Jezebel Unhinged: Loosing the Black Female Body in Religion and Culture

by Tamura Lomax

In Jezebel Unhinged Tamura Lomax traces the use of the jezebel trope in the black church and in black popular culture, showing how it is pivotal to reinforcing men's cultural and institutional power to discipline and define black girlhood and womanhood. Drawing on writing by medieval thinkers and travelers, Enlightenment theories of race, the commodification of women's bodies under slavery, and the work of Tyler Perry and Bishop T.D. Jakes, Lomax shows how black women are written into religious and cultural history as sites of sexual deviation. She identifies a contemporary black church culture where figures such as Jakes use the jezebel stereotype to suggest a divine approval of the “lady” while condemning girls and women seen as hos. The stereotype preserves gender hierarchy, black patriarchy, and heteronormativity in black communities, cultures, and institutions. In response, black women and girls resist, appropriate, and play with the stereotype's meanings. Healing the black church, Lomax contends, will require ceaseless refusal of the idea that sin resides in black women's bodies, thus disentangling black women and girls from the jezebel narrative's oppressive yoke.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Theology, Religion, Humanities

288 pages, Paperback

Published October 16, 2018

Reviews

[Shernell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to sit with this one for a bit. But I will tell you this, with this book and Eloquent Rage, I am finally free. Will come back a write a better review because this book deserves it. Highly recommended especially if you are a black church girl like me.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really liked this book despite two major critiques. Lomax is really good at probiding genealogies and summarizing massive amounts of material very effeciently. However, 1) Ge focus on the Black Church and specifically on Jakes and Perry seemed unnecessary. It seemed more like a cultural critique than an institutional one, anyway. 2) Lomax can't be bothered to spare a thought for aces and I feel like that could have potentially changed this project in significant ways.

[MiMi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I read it for my humanities course on women in American arts and culture. It gave a great insight into black religion and culture. It was a little dense to read sometimes, as Lomax writes with very high level vocabulary. It is clear she has a PHD. Regardless I think this was a great read.

Until the next feminist book I read, quit calling women hoes.

[Lisa]

Just couldn't get into so much non-fiction at once

[some guy · Rating 4 out of 5]

read for Hum 375. impressive

[Cubierocks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible, insightful, and wonderfully fresh. 100% recommend for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of Black feminism.

[Alyssa Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

read for class, had the typical dense academic language but also was engaging- 4 stars just for that.

inspired by Lomax’s personal journey inspiring her research, great great framework and language for race & religion research that I hope to do in the future HEHE #manifesting…….