The Cambridge Companion to Feminist Theology

Cambridge Companions to Religion

by Susan Frank Parsons (Editor)

This book is a critical guide to the scholarly exploration of feminist theology. It describes the main features of this modern theological development and examines its major concerns and questions. It presents comprehensive and critical analyses of the essential matters of Christian doctrine written by contributors knowledgeable in feminist theology. The book presents a challenge for future scholarship, since it critically engages with the assumptions of feminist theology, and seeks to open ways for women after feminism to enter into the vocation of theology.

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2002

Reviews

[Etienne OMNES · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le Cambridge Companion de Théologie Féministe est une des meilleures introductions au sujet que j'ai lu, en tant qu'introduction. Susan Frank Parsons a fait un boulot d'éditrice digne d'éloge.

L'ouvrage est constitué de deux parties: 1. La "forme de la théologie féministe" qui traite des questions de méthode féministe dans différents domaines (interprétation biblique, dogmatique, philosophie des religions etc) 2. Une exposition proprement féministe de différent loci doctrinaux (trinité, christologie, pneumatologie etc).

Les chapitres sont très bien arrangés, écrits dans un style clair, sans jargon, et qui ne présupposent pas une culture immense dans le domaine. Il a décuplé ma curiosité et m'a aidé à former une liste de lectures complémentaires. Au final, ce livre m'a conforté dans mon anti-féminisme, mais ce n'est pas un défaut de l'éditrice.

[Denise Sudbeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would place this actually at 3.5, primarily for its exposition of methodology. Criticism of feminist theologies which revolves around particular orthodoxies is rather predictable; not everybody is going to find this work either creditable or anything more than the attempted destruction of orthodoxy. But where I find it most helpful is not in its theological content per se but in its deep dive into methodology. Not so much "who" as "how", my particular goal is to take some of the methodological lessons and apply them to my current work in queer theology, a project which is often criticized in the same way.

[BJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Parson’s along with twelve other feminist theologians discuss different issues and themes in feminist theology. The book is divided in two parts: first, the shape of feminist theology; second, the themes of feminist theology. The first part is composed of articles that surround theological discourse, while the second is devoted to articles of Christian theological themes. In many ways, feminist theology is a critique and reconstruction of Christian theology itself.
At the outset, Susan Frank Parson, defines feminist theology as “theology that nurtures hopes for the liberation of humanity into a just and equitable political order in which our life together, as women and men, might be happily released” (: xiv). In the first article, Rosemary Radford Reuther, discusses the emergence of Christian feminist theology as a critique of the male patriarchy. Pui-Lan shows that feminist theology is intercultural dialogue. Anderson opts for a feminist understanding of religious philosophy as learning from the margins of oppressed male and female on the basis of experience not just rationality. Carol Christ argues for a theaology—reflection upon the meaning of Goddess—instead of a theology. Upton moves onto biblical hermeneutics, and the difficulty of finding a feminist hermeneutic because of patriarchy within the Bible and the writing of the Bible itself. On the subject of dogmatic theology, Parsons places the criteria of truth in experience. The second part of the book begins Janet Martin Soskice arguing for balancing of the male-centered names of the Triune with female names, and against hierarchy within the Trinity. Oduyoye discusses Jesus Christ from an African and feminist perspective as primarily a liberator. As for the Holy Spirit and spirituality, Nicola Slee desires to see a testing of the Spirits within the differing feminist approaches on re-imaging the nature and work of the Holy Spirit. Drummond’s article is one of the importance of the eco-centered approach to creation. In chapter twelve, the editor adds another article on the redeeming ethics of St. Catherine of Siena that is focused on love. The final two chapters are on the church and eschatology. Susan Ross gives a brief study on women’s involvement in the church and rituals, and Valerie Karras ends the book with a “like and unlike” patriarchal feminist eschatology (: 258).
Feminist theology is a significant recent development in Christian theology that has had a large impact on the ecclesiological nature of the church. Rosemary Radford Reuther finds the first type of feminist theology in the Quaker Margaret Fell’s 1666 essay “Women’s Preaching Justified according to the Scriptures.” Since that time feminist theology has expanded, and in effect, taken on much of Christian theology as it has been known throughout church history.
This nature of Feminist theology as a reconstructing of theology, in my view, leads to defective ecclesiology and, at times, heretical theology. The defective ecclesiology of feminism stems from its egalitarian position critiquing hierarchy, and the theological heresy comes from a more extreme feminism in the form of Goddess worship.

[Iman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly Judeo-Christian. I liked it, pretty easy to read and understand. Not a lot of diversity of thought or religions, and also some of it just came off as ridiculous to me (see: "Creation" (also the name is misleading)) but that's just my personal opinion.