Religion, Protest, and Social Upheaval

Religion, Protest, and Social Upheaval is a collection of essays that explore the role of religious believers, communities, and institutions in social upheaval and protest movements in the United States. The book offers a pluralistic approach to understanding these events and movements, drawing from ten scholars in religious studies, theology, and ethics.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 15 July 2022
Publisher: Fordham University Press

From the iconic January 2017 Women's March to the tragic events in Charlottesville and the powerful protests for racial justice in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, social upheaval and protest have been a defining feature of recent years in the United States. These events have sparked intense scholarly interest, as they shed light on the complex interplay between religious beliefs, communities, and institutions in these movements. Arising from a conference held at the College of the Holy Cross in November 2017, Religion, Protest, and Social Upheaval brings together ten distinguished scholars from various fields, including religious studies, theology, ethics, and gender studies. This diverse collection of essays offers a comprehensive exploration of this turbulent era of history and the diverse landscape of social action for economic, racial, political, and sexual and gender justice.

The contributors to this volume delve into a range of topics, including the historical resistance to racial capitalist imperialism from figures such as W.E.B. Du Bois to the present day. They examine the theological roots of the capitalist economic order and the growing concern among Catholic theologians with climate change. They also explore the impact of affect theory on the rise of white nationalism, the theological aesthetics of solidarity with migrants, and the varying responses of different U.S. Christian churches to the "revolutionary aesthetics" of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Furthermore, the book delves into the experiences of Muslim migration and the postsecular character of Muslim labor organizing in the United States. It explores the shifts in moral reasoning and religiosity among U.S. women's movements from the 1960s to the present day, as well as the intersection of heresy discourse and struggles for LGBTQ+ equality among Korean and Korean-American Protestants.

By adopting a pluralistic approach, Religion, Protest, and Social Upheaval provides a snapshot of the diverse perspectives and experiences of religious believers, communities, and institutions in the context of social upheaval and protest. It offers valuable insights into the complex dynamics that shape these movements and their impact on society. This book is a must-read for scholars, activists, and anyone interested in understanding the role of religion in shaping social change and promoting justice in the United States.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780823299751