Feminism
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Spiritual Midwives from Christian History: Lilias Trotter and Simone Weil
The Spiritual Midwife Metaphor After experiencing the typical hospital birth that included multiple nurses too busy to be present and a hasty doctor, a midwife assisted birth was a completely different experience for me. Midwife Anita Damsma-Young guided me through the growing of a human being—from an egg and a sperm to a 10-pound 4-oz baby boy who splashed into our Canadian Tire blow-up swimming pool in the comfort of our living room one early April morning. I remember her respect for the female body, her consistent reassurance, and her wise suggestion of various positions that successfully turned him from his late onset breech position. Instead of an anxious pregnancy,…
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On Matrescence and Birthing myself
Becoming a mother is not the unifying ‘one-size-fits-all’ journey that popular culture would have us believe. Mothers are required to work out their identity as women, who they have been and who they are becoming all in the shadow of the myth of the Perfect Mother. It is therefore refreshing that within the last 18 months conversations about matrescence have begun to move into more mainstream thoughts and conversations (see: Lucy Jones’ book ‘Matrescence: On the metamorphosis of pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood’ and Zoe Blaskey ‘Motherkind: a new way to thrive in a world of endless expectations’). Matrescence – a word my spell check does not recognise – is the…
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The Divine Nervous System
‘Be still and know that I am God.’ –Psalm 46:10 ‘Be still’ – engage the parasympathetic portion of the nervous system[1] – ‘and know’ – internally, through your embodied felt sense[2] – ‘that I am’ – that the truth of who you are – ‘God’ – is Divine. What if the Divine is the resolution of trauma and the flow of a regulated nervous system? What if making love with the Divine is living as fully human and fully divine, moving in and out of activation and deactivation, sympathetic and parasympathetic, nervous system states[3]? I have travelled a long way on my spiritual path. I have journeyed up and down,…
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Abortion, the Brazilian Supreme Court and the National Conference of Brazil’s Bishops
In these times of troubled seas, there is no respite, no possibility of hiding from conflicts, of not falling into the abyss of accusations and divisions, especially when confronted with certain problems that life insists on presenting to us. Dialogue, mutual understanding, real solidarity and love for our neighbour are at risk of becoming empty words, especially in the mouths of those who consider themselves to be their representatives. Forgive me, readers, for insisting on the same theme I addressed weeks ago.[1] New chapters of this old story have taken place, new divisions have arisen even within the CNBB (National Conference of Brazil’s Bishops). Disagreements and different opinions have manifested…
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Reflections on Theology, Victim Blaming, Misogyny and the Church of England
Four decades and still no progress or change – so what is next? When it comes to sexual violence, particularly against women, victim blaming occurs when blame is shifted from the perpetrator to the victim. This happens across society and culture, media, religion, justice, and public health. Victim blaming often focuses on the woman’s behaviour, character, or situation, which minimises the offender’s responsibility. Recent media reported examples include the Rochdale grooming gangs where the Deputy Mayor said that “victim blaming led to failings” and that “an attitude of victim blaming’ meant authorities failed to protect young girls from sexual abuse”.[1] In addition, in 2022 the BBC highlighted that the Past…
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Practical Theology Hub People, Episode One: Nicola Slee, Ash Cocksworth and Rachel Starr
We are excited to announce the launch of the Practical Theology Hub’s YouTube Channel with our new video series “Practical Theology Hub People.” The first video in the series (see below) is an interview exploring “From the Shores of Silence: Conversations in Feminist Practical Theology” an important book that celebrates the emergence of feminist practical theology as a powerful force that is reshaping the discipline of practical theology by challenging its traditional emphases and raising new questions. Feminist practical theology does this often with a distinctive emphasis on poetry, collaboration and prayerfulness. The book pays tribute to one feminist practical theologian in particular, Nicola Slee. Slee’s work not only typifies…
