Gender and Christianity in Modern Europe: Beyond the Feminization Thesis

Since the 1970s the narrative of a feminization of Christianity became a powerful trope in the rewriting of the social history of Christendom, in Protestant as well as in Catholic contexts. However, the concepts raises some serious issues. In this book several case studies adopt different gendered approaches with regard to Christian, mainly Catholic discourses and practices in Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. They shift the focus to men and masculinity, and critically reflect on the use of concepts like feminization and masculinization.

The least one can conclude is that there were, in different respects, 'multiple feminizations' as well as 'multiple masculinizations'. What is considered manly or feminine all depends on time, place and context, and on the reason why gendered metaphors are used.