Led by:  Dr. Rachel Baard, Assistant Professor of Theology and Ethics

Workshop Description: Feminist theology is often viewed as something that either rejects or undermines the historical, biblical Christian faith. However, for the most part that is not the case. By addressing what feminist theologies are, what they say, and what they do, this three-part online workshop will highlight the contributions of feminist theologians to Christian theology, and the witness they provide in the current day and age.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28  | 1:00-2:30 P.M. EDT

Session 1: What Feminist Theologies Are

Feminist theologies are sometimes seen as the theology of white Western women, but the broad feminist theological conversation is far more complex and culturally rich than that, including the voices of women from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as well as the work of Womanist and Mujerista theologians in the U.S. whose work on the intersection of gender and race overlaps with the work of those who identify themselves as feminist theologians. The first session introduces trailblazers in this complex and ever-evolving field, such as Union Presbyterian Seminary’s own Katie Cannon, who was a leading Womanist scholar, Ada María Isasi-Díaz, who coined the term “mujerista” for the unique theologies of U.S. Latinas, María Pilar Aquino, leading voice in Latin American feminist theology, Mercy Amba Oduyoye, founder of the Circle of African Women Theologians, Kwok Pui-lan, one of the foremost Asian feminist theologians, and Rosemary Radford Ruether, who has pointed to the perennial problem of dualism that plays a role in various forms of oppression. By highlighting the contributions of these theologians, the workshop will provide an outline of what feminist theologies are.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5  | 1:00-2:30 P.M. EDT

Session 2: What Feminist Theologies Say

One of the tasks feminist theologies set for themselves is to critically examine historical Christian ideas of God, Christ, sin, salvation, etc. This workshop focuses on one central conversation in feminist theologies: The way we talk about God. The dominance of male metaphors for speaking of God has been a subject of conversation among feminist theologians because, as Mary Daly once quipped, “If God is male, then the male is God.” Or as Elizabeth A. Johnson would indicate, the symbol of God functions to shape what we deem good or evil, and as such, exclusively male symbolism for God, alongside traditional associations of women with sin and evil (symbolized by Eve) support a world in which the good is defined in male terms. The workshop specifically looks at the work of Elizabeth A. Johnson, a leading Roman Catholic feminist theologian in the United States, at the alternatives she offers, and asks the question: Do these alternatives work?

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12  | 1:00-2:30 P.M. EDT

Session 3: What Feminist Theologies Do

Feminist theologies are focused on the well-being of women and the earth. Issues such as climate change, gender violence, etc., are front and center in feminist theological discussion. This workshop examines the contributions of feminist theologians to the question of climate change on ecological justice, with a specific focus on how the Christian doctrine of creation, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and the eschatological vision are critically retrieved by feminist theologians in this conversation–indeed, starting in the Middle Ages by mystics such as Hildegard von Bingen, and continuing in the work of modern theologians such as Elizabeth A. Johnson, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Sigridur Gudmarsdottir, and Melanie Harris.

Leader bio: Dr. Rachel Baard joined the faculty of Union Presbyterian Seminary in the Fall of 2019, having previously taught at Villanova University. As a South African whose theology was shaped by the theologies of resistance to apartheid, she has a particular interest in the intersection of theology and ethics.

Her research areas include systematic and constructive theology, theological ethics, and political theologies. Her first book, titled Sexism and Sin-Talk: Feminist Conversations on the Human Condition, was published by Westminster John Knox Press in 2019, and she is the editor of a volume, The Political Theology of Paul Tillich, which is tentatively scheduled for publication by Lexington Press in 2021. She is also the author of multiple articles and has given scholarly presentations around the United States and in South Africa on a variety of topics, including feminist theologies, Reformed confessions, Protestant perspectives on Mary, and the thought of Augustine through the lens of the African concept of ubuntu. Her current research focuses on the responses of the German theologians Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Paul Tillich to Nazism, and in particular their perspectives on Judaism. She is a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Online Format: This three-session workshop will use Zoom technology to meet online in order to allow for presentations by the leader as well as interaction among participants. Participants will need an electronic device equipped with a reliable Internet connection, built-in or external microphone, and a built-in or external webcam.

Cost:

$50 per individual, if register by September 10, 2021. (Note: Beginning, September 11, individual price increases by $10. Register early and save!).

CEUs: .4 CEUs (Continuing Education Units) for this event. Note: CEU certificates can be generated upon request at the time of the event.

Registration: Online registration is open. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. Registered participants will receive a Zoom meeting link the week prior to the event’s first meeting.

Waiting List: Space is limited. Register early to reserve your spot. Once event reaches capacity, a waiting list will be started.