Feminist Theology (Guides to Theology)

Rating:
Summary: A good introduction, but very brief
Review: The 'Guides to Theology' series published by Eerdmans is a good series of accessible, quick introductions to key ideas and movements in theology today. These are designed for students and other interested readers to get current and clear information in a handy manner.

There aren't many divisions in the book - apart from the introduction, there are really only two chapters. In the introduction, the author Natalie Watson discusses the idea of what feminist theology is, and is not. It is not an exclusive women's-only sort of theology (with a few notable exceptions), but rather attempts the recovery of ideas important to women in theological discourse and, more importantly, the incorporation of women's voices into the theological discussion. There is not just one 'feminist theology', Watson states, and while this text is short, she does identify some divergent strands within the school of thought.

In her first chapter, Watson looks at issues of scripture and tradition, both of which have over time been less than 'user-friendly' toward women. Particularly drawing upon the impulses coming from liberation theology, which looks to the recovery of the marginalised and oppressed, feminist theology has its own particular hermeneutic. Watson claims that feminist theology on the whole is critical, contextual, constructive and creative.

Feminist ways of looking at the Bible are not solely a product of the latest generation of scholarship. Drawing from examples such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Watson shows that this is an enterprise long in the making, so far as biblical scholarship is concerned. In a more ecclesial and mystical sense, she highlights figures such as Hilda of Whitby, Julian of Norwich, Mechtild of Magdeburg, and Hildegard of Bingen as influential women of the past whose presence in church history is beginning to be highlighted. Watson also draws recent scholars such as Elisabeth Schussler-Fiorenza into the discussion, showing how these trends are becoming major themes.

As for themes in feminst theology itself, Watson identifies several - gender issues, androcentricism, male-dominated God language, feminist Christological ideas, anthropological ideas, women in the church, and more. One of the important points is the section on feminist theology from different contexts, recognising that there is no univocal system for women's issues, but that other issues of ethnicity, race, background and other key factors can separate women from each other in many respects. Womanist theology (theology done from a black, female perspective) and Mujerista theology (theology done from an Hispanic, female perspective) are becoming stronger voices lately, as are post-Christian ideas of feminism.

Like other volumes in this series, there is a good annotated bibliography provided for further research. This is arranged with general books as well as topically; half the text of this book is the bibliography; the clear intention is that this provides the barest of introductions and (one hopes) fuels the impulse to do further reading. The book does not have an index, which is a drawback, but given the short nature of the narrative text, it is not a major flaw.

This is a good book for beginning theologians, undergraduates, new seminarians, and interested lay persons in churches who might want to understand a bit more about this important field of thought.