Queer Omissions

Protestant Christian historiography has persistently erased unmarried, childless women from the story of faith in Australia. When women are mentioned, they are judged according to a heteronormative, maternalist framework built upon the ideology of separate spheres. This paradigm creates a lopsided picture, whereby women are celebrated for their social and moral influence, but are absent from rational, intellectual discourse. This book asks the question, why have unmarried women who devoted themselves to social justice activism motivated by their Christian faith been erased from the pages of Australian religious histories? It does this through biographies of two unmarried women, each engaged in very different work aimed at creating a more just and equitable Australia.

Queer Omissions uses biographical case studies of two unmarried, childless women, Frances Levvy (1831–1924) and Constance Duncan (1896–1970), to critique the writing of Protestant religious histories in Australia, asking why those outside a heteronormative framework have been relegated to the margins. Motivated by their faith, Duncan and Levvy engaged in social justice activism that left an indelible mark on Australian society. Yet, they remain absent from the histories of their own faith communities. Queer Omissions seeks to tell a bigger story, of women who chafed against their contracted sphere yet – motivated by their faith – impacted their world for good. In doing so, it uniquely expands the categories of those who see themselves in the story, finding hope in the process.

This book will be of great interest to scholars of religion, gender, and sexuality, as well as people of faith trying to understand and reclaim their place in the story.

Karen M. Pack is a lecturer in History at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney. Her research examines the intersections of gender, faith, and sexuality.