Extravagant Affections: A Feminist Sacramental Theology

Rating:
Summary: Stunning insight into gender, sacrament, and priesthood
Review: Despite the academic mannerism besetting the opening few chapters, this is a wise, precisely argued, absolutely fascinating book by a Roman Catholic theologian, ostensibly for other Roman Catholics, but in fact priceless for any thoughtful Christian who takes the sacraments seriously. She points out that in the sacraments, priests do in church and figuratively what women do at home and literally: give birth, fix meals, tend the dying, mediate conflicts & forgiveness, etc. etc. As males depend upon females for biological life and crucial early nurture, so women in churches that refuse to ordain women have to depend upon men for sacramental life and intercession--because men have appropriated the sacred through their social control of churches. The problem here is a lot bigger than social justice or gender equity, however: the problem is that gender exclusivity obscures the vitally important ways in which the sacraments enact how God is immanent within daily life. The book includes terrific footnotes; besides reading very widely in her field, Ross also took time to talk in depth to a whole slew of ordinary women active in their own churches. I'd recommend this book without qualification for college-educated women's groups in churches,especially Catholic, Lutheran, or Episcopal ones.