-
Leaky Bodies: Uses and Abuses of Vulnerability in Feminist Methodologies
Human bodies are leaky. Leakiness, especially the leakiness of the female body, has been criticised historically, but more recently reclaimed as a strength for the task of research.[1] This is especially the case in feminist theology, where acknowledgement of the leakiness of the individual body has blended with autoethnographic research methods to privilege women’s experience in theologising. Of interest to this article is the vulnerability inherent in this turn to the sharing of the theologian’s experience in her work. Vulnerable sharing can clear the way for significant revelations, yet how this vulnerability can be managed fruitfully for both sharer and recipient must be considered. This paper aims to do just…
-
Ten Commitments Of A Feminist Theologian
I was sitting opposite one of my PhD supervisors, having just attempted to dismiss the entire genre of feminist theology as not relevant to my project when my radicalisation began. I had grown up in a particular kind of evangelical church with a theology of complementarity that had impressed up on me that of course I was equal to my husband, but that my role was distinctly different from his. The kind of church where husbands were considered to be the leaders of their wives (and, of course, their children) and where only men could be elders of the church or preach in a service. Whilst I had started to…
-
The Blessed Virgin, the Theotokos: The Bodily Autonomy of Women and a Post-Christian World
The rising cultural tide of a post-Christian world pushes against the shoreline of history. People once forced into the small inlets and coves eventually find themselves along the wide beaches of the peninsula. The wind carries their once silenced stories, and they crash loudly against the shore. Through strife and struggle, women have propitiated the Fates, having now been granted the gift of witness for their skill and wisdom no longer limited to the home. The maintenance of women’s domestication in Western countries stood the test of millennia, through limitations in career opportunity, education, political engagement, healthcare, and religious moralisation, women have been forced to experience a world that objectifies…
-
Lessons from Greek Myths
I recently tried counting the number of novels I have read that centre their tales on retelling ancient Greek mythology. I reached over twenty-five, if my bookshelf and memory serve me, with my most recent completion being Hera by Jennifer Saint. Some of my favourite authors in this particular genre include Madeline Miller, Jennifer Saint, and Natalie Haynes. These authors have caught my particular attention because they celebrate their characters with rich complexity and help us see ourselves, their faithful readers, within the ancient heroes and villains alike. Others may disagree, but my record is fairly impressive. Given my experience, I might label myself as someone who is “in the…
-
Silence and Survival: Re-Reading Bathsheba Through Womanist and Feminist Lenses
The story of Bathsheba, found in 2 Samuel 11-12 and 1 Kings 1-2, has long been one of the most contested narratives in biblical interpretation. The focus of dominant hegemonic readings has often fallen on David as king, focusing on his sin, repentance, and eventual restoration. Hegemonic readings have arguably sanitized David’s actions, interpreting them as a lapse in moral judgment, rather than an abuse of royal power. This attention on David has led to Bathsheba’s perspective becoming silenced or distorted. Such readings not only obscure the violence of the act but also perpetuate a theological culture that normalizes male dominance and female passivity. Bathsheba is frequently reduced to a…
-
Cultural and Structural Barriers to Women’s Leadership in African Pentecostalism
IntroductionPentecostalism has emerged as one of the most vibrant and transformative religious trends in Africa, especially in Nigeria, where it has experienced explosive growth, redefining religious practices, social norms, and political participation.[1] As Pentecostal churches focus on spiritual empowerment, personal revelation, and charismatic authority, women are still faced with systemic limitations to leadership. Both cultural factors, involving patriarchal tradition, gendered expectations, and biblical literalism, and structural factors, including institutional structures, doctrinal limitations, and church hierarchies, are barriers to these.[2] The irony is that women are the largest group of Pentecostal followers and contribute significantly to expanding the church, yet they are not allowed to lead due to cultural views of…
