Contemporary Encounters in Gender and Religion

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.

“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)

• Part I. Studying Gender and Religion: A Reflexive Perspective.- 1. Can There Be Religion Without Gender?; Jill Dubisch.- Part II. Feminist Perspectives on Male Religious Worlds and Masculinization Studies Of Religion.- 2. Feminist Reflections On The Study Of The Feminization And Masculinization Of Religion; Marja-Liisa Keinänen.- 3. Working the Way To Santiago De Compostela. Masculinities And Spiritualities Of Capitalism; Lena Gemzöe.- Part III. Beyond The Religious Woman As ‘Other’: Gender, Sexuality And Religious Diversity.- 4. Gender and Citizenship. Governing Muslim Body Covering In Europe; Birgit Sauer.- 5. Navigating Equality: Religious Young Women’s Perceptions Of Gender And Sexuality Equality; Sarah-Jane Page.- 6. Sharing Experiences Of ‘Suspect Communities’ In Britain: Irish Catholic And Muslim Women’s ‘Voices In Harmony’; Lyn Thomas.- Part IV. Alternative Spirituality – Alternative Subjectivity?.- 7. Desire For Enchanted Bodies: The Case Of Women Engaging Angel Spirituality; Terhi Utriainen.- 8. From Angel In The Home To Sacred Prostitute: Unconditional Love And Gendered Hierarchies In Contemporary Spirituality; Anna Fedele And Kim Knibbe.- Part V. Body, Space and Movement: Shifting Perspectives.- 9. Gendered Spaces And Practice, Relationality And Authority At The Marian Shrine of Ta Pinu, Gozo, Malta; Avril Maddrell.- 10. Caring And Connecting: Reworking Religion, Gender And Families In Post-Migration Life; Catrien Notermans, Maya Turolla and Willy Jansen.- 11. ‘For Those With Hardened Hearts’: Female Mysticism, Masculine Piety And The Divine Mercy Devotion; Alana Harris.- Part VI. Feminist Theology As ‘Religious Other’? Locating, Teaching and Theorizing.- 12. The History Of Feminist Theology In The Academy: An Autoethnographic Research Journey; Heather Walton.- 13. Feminist Theology, Religious Studies And Gender Studies: Mutual Challenges; Elina Vuola.- 14. Afterword; Linda Woodhead.