Stories of Change

Religious Leaders and LGBTIQ Inclusion in East Africa

  • Open Access
Stories of Change cover

Stories of Change

Religious Leaders and LGBTIQ Inclusion in East Africa

  • Open Access
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Pre-order. Available Oct 03 2024
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Description

Through 20 annotated, semi-structured interviews with inspirational Kenyan and Ugandan Christian and Muslim leaders actively involved in struggles for LGBTQ rights, this open access book shows how religious leaders in East African countries can be agents of progressive social change.

Utilising a revolutionary new life-story methodology, a team of field-leading scholars and practitioners from Africa and the UK draws out crucial, critical insights into the personal, theological, and social sacrifices and challenges that these religious leaders face in everyday realities dominated by conservative religious interpretations and theologies. In so doing, they also identify common strategies religious leaders develop to respond to these challenges while keeping true to their mission.

For its engaging, accessible methodology as well as its powerful challenges to the ways in which many people speak about the relations between religion and LGBTQ rights in Africa, this book is a must-read.

The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com.

Table of Contents

Foreword: A testament and source of hope, by Ezra Chitando
Introduction: Religious leaders and LGBTIQ inclusion in East Africa

PART I: Stories of LGBTIQ religious leaders
Chapter 1. Pastor Caroline: 'God is like a mother who holds you when you cry'
Chapter 2. Reverend Jalendo: 'I have learned from my own woundedness'
Chapter 3. Pastor Trevor: 'If there is anything that has taught me about God, it is my same-sex attraction'
Chapter 4. Mama Annette: 'My existence as a trans pastor is a manifestation of God's love'
Chapter 5. Pastor Aggie: 'I am learning to accept and live with my scars'
Chapter 6. Pastor Ria: 'We need to remember that God does not make mistakes'
Chapter 7. Pastor Deron: 'The Lord has a reason why I am a transwoman'
Chapter 8. Bishop James: 'Some of us are martyrs by doing this work'

PART II: Stories of LGBTIQ-allied religious leaders
Chapter 9. Pastor Silvana: 'My role is to be a tree that bears fruits'
Chapter 10. Pastor Neema: 'My task is to respect divinity as reflected in each of us'
Chapter 11. Evangelist Vincent: 'My hope is that LGBTIQ people will know God'
Chapter 12. Pastor Stephen: 'I arrived at the point of repenting for my homophobia'
Chapter 13. Pastor Dorcas: 'I persevere with my calling to preach love in the community'
Chapter 14. Evangelist Josephine: 'As a mother in the community, I should have no boundaries'
Chapter 15. Pastor Laura: 'I feel like Queen Esther, who put her life at risk to save others'
Chapter 16. Bishop Roger: 'When you start being inclusive, you are branded'
Chapter 17. Reverend Kimindu: 'This can only be a calling, or I would have stopped long ago'
Chapter 18. Fr Marangi: 'I do not support LGBTIQ people as an activist, but as a Christian'
Chapter 19. Sheikh Dawoud: 'I do not promote homosexuality, I just protect people who are part of our community'
Chapter 20. Sheikh Abdallah: 'LGBTIQ people have gifts which we need for the umma to grow'
Chapter 21. Youth leader Abdul: 'We have to stand with them because of that brother- and sisterhood'
Chapter 22. Bishop Joseph: 'We will come to accept our LGBTQ+ children as a blessing'
Chapter 23. Professor Vashti: 'My grandmother taught me that faith and activism go hand in hand'
Chapter 24. Bishop Senyonjo: 'God is still creating, and he continues to reveal things'

Conclusion
Bibliography
Index

Product details

Published Oct 03 2024
Format Paperback
Edition 1st
Extent 248
ISBN 9781350416000
Imprint Zed Books
Dimensions 9 x 5 inches
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

David Kuria Mbote

David Kuria Mbote is an independent consultant and…

Author

Damaris Parsitau

Damaris Parsitau is a scholar of religion, current…

Author

Barbara Bompani

Barbara Bompani is a Reader in Africa and Internat…

Author

Adriaan van Klinken

Adriaan van Klinken is Professor of Religion and A…

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