Stealing My Religion

At a time when discussions about cultural appropriation too often feel overheated and imprecise, Liz Bucar points to a way forward by asking us to consider the stolen stuff of faith-religious ideas, practices, and objects repurposed by those outside the fold. But who owns religion? Who is outside and inside the fold? Bucar's sharp insights, shot through with humor and self-awareness, are exactly what we need the next time we reach over to borrow from someone else's religion for our own therapeutic, political, or educational needs. -- Gene Demby, cohost and correspondent for NPR's <i>Code Switch</i> With interpretive subtlety and ethical vision, Liz Bucar explores the moral risk of intercultural theft. Stealing My Religion is a powerful intervention by a leading scholar of religion into the illiberal results of everyday religious exploitation. Highly recommended. -- Kathryn Lofton, author of <i>Consuming Religion</i> Using hijab to sell soda, the Buddha to market vegan food, or crucifixes to make pop music pop can feel edgy or celebratory for those embracing the visuals without the credos behind them. But, as Liz Bucar reveals in this thoughtful work, the faithful may not appreciate seeing their heart on your sleeve. A welcome and necessary reminder that all of us, ultimately, are unreliable narrators when we weave ourselves into others' stories. -- Jeff Yang, coauthor of <i>Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now</i> and cohost of <i>They Call Us Bruce</i> A sharp and courageous book that claims religion can also be culturally appropriated. With provocative and timely examples, Liz Bucar challenges our understandings about race, culture, and religion when we think about appropriation. -- Tahseen Shams, author of <i>Here, There, and Elsewhere: The Making of Immigrant Identities in a Globalized World</i> When do religious borrowings cause harm? When do they function as meaningful exchanges? In this brilliant study, Liz Bucar skillfully wrestles with these difficult questions and brings race, religion, and commodification into conversation. -- Shenila Khoja-Moolji, author of <i>Sovereign Attachments: Masculinity, Muslimness, and Affective Politics in Pakistan</i>