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Book SynopsisPowerful insights from ministers, theologians, activists, leaders, artists and liturgists who are shaping the future. "Christianity has been a source of the oppression of women, as well as a resource for unleashing women's full humanity. Feminist analysis and practice have recognized this. Feminist Christianity is reshaping religious institutions and religious life in more holistic, inclusive, and justice-focused ways." —from the Introduction Feminism has brought many changes to Christian religious practice. From inclusive language and imagery about the Divine to an increase in the number of women ministers, Christian worship will never be the same. Yet, even now, there is a lack of substantive structural change in many churches and complacency within denominations. The contributors to this book are the thought leaders who are shaping, and being shaped by, the emerging directions of feminist Christianity. They speak from across the denominational spectrum, and from the many diverse groups that make up the Christian community as it finds its place in a religiously pluralistic world. Taken together, their voices offer a starting point for building new models of religious life and worship. Topics covered include feminist: Theological Visions Scriptural Insights Ethical Agendas Liturgical and Artistic Frontiers Ministerial Challenges Contributors include: María Pilar Aquino • Rachel A. R. Bundang • Wanda Deifelt • Marie M. Fortune • Mary E. Hunt • W. Anne Joh • Eunjoo Mary Kim • Kwok Pui-lan • Cynthia Lapp • Shelly Matthews • Virginia Ramey Mollenkott • Eleanor Moody-Shepherd • Surekha Nelavala • Diann L. Neu • Kate M. Ott • Nancy Pineda-Madrid • Marjorie Procter-Smith • Meg A. Riley • Victoria Rue • Rosemary Radford Ruether • Letha Dawson Scanzoni • Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza • Deborah Sokolove • Jeanette Stokes • Janet Walton • Traci C. West • Gale A. Yee • Barbara Brown Zikmund
Trade Review"Some of the best and most cutting-edge thinking…. Calls upon us to do together the hard yet hopeful work of dismantling sexism and domination—both within and among us—so that God's earth and all who dwell upon it can be saved." —Rev. Loey Powell, executive for Administration & Women’s Justice, United Church of Christ “Important and exciting…. A very banquet of ideas big enough to reinvigorate the life of the Spirit. More than that, it is a catalyst for the ongoing process of achieving it.” —Joan Chittister, OSB, co-chair, Global Peace Initiative of Women; author, Heart of Flesh: A Feminist Spirituality for Women and Men “Living proof that feminism has shaken the Christian patriarchal mindset to its core…. A must read for anyone interested in the future of Christianity in the twenty-first century.” —Maureen Fiedler, host, Interfaith Voices; editor, Breaking Through the Stained Glass Ceiling: Women Religious Leaders in Their Own Words “Demonstrates that feminist Christianity is far from monolithic; rather it is diverse, thoughtful, incisive, pastoral, prophetic and above all, deeply faithful.” —Emilie M. Townes, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of African American Religion and Theology, Yale University “With smarts, wit, and tantalizing moral vision, feminist movers and shakers illustrate how transforming patriarchy, religiously as well as socially, requires 'changing the subject,’ both the ‘who’ that speaks (and is listened to) and the ‘what’ that’s spoken about…. Truly nourishing bread for the journey.” —Rev. Marvin M. Ellison, PhD, Willard S. Bass Professor of Christian Ethics, Bangor Theological Seminary; co-editor, Sexuality and the Sacred: Sources for Theological Reflection “Both a rich, colorful sampler for those unfamiliar with feminist Christian work in the U.S. and an invitation to all of us to continue liberating Christianity from hegemonic ‘isms.’ This is a welcome resource for all who care about justice in the church and in the world.” —Rev. Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock, coauthor, Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of This World for Crucifixion and Empire and Casting Stones: Prostitution and Liberation in Asia and the United States “What is new about New Feminist Christianity is the depth and breadth and scope—Diann Neu and Mary Hunt do not shy away from all the intersectionalities that feminism in the context of Christianity contains. The inclusion of such powerful, diverse voices that deal with body, art, and ministry, as well as rich crosscultural lenses, will make this a powerful, required text for anyone wanting to understand Christianity or feminism today!” —Rev. Nancy Wilson, moderator, Metropolitan Community Churches “Too often in monogendered theology, male eyes looked through the wrong end of the telescope and saw a world writ small. In this volume, womanspirit that has long been rising comes of age, and Christianity is dynamically reimagined. This is the real, not the fictive, radical orthodoxy.” —Daniel C. Maguire, professor of religious ethics, Marquette University “A rich mix of topics and perspectives that clearly conveys where feminist Christianity has been and where it needs to go.” —Judith Plaskow, author, Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction PART I FEMINIST THEOLOGICAL VISIONS A Postcolonial Feminist Vision for Christianity
KWOK PUI-LAN Feminist Theology in Theological Education
ROSEMARY RADFORD RUETHER
Latina Feminist Theology: Charting Future Discourse
NANCY PINEDA-MADRID Crossing Borders: Feminist Christianity in Latin America
WANDA DEIFELT Analysis, Interconnectedness, and Peacebuilding for a Just World
MARÍA PILAR AQUINO
Race, Class, Gender, Sexuality: Integrating the Diverse Politics of Identity into Our Theology
W. ANNE JOH Why We Need Evangelical Feminists
LETHA DAWSON SCANZONI PART II FEMINIST SCRIPTURAL INSIGHTS Where Are You Really From? An Asian American Feminist Biblical Scholar Reflects on Her Guild
GALE A. YEE Critical Feminist Biblical Studies: Remembering the Struggles, Envisioning the Future
ELISABETH SCHÜSSLER FIORENZA Inclusivity and Distinctions: The Future of Dalit Feminist Biblical Studies
SUREKHA NELAVALA The Future of Feminist Scripture Studies
SHELLY MATTHEWS PART III FEMINIST ETHICAL AGENDAS What Does Antiracist Feminist Christian Social Ethics Look Like?
TRACI C. WEST
Trans-forming Feminist Christianity
VIRGINIA RAMEY MOLLENKOTT Seeking Justice and Healing: Violence against Women as an Agenda for Feminist Christianity
MARIE M. FORTUNE
Feminist Theo-ethics in Remix Culture
RACHEL A. R. BUNDANG
Searching for an Ethic: Sexuality, Children, and Moral Agency
KATE M. OTT PART IV FEMINIST LITURGICAL AND ARTISTIC
FRONTIERS The Feminist Face of God: Art and Liturgy
JEANETTE STOKES More Than Words
DEBORAH SOKOLOVE Feminist Eucharists at Wisdom's Many Tables
DIANN L. NEU
The Road Is Made by Walking
JANET WALTON
This Is My Body
VICTORIA RUE
"The Ones Who've Gone Before Us": The Future of Feminist Artistic and Liturgical Life
MARJORIE PROCTER-SMITH PART V FEMINIST MINISTERIAL CHALLENGES Women in Ministry in a Postfeminist Era
BARBARA BROWN ZIKMUND Asian American Women and Renewal of Preaching
EUNJOO MARY KIM Balancing Power and Humility: Feminist Values in Mennonite Ministry
CYNTHIA LAPP Our Voices: Loud and Clear
ELEANOR MOODY-SHEPHERD
New Feminist Catholics: Community and Ministry
MARY E. HUNT Signs of Hope, Signs of Dismay
MEG A. RILEY
Conclusion: Strengthening Our Resolve,
Moving Ever Forward Notes Suggestions for Further Reading
Index of Contributors
