DESCRIPTION:

This course will survey the wide variety of strands within the rapidly expanding field of feminist theologies. Students will be introduced to feminist, womanist, mujerista, Asian-American and Third World feminist critiques of traditional Christianity through readings and lectures. They will be encouraged to evaluate, wrestle and reflect personally with those critiques, through class discussions, short response papers, journaling and other assignments. Class format will strive to reflect feminist values of mutuality and cooperation.

Feminist theologians are challenging the traditional language, imagery, theology and practice of the church. Convinced that androcentric Christianity has distorted our understanding of God, ourselves and our relation to creation, they seek to correct that distortion by reformulating theology according to women's experiences. The potential explosiveness of that reformulation requires pastoral sensitivity which begins with awareness of the issues.

As a two-week intensive, class will meet daily for four-hour sessions for lecture and discussion of readings.

Isherwood, Lisa and Dorothea McEwan, eds. An A to Z of Feminist Theology. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1996.

LaCugna, Catherine Mowry, ed. Freeing Theology: The Essentials of Theology in Feminist Perspective. San Francisco: Harper/San Francisco, 1993.

Loades, Ann, ed. Feminist Theology: A Reader. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1990.

Articles on reserve in the library.

Carr, Anne E. Transforming Grace: Christian Tradition and Women's Experience. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988.

King, Ursula, ed. Feminist Theology from the Third World: A Reader. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1994.

Ruether, Rosemary Radford. Sexism and God-Talk: Toward a Feminist Theology. Boston: Beacon Press, 1983.

Russell, Letty M., ed. Feminist Interpretation of the Bible. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1985.

1. Assigned readings to be completed before each class.

2. Brief 2-page typed "response paper" for specified readings, due at the start of each class.

3. A 15-page research project: either (a) research and evaluate a feminist critique of one traditional Christian doctrine, or (b) devise a curriculum for a 4-week course in feminist theology to be taught at your home church.

Systematic theology strongly recommended.

Elective.

None.