.

Dirk von der Horst is Instructor of Religious Studies at Mount St. Mary's University, Los Angeles, USA.

Reviews

Riveting and provocative! The focus on bodily theology, its up-to-date cutting edge research on topics from early Christian monasticism to contemporary pop music, the orientation toward redress of injustices, and the refutation of simplistic media-fostered ideas that all religious views of sexuality are conservative - make this volume a must-read for those who want to keep up with the ongoing theological discourse about sexuality.

- Barbara Darling-Smith, Wheaton College, Massachusetts, USA

"The book's strengths include its careful considerations of gender and sexuality in their historical milieus, some critical engagements with contemporary science, fair considerations of the HIV/AIDS crisis and the crisis of Catholic clerical sexual abuse of minors, and fresh looks at "erotic theology". It will be interesting to see what queer theologians do with Adrian Thatcher's turn to sex similarity as opposed to sex difference; in my evaluation, queer theologians would benefit from following Thatcher's lead on that point. (...) Contemporary Theological Approaches to Sexuality is worth reading to gain a single-volume appraisal of the state of queer theologies at present. The authors present some important points of contention that will likely be sites of future discourse, especially within queer theology."

- Katherine Apostolacus, Claremont Graduate University, USA

Book Information
ISBN 9780367594718
Author Lisa Isherwood
Format Paperback
Page Count 348
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g