Women Leaders, Queer Faithfuls

With an ethnographic focus on one village, Josep Almudéver Chanzà captures the re-centering of religion in European societies alongside a global rise in neo-conservative politics. This book documents the ways in which faith continues to be central to social, cultural and economic developments in European society. Drawing from participant observation, in-depth interviews, and archival research, Chanzà shows the return and re-invention of public expressions of faith as framed by the oral histories and everyday experiences of Spanish villagers. The book questions divisions such as religious and the secular, conservative and liberal, and laity-led and institutional religious innovation, while documenting the making of new faith-based European identities. Chapters explore the preservation of material practices alongside the Catholic Church iconoclast movement, and the ongoing democratization of faith, where religious rituals, sacraments and traditions are being reinterpreted by the laity. Central to Chanzà's work is gender and how religious rituals adapt to the new and increasing demands made by sexual and gender minorities, precisely those who the Catholic Church has historically marginalized. Interdisciplinary in its approach, Chanzà draws from feminist scholarship, critical theory and theology, contributing to debates on the geopolitics of religion in 21st century societies.