Queering Faith in Fantasy Literature: Fantastic Incarnations and the Deconstruction of Theology

This book explores how fantasy literature can re-envision Christian theology from a queer and feminist perspective, focusing on mid-to-late twentieth-century texts. It argues that fantasy can challenge cis-normative, heterosexual, and patriarchal theology by presenting God as the "other excluded and erased from theology." The book also engages with the theories of Hélène Cixous, Luce Irigaray, Marcella Althaus-Reid, and Linn Marie Tonstad to demonstrate that fantasy cannot save Christianity from itself but can confront theology with its silenced others in a way that bypasses institutional debates on inclusion and leadership.

Format: Hardback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 10 February 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Fantasy literature occupies a unique position in exploring the realms of orthodox and heterodox beliefs, the divine and demonic, simultaneously. By embracing the monstrous and the "other," and delving into desires and forms of embodiment that challenge dominant understandings of reality, fantasy texts hold immense potential for articulating queer and feminist religious perspectives. This book specifically focuses on the fantastic literature of the mid- to late twentieth century, examining how Christian theology is dismantled, re-imagined, and transformed from the margins of gender and sexuality.

Drawing upon the theories of deconstruction proposed by Derrida, Taylor Driggers explores how fantasy can re-figure God as the "other," who has been excluded and erased from theology. Through a meticulous analysis of works such as C.S. Lewis' "Till We Have Faces," Angela Carter's "The Passion of New Eve," Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Left Hand of Darkness," and the Earthsea novels, Driggers demonstrates how fantasy can challenge cis-normative, heterosexual, and patriarchal theology.

Furthermore, this book engages with the theories of Hélène Cixous, Luce Irigaray, Marcella Althaus-Reid, and Linn Marie Tonstad to further explore the possibilities of fantasy in confronting theology with its silenced others. While fantasy cannot save Christianity from itself or rehabilitate it for marginalized subjects, it offers a unique way of challenging theology by bypassing institutional debates on inclusion and leadership. Instead, it prompts us to imagine theology differently.

In conclusion, fantasy literature occupies a fascinating space in the realm of religious exploration, offering a unique perspective on Christian theology from a position of difference. By embracing the monstrous, the "other," and challenging dominant narratives, fantasy texts hold immense potential for articulating queer and feminist religious perspectives. This book provides a valuable contribution to the field by exploring how fantasy can dismantle, re-imagine, and transform Christian theology, ultimately prompting us to imagine theology in new and innovative ways.

Weight: 532g
Dimension: 166 x 242 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350231733