Natalie Wigg-Stevenson

Shelter Theology

Theology

“Anyone seeking to provide cross-cultural care--across racial, economic, class and other forms of social difference--will find great insights here.”

What Are Drugs For?

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“In What Are Drugs For? Tim King tells a story hidden in plain sight within the narratives we think we know--stories of religion and spirituality, diverse cultures, philosophy, and politics, all deeply implicated with questions of gender, race, and class. With remarkable interdisciplinary breadth and creative reasoning, King reveals that the categories we use to organize our debates about drugs--medicine versus intoxicant, sacred versus profane, therapy versus addiction--are cultural constructions shaped by historical contingency rather than pharmacological reality. By excavating the forgotten religious and social meanings of psychoactive substances from ancient anointing oils to modern prohibition, King doesn't just challenge our assumptions; he opens entirely new terrain for thinking about human flourishing, the limits of state power, and what we owe one another in addressing both the promises and the perils of consciousness-altering substances.”