Religion in French feminist thought : critical perspectives

Religion in French Feminist Thought unites in one volume some of the foremost modern theological responses to classic French feminist writings on religion.

Distinguished by its consideration of such influential thinkers as Helene Cixous, Julia Kristeva, Luce Irigaray and Catherine Clement, and by its focus on questions concerning divinity, sanctity and ethics, it permits quick and easy access to a subject of growing popularity and philosophical interest.

Brand new perspectives from commentators including Amy Hollywood, Ellen Armour and Grace Jantzen, as well as a specially-commissioned retrospective essay from Luce Irigaray, address such topics as: The language of God and the sacred in Jewish and Christian theologies; The place of desire within the major western religion traditions; Conceptions of the divine in ancient goddess tradition; Traditional religious symbology and ritual practice. Offering interpretative overviews of how key religious concepts have contributed to modern continental philosophy, and providing critical engagements with classic texts, Religion in French Feminist Thought narrows down the vast secondary material on French feminism and religion in an affordable and readerfriendly way.

Ideal both for independent use and as a companion book to French Feminism on Religion: A Reader (Routledge, 2001), it underscores the ways in which French feminist thought has already become a valuable tool in feminist efforts to rethink religion, and responds to the promise of French feminism as an important resource for religious studies in years to come.