Abstract
No one can read this book and fail to conclude that Christian theology has had difficulty affirming human bodily-ness, especially when the bodies in question do not look or behave in ways that have been deemed acceptable. Thatcher takes us on a journey from Scripture through centuries of Christian theology. He discusses shocking biblical stories of rape and abuse, biblical and historical attitudes to ‘unclean’ bodies, and ways in which sexual desires and sexual practice have been controlled. Towards the latter part of the book, he looks at racialized bodies and the part Christianity has played in racism, antisemitism and orientalism. The topics covered are wide-ranging, and the piling up of negative stories of vilification is disturbing and challenging.
I want to suggest that this book is principally about raising consciousness. In its passionate litany of abused and problematized bodies, Thatcher is calling us to both repent and begin to think differently about our heritage and our future. Yet, the breadth of topics covered can make it difficult for the reader to engage in particular issues. This means that reflecting on the theology that underlies different forms of bodily vilification can also be more difficult. Clearly, attitudes to what is considered appropriate sexual behaviour shape theologies that concern women’s bodies, queer bodies and certain behaviours of men’s bodies, and Thatcher touches on all of these, but the reader will sometimes need to join the dots for themselves. He also, at various points, explores the theologies that have been utilized in racist attitudes and justifications for slavery.
As with all good consciousness-raising books, I am left with more questions. How much do different ideas about despised or denigrated bodies shape these attitudes, and where do they intersect? Where is this about concerns about sexual incontinence, and where is it about economic and political ideas? What part do ancient pre-Christian ideas of biology shape the thinking? Where do we go for constructive Christian theologies of the body?
The very extensive bibliography can enable readers to read more systemically on many of the topics raised, not least in Thatcher’s own work. It would have been helpful if a thematic bibliography had been provided to guide readers wishing to explore in more depth the different kinds of bodily othering that Thatcher describes. The index is also helpful, as are the occasional notes.
This book does essential work in exposing the damage that has impacted the lives of those whose bodies do not conform to a supposed Christian ideal. It also points to the ways in which these theologies can still be utilized in current church debates, implicitly and explicitly. I hope that those who read it have their consciousness raised. I would then encourage them to explore some of the scholarship Thatcher himself suggests on these topics, not least that written by those whose lived experience informs their reflections on kinds of bodily vilification.