Transgressive Devotion - by Natalie Wigg-Stevenson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Academic theology is in need of a new genre. In "Transgressive Devotion" Natalie Wigg-Stevenson articulates a theological vision of that genre as performance art. She argues that theology done as performance art stops trying to describe who God is, and starts trying to make God appear. Recognising that the act of studying theology or practicing ministry is always a performance, where the boundaries between what we see, feel, experience and learn are not just blurred but potentially invisible, Wigg-Stevenson brings together ethnographic theological fieldwork, historical and contemporary Christian theological traditions, and performance artworks themselves. A daring vision of theology which will energise anybody feeling 'boxed in' by the discipline, Transgressive Devotion blurs borders between orthodoxy, heterodoxy and heresy to reveal how the very act of doing theology makes God and humanity vulnerable to each other. This is theology which is a liturgy of Divine incantation. In other words: this is theology which is also prayer.

Review Quotes

"This is a mesmerising and suggestive book that reworks what it means to be a theologian" -- Pete Ward, Durham University, UK

"Transgressive Devotion will take your breath away, at first, but it will return it to you in new form and with new energy, if you follow where it leads. With Wigg-Stevenson as your guide and muse, you're invited on a pilgrimage through (in)famous performance art pieces and real-life theological discussions. By keeping company with others feared and familiar, ancient and contemporary, Wigg-Stevenson seeks to open herself and her readers to new ways of being faithful. Beautifully written, profound, and moving." -- Ellen T. Armour, Vanderbilt Divinity School, USA

"Gorgeous, moving, and marvellously queering, Wigg-Stevenson's work feels like falling through a seriesof trap doors located at the foundations of our faith" -- Emily Scott, Pastor, Dreams and Visions, Baltimore