A truly heavenly read

Anything on religion and sexuality can ruffle many a feathers, but mythologist-cum-writer Devdutt Pattanaik and writer-editor Jerry Johnson tackle the subject of faith and sexuality in a very sensitive manner in their latest book, I Am Divine So Are You.

The title of the book, I am Divine…could remind some of “Divine” (the flamboyant drag diva and provocateur of early John Waters films) but Mr Pattanaik and Mr Johnson’s book is about the compassionate possibilities of Indian religions in the context of the (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) LGBTQ issues.

By bringing in different viewpoints from the Karmic faiths of Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and Hinduism, which together represent the beliefs of almost a third of the world’s population, I Am Divine So Are You expands this conversation between the world’s religions and sexuality to a truly global level.

As Mr Johnson rightly says that his book does not directly delve into the legal and political arguments surrounding Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). However, the book is clear in noting that the philosophical perspective of nature and human beings that informs Section 377 is deeply at odds with the fundamental teachings of Indian religions as recorded in our scriptures, mythologies, ancient practices, and temple carvings. By citing evidence across scriptures, rituals, and practices, I Am Divine So Are You articulates the fundamental principles of liberalism, individualism, and diversity that lie at the core of Indian religions, thus showing that they can be allies of the LGBTQ rights movement and that Section 377 stands in defiance of these ideas in a manner that is monolithic and alien to Indian culture. Not many know that the idea originated from Reverend J.P. Heath of the Church of Sweden. The Church had earlier commissioned the book, Behold, I Make All Things New, which explored positive interpretations of queer identity under the Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Mr Johnson who calls himself a cultural Catholic and an atheist is candid about the fact that his academic studies in philosophy have exclusively been of the Western canon. “I thought this would be a fantastic opportunity for me to explore and study Indian philosophy and religions in the process of writing the book. And that’s how the book took shape,” he says. Having done that, the writers were eager to explore how the non-Abrahamic faiths of more than a billion people would understand issues of the LGBTQ community. “The vast majority of people in the ‘global north’ are completely oblivious to the lives, faiths and realities of people in the rest of the world.

I Am Divine So Are You By Devdutt Pattanaik & Jerry Johnson Harper Collins pp 200 Rs 239

Luckily, through common networks, Roy Wadia brought Mr Pattanaik to their attention as one of the foremost scholars on Indian mythologies and religions to help them bring this book into reality,” says Mr Johnson.

When it comes to sexuality and sexual identities, many self-claimed “culture vultures” foolishly shove things under the carpet or secretly yearn for the scowls and restrictions of a regressive era, but Mr Johnson’s I Am Divine… intends to serve everyone who find themselves feeling odd, queer or not quite fitting into the mainstream — whether they are heterosexuals or of alternative identities.

Some paragraphs in the book co-authored by Vivek Tejuja, Sachin Jain, Sukhdeep Singh and Dr Meera Baindur are a bit wordy but overall I Am Divine… is an affirmation and celebration of the LGBTQ community’s uniqueness.

“It also addresses to their families and loved ones, who are eager to seek a validation of their lives or the lives of queer people they know within the framework of their deep-rooted faiths,” says Mr Johnson.

The book clearly does not intend to be an argument against zealots or their beliefs. It does not seek to invalidate their views. But merely seeks to include another possibly valid interpretation of these dynamic belief systems that have survived and thrived through millennia of influences and interpretations.

Thus, if anybody took objection to the central ideas of this book, they would be merely undermining the limitless possibilities of their own faiths. In their misguided bravado of defending their faith, they forget that these religions have withstood the challenges of millennia, endured through epochal timelines, will continue to outlive mere mortal zealots many lifetimes over.