Sex, Gender and the Sacred presents a multi-faith, multi-disciplinary collection of essays that explore the interlocking narratives of religion and gender encompassing 4, 000 years of history. Readings reflect the societal intersection of sexuality and religion from ancient Mesopotamia to Renaissance Milan, from Song China to post-revolutionary Mexico, from medieval Ireland to modern Spain and Cuba, and from early modern England to contemporary India. In sections dealing with the transnational dimensions of religious belief, the importance of embodiment and sexuality to spiritual subjectivity, and the politicisation of faith, the essays explore diverse periods, geographies, and communities. Contributions from experts in gender history, religion and related fields assess how religious ideas and representations have shaped both the personal , spiritual and social formations of men and women through various case studies, including Chinese and European art and iconography, same-sex desire, Indo-Islamic encounters with the British raj, cross-cultural transmissions of African and Cuban rituals, and more. Scholarly and thought-provoking, Sex, Gender and the Sacred offers important new insights into the myriad and complex issues--and inextricable links--between sexuality and religion throughout gender history.