The first multi-cultural exploration of the sacred experience, roles, and rituals of gay and gender-bending men, from the ancient priests of the goddess to Oscar Wilde and pop music icon Sylvester--a rich tradition of men who have embodied the interrelationship between androgyny, homoeroticism, and the quest for the sacred. Illustrations and photos.

Blossom of Bone - Reclaiming the Connections Between Homoeroticism and the Sacred

Conner, Randy P.

Religion & Spirituality

Harpercollins

An A-Z reference source on the theme of same-sex desire, gender variance and the sacred, this book examines the often-suppressed spiritual dimension of homosexuality. Its coverage includes archetypal figures such as deities, spirits and the characters of fairy tales; sacred texts including religious narratives; myths and legends; symbols and metaphors; persons and groups embodying the domain, such as Native American Indian berdaches; and works of art, including those of painting, sculpture, music, dance, drama and film. The text is arranged alphabetically, primarily by the name of the deity, person, ritual or symbolic concept or object. It is fully cross-referenced and contains two indices, one by attribute and the other by cultural or spiritual tradition.

Cassell's Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol, and Spirit: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Lore

Anzaldúa, Gloria

Sparks, David

Sparks, Mariya

UNKNO

Drawing on religion, mythology, folklore, anthropology, history and the arts, this encyclopoedia is a collection of queer spirit. It contains articles on the world's spiritual traditions; entries on deities, symbols, spiritual teachers, spiritually focused artists; and related subjects.

Cassell's Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol and Spirit: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Lore (Cassell Sexual Politics Series)

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

The Pagan Heart of the West challenges current academic notions that paganism died when Christianization occurred; that the transition from paganism to Christianity was a fairly easy, nonviolent one; that persons once pagan were happy to accept the new religion because it fulfilled them or because they viewed it as superior – as if the Inquisition never happened; and that all things pagan are in fact Christian prior to the mid-twentieth century, even though they demonstrate little or no connection to the Christian New Testament. Likewise, Pagan Heart challenges narrow conceptions of “the West.” Applying Indigenous and decolonial theories, together with Michel Foucault’s conception of subjugated knowledges, Pagan Heartsuggests that instead, paganism should be explored as an ancient and indigenous set of common beliefs and practices, at once ubiquitous and local, that includes the reverence of deities; the veneration of nature; rites celebrating the seasons and the life cycle; practices of healing, divination, and magic, often guided by ritual specialists; and arts and philosophies giving expression to pagan figures, concepts, and narratives. In this first of five volumes, Pagan Heart focuses on the utilization of theories that contest absolutist language supporting the so-called death of paganism; and on the worship and veneration of ancient deities and kindred beings. Like the other volumes, this volume demonstrates that paganism has not only persisted over the course of millennia, but that it has also undergone metamorphosis and innovation. Most importantly, Pagan Heart emphasizes that the ancient gods did not die when Christian authorities forbade their worship and sought, in N. Scott Momaday’s terms, to commit deicide, but instead that they continue to exist and thrive.
pagan/paganism
indigenous
gods 
goddess
subjugated knowledges
earth-centered
Isis
Thor
ritual specialist
fairies

The Pagan Heart of the West: Embodying Ancient Beliefs and Practices from Antiquity to the Present. Vol I. Deities and Kindred Beings

History

World

Mandrake

In this second volume, Pagan Heart focuses on the veneration of nature -- flora, fauna, elements, celestial bodies -- and on rituals of the seasons, life cycle, healing, divination, and magic . Like the other volumes, this volume demonstrates that paganism has not only persisted over the course of millennia, but that it has also undergone metamorphosis and innovation. Most importantly, Pagan Heart emphasizes that the ancient gods did not die when Christian authorities forbade their worship and sought, in N. Scott Momadays terms, to commit deicide, but instead that they continue to exist and thrive. The Pagan Heart of the West challenges current academic notions that paganism died when Christianization occurred; that the transition from paganism to Christianity was a fairly easy, nonviolent one; that persons once pagan were happy to accept the new religion because it fulfilled them or because they viewed it as superior as if the Inquisition never happened; and that all things pagan are in fact Christian prior to the mid-twentieth century, even though they demonstrate little or no connection to the Christian New Testament. Likewise, Pagan Heart challenges narrow conceptions of the West. Applying Indigenous and decolonial theories, together with Michel Foucaults conception of subjugated knowledges, Pagan Heart suggests that instead, paganism should be explored as an ancient and indigenous set of common beliefs and practices, at once ubiquitous and local, that includes the reverence of deities; the veneration of nature; rites celebrating the seasons and the life cycle; practices of healing, divination, and magic, often guided by ritual specialists; and arts and philosophies giving expression to pagan figures, concepts, and narratives. In this second volume, Pagan Heart focuses on the veneration of nature -- flora, fauna, elements, celestial bodies -- and on rituals of the seasons, life cycle, healing, divination, and magic. Like the other volumes, this volume demonstrates that paganism has not only persisted over the course of millennia, but that it has also undergone metamorphosis and innovation. Most importantly, Pagan Heart emphasizes that the ancient gods did not die when Christian authorities forbade their worship and sought, in N. Scott Momadays terms, to commit deicide, but instead that they continue to exist and thrive.

Pagan Heart of the West Embodying Ancient Beliefs and Practices from Antiquity to the Present: II. Nature and Rites

The Pagan Heart of the West challenges current academic notions that paganism died when Christianization occurred; that the transition from paganism to Christianity was a fairly easy, nonviolent one; that persons once pagan were happy to accept the new religion because it fulfilled them or because they viewed it as superior – as if the Inquisition never happened; and that all things pagan are in fact Christian prior to the mid-twentieth century, even though they demonstrate little or no connection to the Christian New Testament. Likewise, Pagan Heart challenges narrow conceptions of “the West.” Applying Indigenous and decolonial theories, together with Michel Foucault’s conception of subjugated knowledges, Pagan Heart suggests that instead, paganism should be explored as an ancient and indigenous set of common beliefs and practices, at once ubiquitous and local, that includes the reverence of deities; the veneration of nature; rites celebrating the seasons and the life cycle; practices of healing, divination, and magic, often guided by ritual specialists; and arts and philosophies giving expression to pagan figures, concepts, and narratives. In these third and fourth volumes, Pagan Heart focuses on ritual specialists, including shamans and witches, and on the campaign of Christianization. Like the other volumes, this volume demonstrates that paganism has not only persisted over the course of millennia, but that it has also undergone metamorphosis and innovation. Most importantly, Pagan Heart emphasizes that the ancient gods did not die when Christian authorities forbade their worship and sought, in N. Scott Momaday’s terms, to commit deicide, but instead that they continue to exist and thrive.

The Pagan Heart of the West: Vol. III Rituals and Ritual Specialists, Vol IV Christianisation

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Conner, Randy P.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.