Overview
- Highlights the pressing need for the western Christian church to review its binary understandings of human sexuality
- Considers the mental health implications of ignoring bisexuality, within religious communities as within secular ones
- Explores the marginalization of bisexual congregants in light of the binary categorization of sexual identities
Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Lived Religion and Societal Challenges (PSLRSC)
Access this book
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
About this book
This book critically examines the lived experiences of bisexual Christians across a range of Christian traditions in the UK and the USA. Shepherd assesses whether current data on elevated rates of depressive illnesses among bisexual people also apply to the bisexual Christian community. Drawing on data collected by the author on bisexual Christians across the lifespan, the book uncovers shocking incidences of biphobia and bi erasure in the Church. Widespread ignorance among pastors of middle sexualities outside of the hetero-/homonormative binary is revealed as well as a corresponding absence of appropriate support resources.
Bisexuality and the Western Christian Church will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines, including gender studies, applied theology, sociology and social psychology. It is also important reading for clergy, and LGBT faith organisations.
With a Foreword by Eric Anderson, Professor of Sport, Masculinities, and Sexualities, University of Winchester, UK.
Similar content being viewed by others
Keywords
Table of contents (12 chapters)
Reviews
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Carol Shepherd is a researcher at the University of Winchester, UK. She is a bisexual Christian and former lay preacher.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Bisexuality and the Western Christian Church
Book Subtitle: The Damage of Silence
Authors: Carol A. Shepherd
Series Title: Palgrave Studies in Lived Religion and Societal Challenges
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94679-5
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2019
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-94678-8Published: 20 August 2018
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-06897-4Published: 22 December 2018
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-94679-5Published: 01 August 2018
Series ISSN: 2946-4390
Series E-ISSN: 2946-4404
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIII, 306
Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations
Topics: Gender and Sexuality, Religion and Gender, Religion and Psychology