Kenosis And Feminist Theology

Using a perspective derived from the philosophy of Gianni Vattimo, Frascati-Lochhead explores the response of feminist theology to postmodern theory.

Using a perspective derived from the philosophy of Gianni Vattimo, Frascati-Lochhead explores the response of feminist theology to postmodern theory.

Contesting the feminist critique of the dangers of Christianity's self-giving ethics, this book advances a contemporary feminist christology engaging the strength of self-giving power.

The second edition of this highly popular introduction includes a new preface and each chapter has been revised to keep it as up-to-date as possible. 'Introducing Feminist Theology remains a lively and stimulating 'first read' for anyone embarking on feminist theology, as well as a first rate resource for those wishing to refresh their acquiantaince with it. Despite claims in some quarters that 'feminism' has been surpassed by 'gender' this book explains how vital a feminist agenda remains, and how much is still to be done, both at the theological and the practical level, to transform Christianity from two centuries of male-gendered discourse and ecclesiastical structure into a religion that adequately reflects the life of modern women.

This is a thoughtful, cogent, accessible argument for a theological method that is both feminist and Christian. It is a significant advance in the contemporary discussion. Anne E. Carr A new and very inspiring book about the old question, 'Can a feminist be a Christian theologian? ' Profoundly discussing the different perspectives of feminist hermeneutics, the author offers possibilities for a critical religious way of self-understanding in a changing society. Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel

In the early years of contesting patriarchy in the academy and religious institutions, feminist theology often presented itself as a unified front, a sisterhood. The term "feminist theology," however, is misleading. It suggests a singular feminist purpose driven by a unified female cultural identity that struggles as a cohesive whole against patriarchal dominance. Upon closer inspection, the voice of feminist theology is in fact a chorus of diverging perspectives, each informed by a variety of individual and communal experiences, and an embattled scholarly field, marked by the effects of privilege and power imbalances. This complexity raises an important question: How can feminist theologians respect the irreducible diversity of women's experiences and unmask entrenched forms of privilege in feminist theological discourse? In Feminist Theology and the Challenge of Difference, Margaret D. Kamitsuka urges the feminist theological community to examine critically its most deeply held commitments, assumptions, and goals-especially those of feminist theologians writing from positions of privilege as white or heterosexual women. Focusing on women's experience as portrayed in literature, biblical narrative, and ethnographic writing, Kamitsuka examines the assumptions of feminist theology regarding race and sexuality. She proposes theoretical tools that feminist theologians can employ to identify and hopefully avoid the imposition of racial or sexual hegemony, thus providing invaluable complexity to the movement's identity, and ultimately contributing to current and future Christian theological issues. Blending poststructuralist and postcolonial theoretical resources with feminist and queer concerns, Feminist Theology and the Challenge of Difference makes constructive theological proposals, ranging from sin to christology. The text calls feminist theologians to a more rigorous self-critical approach as they continue to shape the changing face of Christian theological discourse.

This collection was conceived at a time of apparent crisis within the academy of feminist theology. During the last two decades feminist theology has provided a critique of religious-and in particular Christian-institutions, scriptures, symbols and rituals. But as we reach the new millennium, the question needs to be asked: has this project of analysis and reconstruction based upon feminist principles run its natural course? These contributions answer this question through a reappraisal of feminist theology's achievements and by exploring the diverse possibilities for its future within the broader category of gender and religion.

Providing a tool for all who wish to learn about the growing fields of womanist, mujerista, Asian feminist, and white Euroamerican feminist studies in religion, this dictionary furnishes a pluralistic approach to feminist theologies, guiding readers who are interested in all areas of Christian theology as they relate to feminism.