DeFranza, Megan K. SEX DIFFERENCE IN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY: MALE, FEMALE, AND INTERSEX IN THE IMAGE OF GOD. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2015 (311 pages, $17.97).

Carefully researched and theologically grounded, this pioneering work deconstructs traditional teaching based on the binary sex model. DeFranza shows how intersex persons and intersex research can reveal a richer image of God, new understandings of Jesus and the Trinity. An important read for those who want solid alternatives to the status quo.

Dorff, Elliot N., and Danya Ruttenberg, editors. JEWISH CHOICES, JEWISH VOICES: SEX AND INTIMACY. Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 2010 (156 pages, $16).

This enduring look at the ethics of intimate relationships, comprised of traditional to modern Jewish voices and opinions, raises many questions and provides some useful answers. A great conversation starter for those seeking guidance in navigating the complex relationship of faith, sex, and intimacy. Although geared toward a Jewish audience, it is helpful for all those who seek intimate justice.

Douglas, Kelly Brown. STAND YOUR GROUND: BLACK BODIES AND THE JUSTICE OF GOD. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2015 (240 pages, $18.71).

Important analysis of Anglo-Saxon supremacy, contemporary racism, and the hope that comes from faith in a God of justice. In this painful but necessary volume, Kelly Brown Douglas gets to the heart of why violence against Black people is epidemic in the U.S., and what needs to be done to stop it. Let her words echo for all to hear. Great for classes, study groups, and congregations that want to stop the hemorrhaging and create a just world for everybody’s children.

Visit our WATERtalks: Feminist Conversations in Religion Series page to see video, hear audio, and read notes from our November 2015 dynamic discussion with Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas about this book.

Francis, Leah Gunning. FERGUSON & FAITH: SPARKING LEADERSHIP & AWAKENING COMMUNITY. Danvers, MA: Chalice Press, 2015 (177 pages, $16.60).

Stories illuminate the stony road to gun violence and Black oppression with concrete suggestions for religious professionals who have a unique role to play in eradicating these problems. This seminary professor’s insights into how to stop violence and move toward solidarity will ignite conversations, seed efforts, and hopefully lead to social safety for all.

Ganim, Carole. BEING OUT OF ORDER: THE PROPHETIC GENERATION OF NUNS AND SISTERS. St. Petersburg, FL: Vandamere Press, 2013 (224 pages, $15).

Women who left their religious congregations can be as prophetic as those who remained sisters. This memoir provides insights into the experience and the authenticity of the struggles to live beyond patriarchal trappings.

Gerhardt, Elizabeth. THE CROSS AND GENDERCIDE: A THEOLOGICAL RESPONSE TO GLOBAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014 (181 pages, $17.67).

Invoking Luther’s theology of the cross and Bonhoeffer’s model of confession and resistance, Gerhardt argues that gendercide is not a “women’s issue”, but a church issue.  Written from an evangelical perspective, this introductory work invites clergy, seminarians, and others to explore the many theological groundings, especially feminist work, for a holistic Christian response to violence against women.

Nyangweso, Mary. FEMALE GENITAL CUTTING IN INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES: MUTILATION OR CULTURAL TRADITION? Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2014 (251 pages, $32.63).

Culturally sensitive and powerfully revealing, this book gives voice to the women and girls who are often muted by their own communities. Nyangweso conveys the urgency with which all industrialized countries must continue discussing and addressing the ever-present reality of female genital cutting. It is only through a deeper understanding of why the practice happens that coalitions can form to address the issue in culturally respectful ways led by the women most affected.

Ørbeck-Nilssen, Constance. I’M RIGHT HERE. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2015 (27 pages, $16).

A sweet tale of intergenerational sharing of loves and fears. A great way to teach children about the inevitability of death and the helpfulness of hope in muddling along together. A precious read.

Ramberg, Lucinda. GIVEN TO THE GODDESS: SOUTH INDIAN DEVADASIS AND THE SEXUALITY OF RELIGION. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2014 (282 pages, $24.95).

For south Indian devadasis, female and male, marriage means illicit sexuality, economic independence, and personal agency in addition to marrying a goddess. Using stories from the devadasis themselves and her own ethnographic research, the author sweeps the reader into the complex world of those dedicated to the goddess Yellamma and gives them an insider’s view.

Sanders, Cody and Angela Yarber. MICROAGGRESSIONS IN MINISTRY: CONFRONTING THE HIDDEN VIOLENCE OF EVERYDAY CHURCH. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2015 (161 pages, $16.61).

Microaggressions do more than add up to serious problems. They are serious problems made worse when sanctioned religiously or ignored in spiritual communities. These authors bring the specifics to consciousness and provide helpful strategies for eradicating them in religious contexts and beyond.

Schüssler Fiorenza, Elisabeth. FEMINIST BIBLICAL STUDIES IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: SCHOLARSHIP AND MOVEMENT. Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature, 2014 (451 pages, $52.01).

This is a useful world map of the field of feminist biblical studies. Clear explanations of how it has evolved help to ground insightful strategies for next steps to keep the momentum going and the production useful. Excellent bibliography for scholarly work.

Talvacchia, Kathleen T., Michael F. Pettinger, and Mark Larrimore, editors. QUEER CHRISTIANITIES: LIVED RELIGION IN TRANSGRESSIVE FORMS. New York, NY: New York University Press, 2015 (223 pages, $26).

Queer theory, queer theology, and religious studies converge in this readable volume aimed at a general audience with essays by Victor Anderson, Teresa Delgado, Yvette Flunder, Heather White, Mary E. Hunt among others. They offer challenges to static understandings of celibacy, marriage, and promiscuity and point to new options. Send a copy to your favorite church hierarch.

Threlkeld, Megan. PAN AMERICAN WOMEN: U.S. INTERNATIONALIST AND REVOLUTIONARY MEXICO. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014 (246 pages, $45).

The failures of early feminist groups in the United States to collaborate effectively with women’s groups elsewhere in the world, especially in Mexico, are important to learn. Read this book for a holistic history and understanding of feminist movements that are critical of the neo-imperial mistakes made by early U.S. feminists. Note the possibilities for transnational cooperation that can come from learning these lessons.