Professor Lisa Isherwood BA, MPhil, PhD, FRSA; FLSW

A liberation theologian who believes theology to be a communal project fuelled by notions of radical equality and empowered by divine companionship.

Her work explores the nature of incarnation within a contemporary context and includes such areas as the body, gender, sexuality and eco-theology.

She is extensively published, has lectured across Europe, India, USA, Australia and Canada. She has a wide range of experience with the media from being interviewed to collaborating with producers and directors to create research-based programmes.  In 2009 she was Vice President of the European Society of Women in Theological Research.

She has wide experience in programme leadership, postgraduate supervision and departmental administration. She has research partnerships with colleagues in the USA and Latin America.

Between 2017 and 2019 she built a research website entitled ‘Theological Wanderings in the Cosmos’ which brought together scientific, mythological and theological disciplines to create a conversation between the new cosmologies and ecofeminist theologies.

Qualifications:

• BA Liberal Arts, majoring in Psychology. Lamar University, Texas, USA
• B.A. (Hons) in Religion and Ethics in Western Thought. St David’s University College, Lampeter
• P.G.C.E. University of London
• Diploma in the Psychology and Education of Children with Special Needs, University of London
• M.Phil. Theology, St David’s University College, Lampeter
• PhD Theology, St. David’s University College, Lampeter.

My areas of expertise are liberation theologies, feminist theologies, eco-theologies, Psychology of Religion, Mysticism, Queer theory and theology. I have taught all these areas.

I have supervised 20 PhD students and been an external examiner for 24 PhDs in Canada, USA, Ireland, Philippines, Australia, UK.

My research interests lie in gender politics, sexuality, eco-theologies and process thought.

My expertise in these areas has led to publishers offering me a number of book series:

• Introductions in Feminist Theology, Continuum & Pilgrim Press Co-editors Mary Grey, Janet Wootton
• Queer Theology, T&T Clark; Co-editor Marcella Althaus-Reid
• Religion & Violence, Routledge
• Gender, Theology & Spirituality, Routledge
• Controversies in Contextual Theologies, SCM
• Co-editor Marcella Althaus-Reid.

Membership of  Editorial Boards

I set up and am an Executive editor of the International Journal of Feminist Theology.

Sheffield Academic Press/ Continuum/Sage.

Member of the International Editorial Board of the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, Indiana University Press.

Manuscript Reviewer

I review for SCM, Equinox, Columbia University Press, Fordham University Press, Routledge, and Orbis.

I have acted as an assessor for Professorial positions in the USA (Alabama: Berkeley) and in the UK (Exeter, St Mary’s Twickenham)

Books

• Introducing Feminist Theology, Co-author Dorothea McEwan [Warburg Institute], Sheffield Academic Press; 1993; 2nd Edition, 2001
• An A-Z of Feminist Theology, Co-editor Dorothea McEwan [Warburg Institute], Sheffield Academic Press: 1996. Bloomsbury Academic Collections, 2015
• Introducing Body Theology, Co-author Elizabeth Stuart [University of Glamorgan], Sheffield Academic Press: 1998 & Pilgrim Press, Ohio, 2000
• Liberating Christ: Exploring the Christologies of Contemporary Liberation Movements, Pilgrim Press, 1999
• The Good News of the Body: Sexual Theology and Feminism[ed], Sheffield Academic Press, 2000 & New York University Press, 2000
• Introducing Feminist Christologies, Sheffield Academic Press, 2001
• The Sexual Theologian: Essays on Sex, God & Politics, Co-editor Marcella Althaus-Reid [University of Edinburgh], T&T Clark, 2005
• The Power of Erotic Celibacy: Queering Heterosexuality, T&T Clark, 2006
• Patriarchs, Prophets and Other Villains [ed], Equinox, 2007
• Controversies in Feminist Theologies, Co-Author Marcella Althaus-Reid [University of Edinburgh], SCM, Press 2007
• The Fat Jesus. Feminist Explorations in Bodies and Boundaries, DLT, 2007
• The Fat Jesus: Christianity and Body Image, New York, Seabury Press, 2008
• Post-Christian Feminisms, Co-editor Kath McPhillips, [University of Western Australia] Ashgate, 2008
• Weep Not For Your Children, Co-editor Rosemary Radford Ruether [ Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley], Equinox, 2008
• Controversies in Body Theology, Co-Editor Marcella Althaus-Reid [University of Edinburgh] SCM Press, 2008
• Trans/Formations, Co-Editor Marcella Althaus-Reid[University of Edinburgh], SCM Press, 2009
• Through Us, With Us, In Us: The Challenge of Relational Theology in the 21st Century, SCM,2010
• Dancing Feet in Fetish Boots: Essays in Honour of Marcella Althaus-Reid, Co-Editor Mark Jordan [Harvard], SCM Press, 2010
• Wrestling with God: The Yearbook of ESWTR, Co-Editors Jenny Daggers, Elaine Bellchambers, Christina Gasser, Peeters, 2010
• The Poverty of Radical Orthodoxy, Co-Editor Marko Zlomislic [University of Contego, Canada], Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2012
• Radical Otherness, Co-Author Dave Harris [Marjon], Equinox, 2013
• The Challenge of Preaching the Gospel, Co-editor Janet Wootton [Congregational Federation], ITP Publications, 2013
• Palestinian Theology Moves On, Co-editor Nur Masalha[St Mary’s University, Twickenham], ITP Publications, 2013
• Theologies of Liberation in Palestine: Contextual, Indigenous and Co-editor Elaine Bellchambers [University of Winchester], SCM Press, 2010 Postcolonial Perspectives, Co-editor Nur Masalha [St Mary’s University, Twickenham], Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2014
• Contemporary Theological Approaches to Sexuality, Co-editor Dirk von Horst, [GTU, Berkeley], Routledge, 2017
• The Indecent Theology of Marcella Althaus Reid, Latin American and Asian Perspectives, ed Lisa Isherwood & Hugo Cordova Quero, Routledge, 2020
• The Cultural History of Women in Christianity, General Editor, Routledge with Rosemary Radford Ruether [Claremont] & Megan Clay [UWTSD], 2012-2021. The series will include six volumes all containing ten articles of 10,000 words.
• The Cultural History of Women in Christianity Vol 6; 1920 to the present. Eds Lisa Isherwood & Megan Clay. London, Routledge, 2021.
• A Burning Fire in My Bones. Queer Ministers’ Voices from the Global South eds Lisa Isherwood & Hugo Cordova Quero, London, Routledge, 2023.
• A Primer in Global Queer Theologies, eds Lisa Isherwood & Hugo Cordova Quero, Council of World Mission Press, 2024/25

Chapters

• The Eagle & the Feminist Theologian: Journeying with John in Caught Again Reading: Scholars and their Books, ed R.S Sugirtharajah, London, SCM Press, 2009
• Feminist Christologies in The Blackwell Companion to Jesus ed Delbert Burket„ Blackwell , 2010
• Feminist Theology in a European Context in The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Theology, eds Sheila Briggs & Mary McClintock Fulkerton, OUP, 2010
• If Bodies Matter is the Trinity Embodied Enough? A Case for Fleshy Christology in Transforming Exclusion, ed Hannah Bacon, T&T Clark, 2011
• Feminist Critique of Religion & Sexuality in The Ashgate Research Companion to Sexuality and Religion, Ashgate, 2012
• Women, Suffering and the Body of Christ in And God Will Wipe Away All Tears From Their Eyes: A Theological Approach to the Suffering and Hope of Women, Institut Drustvenih Znanosti Ivo Pilar, Croatia, 2013
• Queer Theologies and Sacred Bodies In Fundamentalisms and Gender, ed Ulrike Auga, Wipf & Stock, 2013
• Lesbian Theologies In The Oxford Handbook of Theology, Sexuality and Gender, ed Adrian Thatcher, Oxford University Press, 2014
• Christianity and Homosexuality in Handbook of Sexuality, ed Nancy Naples, Wiley/Blackwell, 2014
• Gifts Under Gunfire: A Feminist Use of Scripture in Theologians on Scripture, ed Angus Paddison, T&T Clark, 2016
• Here I Stand on Volcanoes and Ruptures: Feminist Theology in Dialogue in Philosophies of Religion Australia, Palgrave, 2016
• ‘Cuerpo, trauma y vida nuevamente acogida’, in Genealogias deltrauma. Cuerpos abusados, memorias reconciliadas, ed Mireia Vidal i Quintero, Estell, Verbo Divino, 2022.
• ‘Worshiping the Queer Jesus’ in Queer Worship, Reconstructing Liturgical Theology eds Sharon Fennema, W.Scott Hademan, Stephen Burns , Bryan Cones, EVanston, Seabury Press, 2023.
• Feminist & Queer Theologies-Friends or Foes in London, SCM Companion to Feminist Theologies, 2003, ed Kerrie Handasyde, Stephen Burns & Katharine Massam
• ‘El Cielo es un lugar mujeres gordos riendo’ in Current Challenges to feminist Theological Ethics. Do Justice for Women, eds Gabriela di Renzo, Paula Carman & Eloisa Ortiz de Elguea, EDUCC Cordoba,

Articles

• The first is ‘And so we Rise- Easter Saturday sermon’ This is for Bonne Nouv-elle la parole inclusive du dimanche
• The Fat Jesus: Explorations in Fleshy Christologies, Journal of Feminist Theology, September 2010
• Schlank werden für Jesus?, Junge Kirche 3/2010
• Feminist Theologies: Trends & Directions in Contemporary Theology, The Expository Times, 2011
• Consumer Culture, Christ and Skinny Girl, The Other, Wipf & Stock, 2011
• Visteme como Madre, llamame Padre: la necesaria invisibilidad de la Mujer dentro de la Iglesia, Iglesia Viva, Spain, 2012
• When the Flesh is Word Debt is not a Thing for Heaven, Journal of Feminist Theology, May 2015
• Christianity: Queer Pasts, Queer Futures, Revista Horizonte, Journal of the Pontifical Catholic University, Brazil, 2015
• Holy Butch, Syndicate: A New Forum for Theology, 2015 Vol 2, issue 3
• Incarnation and the Rupture of Everything in All Time? The Bible and Critical Religion, New Zealand, 2017
• Pandora’s Jar is open. Feminist Theology and Many Futures’ in Carthaginensia Vol 37. No 72 pp339-364, 2021
• ‘Queerificando a Cristo. Manifestando la gloriosa pasion y promiscuidad amorosa de la encarnacion’. in Buenos Aires, Conexion Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribena de Teologias Queer, Vol 4: 2021, pp. 95-115.
• “La encarnación en el mundo virtual: at-one-ment vs utopía” en Iglesia Viva, 290, 2/2022, April-June, Cibersociedad: efectos de la digitalización sobre el cuerpo y los vínculos sociales; Valencia (Spain): Ed. Asociación Iglesia Viva, 2022.pp. 35-59 Additional Information
• Keynote speaker
• How Queer Should Christian Theology Be? OneGlasgow, University of Glasgow, February 2010
• Are There Bodies in Theology? Worthing Theological Society, February 2010
• Christianity and the Bodies of Women, EFETA, Spain, July 2010
• Gender as a Category of Knowledge, Fundamentalism and Gender, Humboldt University, Berlin, December 2010 [unable to attend due to illness but paper sent and read]
• Feminist Theology & the Challenge of Plural Bodies and Plural Languages, European Society of Women in Theological Research, Salamancha, August 2011
• Gender & Theology: Mutual Challenges, University of Oslo, December 2011
• How Queer Should Christianity Be? University of Chester, February 2012
• Theology in the Cosmos, University of Oslo, March 2012
• Theology at the Edge of Gender, Humboldt University, Berlin, June 2012
• At the Crossroads Wisdom Takes its Stand, International Queer Theology Symposium, Asociacion Departmento Ecumenico De Investigaciones, San Jose, Costa Rica, August 2012 [could not attend due to ill health paper sent and presented]
• Women and Theological Suffering, ESWTR Croatian Section, Split, September 2012
• Sexual Orthopraxis and the Glorious Outpouring of Incarnation, St Wilfred Lecture, Ripon Cathedral, October 2012
• The Fat Jesus: Queer and Fleshy Christologies, German ESWTR Section, November 2012
• Women, Religion & Politics, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, December 2012
• Christ in Feminist Theologies, Newbold College, March 2013
• The Gift of Black Theology: The Journey of Diasporic Theology in the UK, ITCC, London, March 2013
• New Cosmology- New Theologies? University of the West of England, March 2013
• The Challenges of Tran/theology, University of St Andrews, April 2013
• How Can a Feminist Remain a Christian? The Annual John Boswell Lecture, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, April 2013
• Wandering in the Cosmos: Ecofeminism Moves On, Ecumenical Association of Asian Theologians, Bangalore, India, November 2013
• Incarnation in the City, Sion Lecture Diocese of Southwark, Lambeth Palace, October 2013
• Queering the Fat Jesus, ESWTR, Dresden, August 2013
• Violence in Christian Marriage, Indian Theologians Conference, Goa, India, April 2014
• Queer Christianity? Inaugural Lecture of the Queer Theological College, Barcelona, May 2014
• Radical Incarnation and Animal Rights, Centre for Animal Ethics, Oxford, July 2014
• Christian Theology and Capitalism, BISFT Conference, July 2014
• Christianity: Queer Pasts, Queer Futures? Pat Reif Memorial Lecture, Claremont Graduate University, California, October 2014
• Christian Queerness and Economic Futures, Mount St Mary’s University, Los Angeles, October 2014
• When the Word is Flesh Debt Economy is not Enough, Leuven University, Belgium, November 2014
• Borders of Sex, American Academy of Religion, San Diego, November 2014
• Queering Christian Heritage, Leuven University, Belgium, May 2015
• Theological Challenges of the New Cosmology, Leuven University, Belgium, 2015
• Challenges of the New Cosmology, Reading Greenspirit, Winchester, August 2015
• The Theological Challenges of Climate Change, St James, Piccadilly, September 2015
• Theological Wandering in the Cosmic Home, World Parliament of Religion, Salt Lake City, October 2015
• Stand Up and Be Counted, Rockefeller Chapel, University of Chicago, October 2015
• Homosexuality & Christian Doctrine, Ecumenical Women of Asia Conference, Philippines, January 2016
• Theological Reflections on ‘Sisters in the Troubles’- Nuns in Northern Ireland, Religion[s] & Power[s] Conference, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania, October 2017.
• The Tager International Conference on Feminism in the Abrahamic Religions: Dilemma of Gender and Law from a Multicultural Perspective. 2021, ‘Christian Monotheism - Some Ethical Concerns.’
• Gender and Liturgy Conference 2021 - Feminist Reflection on Gender and Liturgy.
• Queering Christ’ at University of Geneva in the conference
• In the Name of the Mother. Feminist Theological Perspectives on the sexual conditions in the Christian Church.
• 17-18th September 2021
• Body, Trauma and the Re-Embracing of Life at Asociacion de Teologas Espanolas, University of Madrid, November, 2021.
• Conference Organization
• As Director of Britain and Ireland School of Feminist Theology, I have organised international bi-annual feminist conferences since 1992.
• As Director of the Institute of Theological Partnerships at University of Winchester I organised 3-5 conferences a year.

Media

• BBC Radio4 - The Moral Maze, Rape and Responsibility, February 2010
• BBC Radio 4 - Beyond Belief, Monogamy, February 2010
• Radio Five Live - Pornography, March 2011
• BBC Radio 4 Sunday Programme – Place of Women in Religion, March 2011
• Australian Broadcasting Corporation – Encounter ‘Beyond Boundaries’, February, 2013
• BBC Wales - All Things Considered, ‘Religion, Faith and the Body’, July, 2013
• Australian Broadcasting Corporation – Encounter ‘Foolishness of the Greeks’, October, 2013.
• Australian Broadcasting Corporation – Encounter ‘Trouble in the Flesh’, March 2014
• BBC Beyond Belief, Virgin Birth, December 2016
• Forging Voices: Exploring gender, race & theology through conversations with pioneering feminist & womanist scholars in religion. [One of the 11 women included.] Director Kate Common- U Tube 2018/2020
• BBC World Service. Documentary from research in Northern Ireland ‘Sisters of the Troubles’, March 2019. Shortlisted for BBC Religious Broadcasting Award & the Sandford St Martin Award.
• Queer Theologies in Les Maculees Conceptions, Paris