Cassell's Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol and Spirit: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Lore (Cassell Sexual Politics) [Hardcover]

Randy P. Conner (Author), David Hatfield Sparks (Author), Randy P. Connor (Author)

Book Description

Series: Cassell Sexual Politics | Publication Date: April 1997

An A-Z reference source on the theme of same-sex desire, gender variance and the sacred, this book examines the often-suppressed spiritual dimension of homosexuality. Its coverage includes archetypal figures such as deities, spirits and the characters of fairy tales; sacred texts including religious narratives; myths and legends; symbols and metaphors; persons and groups embodying the domain, such as Native American Indian berdaches; and works of art, including those of painting, sculpture, music, dance, drama and film. The text is arranged alphabetically, primarily by the name of the deity, person, ritual or symbolic concept or object. It is fully cross-referenced and contains two indices, one by attribute and the other by cultural or spiritual tradition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Conner (Blossom of Bone: Reclaiming the Connections Between Homoeroticism and the Sacred, HarperCollins, 1993), ethnomusicologist David Sparks, and their daughter, Mariya Sparks, have written an engaging encyclopedia that endeavors to bring to light the queer (i.e., gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered) elements in a variety of spiritual traditions and in the arts. The coverage ranges from Islam to Shamanism to Queer Spirit. A short essay is provided about each spiritual tradition. Over 1500 articles cover individuals (historical and legendary), groups, and symbols. Entries are listed alphabetically and range from a sentence ("Andro") to six and a half pages ("Gallos"). No See references are provided, but a thematic index and a selected bibliography of almost 600 sources appear at the back of the book. Unfortunately, however, bibliographies are not offered for individual articles, and citations within the articles are inconsistent, e.g., under the entry "Sots and Sotties," Ida Nelson's quote gets a proper citation while Mikhail Bakhtin's does not. Such drawbacks make this potentially controversial book less useful for scholarly research. However, it is an interesting and provocative work; no other book presents the queer elements found in such a broad range of spiritual traditions. Recommended for large collections in religion or gay and lesbian studies.?Debra Moore, Loyola Marymount Univ. Lib., Los Angeles, Cal.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Cassell (April 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0304337609
• ISBN-13: 978-0304337606
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,238,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure Trove of Queer Esoterica!, May 21, 2001

By 

William Courson (Montclair, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cassell's Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol and Spirit: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Lore (Cassell Sexual Politics) (Hardcover)

This book is much more than an exhaustive reference relating to the personalities, events, processes and movements within lgbt spirituality, it is a pure pleasure to read (or in my case, browse through). It tells a far different story than the exclusively heterosexual roster of saints, sages, demons, demigods and deities that we've all had to memorize - and this pantheon is far more fascinating. Just read the entries on the "World Homosexual Movement," the "Order of Chaerona," and the "Han Temple" and you'll realize quickly that we've barely begun to scratch the surface of our old queer race's involvement with the world of the spirit.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure Trove of Queer Esoterica!, July 22, 2007

By 

William Courson "William Courson" (Montclair, New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cassell's Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol and Spirit: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Lore (Cassell Sexual Politics Series) (Paperback)

A Treasure Trove of Queer Esoterica!

This book is much more than an exhaustive reference relating to the personalities, events, processes and movements within the realm of gay and lesbian spirituality, it is a pure pleasure to read. The product of meticulous research, this encyclopedia offers detailed yet concise, cross-referenced entries and an index of attributes and traditions as an encouragement to both quick reference and casual browsing. Beyond its obvious usefulness to scholars, this work aims to inspire, entertain and empower, and it is hugely successful in that effort.

It tells a far different story than the exclusively heterosexual roster of saints, sages, demons, demigods and deities that we've all had to live with - and this pantheon is far more fascinating.

The 1,500-odd alphabetic entries ranging from "Aakulujjuusi" to "Zeus" reveal our history, deeply encoded in sacred texts and all-but-forgotten traditions. Just read the entries on the "World Homosexual Movement," the "Order of Chaerona," and the "Han Temple" and you'll realize quickly that we've barely begun to scratch the surface of our old queer race's involvement with the world of the spirit.

A very praiseworthy work!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars potentially fascinating but ultimately unreliable, February 12, 2010

By 

Mark (Minneapolis) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cassell's Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol and Spirit: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Lore (Cassell Sexual Politics Series) (Paperback)

I was thrilled to get this book, with its big-picture approach and refreshingly pro-gay look at religion across cultures. But the more I use it, the less I get out of it. None of the articles have in-line citations which allow me to look into them further, and many of the assertions in the articles I've been unable to find anywhere else. There are lots of sentences which say things like, "It is conceivable that, due to Astarte's transgendered aspect, that she was also served by gender variant or Amazonian women." Conceivable, yes, but lots of things in science fiction are also conceivable- the authors don't provide any further reference to why one might believe that beyond the fact that it could be a hypothetical possibility. The authors also frequently give equal weight to original practitioners of centuries-old religions and to 20th-century, First World re-interpreters of those religions with specific personal or political agendas.

These problems leave me wondering if the authors just randomly put their opinions into articles as facts or made up original ideas and then inserted them into centuries-old mythologies. I don't know for a fact that they did this, but without any citations to back up what they say, and with lots of ideas presented that can't be backed up anywhere else, it seems a reasonable concern. For the queer person wanting personal spiritual inspiration I think this is probably a great book. In that case, the fact or fiction of the ideas presented is irrelevant compared to the emotional response to the ideas presented. This is one of few books which can make a queer person feel tied to a larger world-wide mythic or religious whole. But for the student of history, mythology, or religion I think sorting through the unsourced mystical assumptions all over the place to find the the few ideas and people that can be definitively grounded will be frustrating.