This compiled and edited collection engages with a theme which is increasingly attracting scholarly attention, namely, religion and LGBTQ sexuality. Each section of the volume provides perspectives to understanding academic discourse and wide-ranging debates around LGBTQ sexualities and religion and spirituality. The collection also draws attention to aspects of religiosity that shape the lived experiences of LGBTQ people and shows how sexual orientation forges dimensions of faith and spirituality. Taken together the essays represent an exploration of contestations around sexual diversity in the major religions; the search of sexual minorities for spiritual ’safe spaces’ in both established and new forms of religiosity; and spiritual paths formed in reconciling and expressing faith and sexual orientation. This collection, which features contributions from a number of disciplines including sociology, anthropology, psychology, history, religious studies and theology, provides an indispensable teaching resource for educators and students in an era when LGBTQ topics are increasingly finding their way onto numerous undergraduate, post-graduate and profession orientated programmes.

Religion and sexuality are intertwined in Nigeria, with religious beliefs helping to define sexual attitudes, practices, and identifications in the country. I will use various sources of information such as scientific journals and other articles to analyze how religion affects sexual rights or health of individuals, spread of STIs among marginalized groups and communication which is used in sexual education. According to these findings, conservative religious norms largely shape societies’ understanding about sex by leading to stigmatization against LGBTQ plus persons as well as limiting their access to comprehensive sexuality education. In addition, the subject addresses complexities around modern human rights concerns on sexuality in Nigeria by comparing between traditional practices. The focus of this research is on the intricate relationship between religion and sexuality with regard to Nigeria where it specifically examines how religious beliefs affect sexual behavior as well as attitudes in Nigerian society. Drawing from a variety of sources such as scholarly journals and research papers,this study looks at the effect of religious teachings on reproductive rights, sexual transmitted diseases among marginalized groups and communication as one of the means through which people learn about sex. The main findings show that conservative religious norms have a significant influence upon societal perspectives concerning sex leading to its stigmatization for those who identify themselves as Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgenders and Queer people (LGBTQ) and inhibiting comprehensive sexuality education. These also bring out the complexity inherent in modern sexual right issues within Nigeria by juxtaposing traditional believes with current challenges. This paper examines how religion shapes sexual life amongst Nigerians by investigating into the nexus between religion and sexuality. This research uses different mixed research design that uses qualitative interviews with quantitative surveys and materials like academic journals and research articles for examining how religious teachings can affect reproductive rights, STIs rates among vulnerable populations, and communication strategies employed for teaching sex topics. Key results disclose that conservative religious values play an important role in shaping society’s attitudes towards sex thus leading to improper characterizations which lead into stigma for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgenders and Queer persons (LGBTQ) hence hindering their full access to sexual education. These also outline the complexities in present day Nigerian sexual right issues combining traditional practices with modern trends. The research’s aim is to provide a better understanding of how sexuality and religion interact in order to guide those who can influence policies or decisions that impact on sexual health. The study therefore provides differing viewpoints for educators, policy makers, and activists engaged in the development of inclusive and informed sexual health strategies in Nigeria.

This book examines key themes and concepts pertaining to religious and sexual identities and expressions, mapping theoretical, methodological, and empirical dimensions. It explores the ways in which debates around sexuality and religion have been framed, and what research is still needed to expand the field as it develops. Through the deployment of contemporary research, including data from the authors’ own projects, Religion and Sexualities offers an encompassing account of the sociology of sexuality and religion, considering theoretical and methodological lenses, queer experiences, and how sexuality is gendered in religious contexts. This comprehensive text will act as an essential accompaniment to scholars and students across the social sciences and humanities, whether they have a general interest in the field or are embarking on their own research in this area.

Intersecting Religion and Sexuality: Sociological Perspectives outlines what an intersectional analysis can offer research into religion and sexuality. It draws on various research projects which focus on different facets of this topic, such as queer sexualities, unmarried motherhood, and heterosexuality.

Taking the notion of embodiment as a starting point, this volume maps the interconnecting relationships between religion, gender and sexuality. The chapters highlight how the body – its location, the narratives that surround it, its movement and negotiations – is central to understanding these multifaceted relationships. The contributors recognise the ways in which gender and sexuality are crucial to how we embody religion and encourage a more complex and nuanced understanding of embodied religion. The material is organised according to three central themes: (1) the relationship between the religious and the secular; (2) power, regulation and resistance; and (3) the symbolism of gendered bodies. Cutting across a range of disciplinary perspectives, Embodying Religion, Gender and Sexuality will be relevant to students of sociology, anthropology, gender and sexuality studies, theology and religious studies.

Bringing together disciplines across the arts, humanities and social sciences, this Handbook presents novel and lively examinations of the dynamic ways religion, gender and sexuality operate. Applying feminist, intersectional, and reflexive approaches, the volume aims to loosen imperialist and exclusionary figurations that have underwritten and tethered religion, gender, and sexuality together. While holding onto the field of inquiry, the Handbook offers contributions that interrogate and untie it from the terms and conditions that have formed it. The volume is organized into thematic sections: - Forces and Futures - Activisms and Labors - Agencies and Practices - Relationships and Institutions - Texts and Objects Chapters range across religious, geographical, historical, political, and social contexts and feature an array of case-studies, experiences, and topics that exemplify the reflexive intention of the volume, including explorations of race, whiteness, colonialism, and the institutional intolerance of minority groups. Contributors also advance new areas of research in religion including artificial intelligence, farming, migrant mothering, child sexual abuse, mediatization, national security, legal frameworks, addiction and recovery, decolonial hermeneutics, creative arts, sport, sexual practices, and academic friendship. This is an essential contribution to the fields of religious studies and gender and sexuality studies.

Sociology of Sexualities by Kathleen J. Fitzgerald and Kandice L. Grossman is the first comprehensive text to approach the study of sexuality from a sociological perspective. Drawing on the most up-to-date social scientific research on sexuality, it discusses fundamental concepts in the field and helps students integrate knowledge about sexuality into their larger understanding of society. Topics covered include the emergence of sexual identities, inequalities and discrimination faced by sexual and gender minorities, heterosexual and cisgender privilege, activism and mobilization to challenge such discrimination, the commodification of sexuality, and the ways sexuality operates in and through various institutions. Throughout the text, the authors show how sexuality intersects with other statuses and identities.

The Ashgate Research Companion to Contemporary Religion and Sexuality provides academics and students with a comprehensive and authoritative state-of-the-art review of current research in the area of sexuality and religion, broadly defined. This collection of expert essays offers an inter-disciplinary study of the important aspects of sexuality and religion, calling upon sociological, cultural, historical and theological contributions to an under-researched subject. The Companion focuses on the exploration of diverse religious faiths, spiritualities, and sexualities with contributions that embrace many contrasting approaches related to the contemporary context. By adopting a truly inter-disciplinary and multi-dimensional perspective, the Companion embraces the complexities of both sexuality and religion. Aimed primarily at a readership with specialist interest in both, The Ashgate Research Companion to Contemporary Religion and Sexuality offers an innovative and refreshing analysis of key theoretical and empirical issues in an increasingly relevant and expanding area of academic interest. The Companion comprises five main thematic sections, each with chapters ranging across a variety of crucial topics traversing various faith traditions. The principal themes are: epistemological and methodological issues; the significance of religious text; institutional religious settings; stability transformation and change; contesting hegemonic structures and discourses. Each section includes four chapters contributed by leading international experts in their respective fields and who are at the cutting-edge of current research. Collectively, they offer an inter-disciplinary and comprehensive survey of sexuality and religion.

"Faith & Sexuality: Reconciling LGBT+ People and Christianity" is a valuable resource for those struggling to reconcile their spirituality with their sexuality. This book by Shane St Reynolds provides guidance and support to individuals seeking a more authentic and fulfilling spiritual practice. It explores the intersection of LGBT+ spirituality with other aspects of identity, such as race, gender, and class. Throughout the book, Shane shares stories of other LGBT+ Christians who have found ways to embrace both aspects of their identity, offering hope and inspiration to readers. The book also provides tools and resources for those seeking to create a more authentic and fulfilling spiritual practice, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to reconcile their faith with their sexuality. Shane emphasizes that embracing both spirituality and sexuality can lead to a deeper sense of self-awareness, connection, and purpose in life. The book addresses the challenges that come with reconciling Christianity and sexuality, offering guidance and support to those who may feel lost or alone in their spiritual journey. Furthermore, "Faith & Sexuality" is also an autobiographical account of Shane's journey to Jesus and discerning his calling to ordained ministry. It provides a unique and personal perspective on the challenges that LGBT+ individuals face when reconciling their faith and sexuality. Overall, "Faith & Sexuality" is a must-read resource for LGBT+ individuals seeking to reconcile their faith and sexuality and create a more authentic and fulfilling spiritual practice. Shane's book amplifies the voices of marginalized communities, offering valuable guidance and support to anyone looking to embrace both aspects of their identity.

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.