Women in India: Negotiating Body Reclaiming Agency

Description: Theology can become quite futile if it does not emerge from the day-to-day lives of the people. Theology on its part has to be answerable to the church and society and fulfill its noble mission of contributing towards the transformation of the present order of the church and society. This book ultimately has this aim. By identifying the ideological underpinnings that emerge from the perceptions of women this book indicates possible future directions in the area of theology. The uniqueness of this book lies in its contextual focus and the day-to-day lived experiences of women with their bodies. It is the first of its kind in making a scientific study on the socio-cultural perceptions of women with regard to their bodies in the context of India. The special contribution of this book is in bringing to the fore the elements of agency which women exercise in their everyday lives in spite of their oppressive situations. The unconventional women of this book become possible role models for women who are voiceless helpless and victimized to grow in assertion and affirmation of their bodies and identities. This book will facilitate women to deconstruct the age-old oppressive perceptions and construct their identity as women in relation to their bodies and to take hold of their bodies amidst dehumanization. The book will also facilitate a critical look at the present understanding of body in Christian theology and provide future directions for the reformulation of the Theology of Body and Sexuality. About the Contributor(s): Metti Amirtham SCC (PhD University of Madras) is a professor and a field-based theologian actively involved in theologizing feminist concerns at various major theological colleges in India. She also works at the grass root level especially among the movements and NGOs that work for womens empowerment.