<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Account of Church Debates on Homosexuality
Review: Dawne Moon employs ethnographic analysis at two Methodist congregations, one in Chicago and one in the suburbs, to examine debates occuring over the participation and acceptance of homosexuals. She begins with a lucid theoretical introduction to postmodern theories of power and language that should be accessible to most readers. Moon draws on the ethnographic style of 1980s reflexive anthropology (Clifford and Marcus, for example), which I'm not keen on, and in this instance one does get the feeling at times that the book is too autobiographical. Nevertheless, Moon does a good job detailing personal accounts of several church members and she conveys a rich account of church debates. The strength of Moon's work is in her attention to religious meaning, as she copiously details individual's beliefs. She doesn't fully consider the structure of the Methodist denomination, however, and how the two congregations she studied work within this institutional structure, which would have been illuminating as well. Still, Moon's book is a great contribution for anyone interested in academic discussions of religion, sexuality, and politics.
<< 1 >>
| 
