"The essays in this volume seek to develop a critical feminist hermeneutics and to work out the ramifications for different areas of theological inquiry. The first chapter attempts to delineate a comprehensive multidimensional model of a critical feminist hermeneutics. Chapters 2, 3 and 4 address issues and problems of the historical-critical interpretation of the Bible raised by pastoral theology, liberation theology and moral theology or ethics. Chapters 5 and 6 examine methodological and hermeneutical discussions in historical and literary critical scholarship of the Bible in order to illustrate that a feminist critical hermeneutics of liberation can contribute to the transformation of the discipline". -- Intro., p. xx.
Contents: Dedication -- Introduction: Bread Not Stone -- Women-Church: The Hermeneutical Center of Feminist Biblical Interpretation -- 'For the Sake of Our Salvation': Biblical Interpretation and the Community of Faith -- The Function of Scripture in the Liberation Struggle: A Critical Feminist Hermeneutics and Liberation Theology -- Discipleship and Patriarchy: Toward a Feminist Evaluative Hermeneutics -- Remembering the Past in Creating the Future: Historical-Critical Scholarship and Feminist-Critical Interpretation -- Towards a Critical-Theological Self-Understanding of Biblical Scholarship -- Notes -- Index.
"A remarkable collection of 49 songs developed by the Re-Imagining Community, whose origins are in the 1993 Re-Imagining Conference. The community has created a beautiful blending of fresh, new compositionsm with musical settings from Latin America, the Asian Rim, and Africa, as well as more traditional European and American tunes. Lifting up the work of women writers in particular, though not exclusively, the collection contains rich imagery to help the Christian community experience and integrate the voice of the feminine, Divine and incarnated". -- back cover.
"In Asia's struggle for a full humanity, women are specially concerned in moving towards a relevant theology. Asian women should be among the first to uncover reality -- the Asian reality -- and to cease being imitative of European theologians. This book is an effort towards an Asian woman's theology. I do not use the term feminist theology' because the word `feminist' has become too loaded. I am aware that theology, whether it is seen as a discipline or a critical reflection, is primarily about God. How do Asian women encounter God ?" -- Intro., pp. [v]-vi.
This book "provides an analysis of the lives of African women today from and African woman's own perspective. It is a study of the influences of culture and religion -- particularly of traditional African cultures and Christianity -- on women's lives. Mercy Amba Oduyoye illustrates how myths, proverbs, folk tales (called 'folktalk') operate in the socialization of young women, working to preserve the norms of the community. 'Daughters of Anowa' reveals how global patriarchy manifests itself in these social structures in both patrilineal and matrilineal communities". -- back cover.
Contents: Introduction: The Fire of the Smoke -- The First Cycle: Language -- 1. Mythical Images -- 2. Women in Folktales -- 3. The Language of Proverbs -- The Second Cycle: Culture -- 4. Culture's Bondswoman -- 5. Religion's Chief Clients -- 6. Marriage and Patriarchy -- The Third Cycle: Dreams -- 7. To Deal Justly with African Women -- 8. Calling the Church to Account -- 9. Acting as Women -- 10. Beads and Strands -- Bibliography -- Index.
This book "maps this globally circulating movement of women's rites, gives voice to the women activists in it, and features liturgies created and celebrated by fourteen communities of women in different parts of the world. At its conclusion, the book identifies a theological challenge embodied in these women-identified communities and their celebrations. I will claim the vibrant growth of these communities and the knowledge inscribed in their liturgies as a defining site for theological reflection in our time, born in the crucible of women's rites". -- Intro., p. [1].
Contents: Preface -- Introduction : Mapping the Global Struggle for Women's Rites / Teresa Berger -- Come Sophia-Spirit : WATER in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. / Diann L. Neu -- Women Rise Up , Close Ranks ! : Talitha Cumi in Lima, Peru / Rosanna Panizo -- Dissident Daughters Celebrate : Women and Worship at Fitzroy Uniting Church, Melbourne, Australia / Coralie Ling -- Celebrating Women's Power : Oecumenische Vrouwensynoden in the Netherlands / Denise J.J. Dijk -- We Are the Daughters of God : in Seoul, Korea / Sook Ja Chung -- Ritual That Transforms : The Women's Centre at Brescia College, London, Ontario, Canada / Patricia McLean -- Springtime : September in Chile : The Collective Con-spirando in Santiago, Chile / Ute Seibert -- Women Gather for Worship : The Catholic Women's Network in Clapham, London, United Kingdom / Veronica Seddon -- God Our Sister and Friend : Kvennakirkjan in Reykjavik, Iceland / Audur Eir Vilhjalmsdottir -- Air Moves Us : Frauenstudien-und-bildungszentrum in Gelnhausen, Germany / Ninna Edgardh Beckman -- Lady Wisdom as Hostess for the Lord's Supper : Sofia-massor in Stockholm, Sweden / Herta Leistner -- African Women : Arise and Eat, for Your Journey is Long : The Ecumenical Seminars on African Women's Theologies in South Africa and Mozambique / Pauline Muchina and Jana Meyer -- Pista-Lakbayan : Celebrating the Journey to Shalom in the Year of Jubilee : The Ecumenical Women's Festival in Quezon City, Philippines / Elizabeth S. Tapia -- Like Water in a Desert : Women Church in South Africa / Wilma Jakobsen -- Postscript : Liturgy in Women's Hands : A New Site / Teresa Berger.
Contributor Wilma Terry Jakobsen is an Anglican priest.
"Twenty-First Lecture of the Robinson T. Orr Visitorship".
Includes bibliographical references.
"For the 1991 R.T. Orr Lecture, Huron College was pleased to welcome Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether, The Georgia Harkness Professor at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, North Western University, Evanston, Illinois". -- p. 1.
"What I plan to do in this paper is to trace some symbolic connections of dominance of women domination of nature in Mediterranean and Western European culture. I will then explore briefly the alternative ethic and culture that might be envisioned if we are to overcome these patterns of domination and destructive violence to women and to the natural world" (p. 3).
Contents: The Twenty-First Lecture -- Ecofeminism : symbolic and social connections of the oppression of women and the domination of nature -- Endnotes -- Robinson T. Orr Lecture Series.
Lecture contents divided into sub-sections: Pre-Hebraic Roots -- The Hebraic World -- The Greek World -- Christianity -- The Reformation and the Scientific Revolution -- Ecological Crisis -- Toward an Ecofeminist Ethic and Culture.
"Is it true that, in our times, history is essentially that of the emancipation of humankind from patriarchal and authoritarian conceptions of life and society ? Then there is the next question: 'If emancipation is inevitable, does it mean that the fatherhood of God is becoming an anachronism ? Is it a hopeless task to speak of God the Father to me and women for whom fatherhood has no great value, or even calls up negative associations ?" -- Preface, p.[ix].
Contents: Preface dated Geneva, October 1981 -- The Issue -- Emancipation -- The weight of patriarchal tradition -- Emancipation from the domination of patriarchal rulers -- Emancipation from the master-servant relationship -- Emancipation from colonial paternalism -- Women seek emancipation from male paternalism -- Youth seek emancipation from authoritarian fathers -- The struggle for emancipation from ecclesiastical paternalism -- Emancipation from paternal morals -- The revolt against the fatherhood of God -- Dimensions of emancipation -- How far will emancipation go ? -- Divine fatherhood without paternalism -- The motherhood of God -- Emancipation is not enough -- Conclusion -- Notes.
"[By] Susan Frank Parsons, Principal, East Midlands Ministry Training Course, Nottingham".
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Bibliography: pp. 268-277.
"Feminists are aware of the diversity of thinking within their own tradition, and of the different approaches to moral questions in which that is manifest. This book seeks to describe and analyse that diversity by distinguishing three distinct paradigms of moral reasoning to be found within feminism. Using the writings of feminists themselves, the major strengths and weaknesses of each theory are considered, so that creative dialogue between them can be encouraged. Three common themes are drawn out of these paradigms, and are discussed in depth in the second part of the book. These themes are also on the agendas of new developments in the philosophical and Christian ethics: namely the search for an appropriate universalism, the possibility of a redemptive community, and the development of a new humanism". -- p. [i].
Contents: General editor's preface / Robin Gill -- Preface -- 1. On diversity -- 2. The liberal paradigm -- 3. Critique of liberalism -- 4. The social constructionist paradigm -- 5. Critique of social constructionism -- 6. The naturalist paradigm -- 7. Critique of naturalism -- Transition: Picking up some threads -- 8. Towards an appropriate universalism -- 9. Towards a redemptive community -- 10. Towards a new humanism -- Notes -- Select bibliography -- Index.
Colophon: Printed in Great Britain at the University Press, Cambridge.