Summary
Feminist theologies are gender-sensitive. They are alert to patriarchy—systems that favour males—and they contest kyriarchy—the operation of ‘lordship’ of some over others.
Feminist theologies are advocacy theologies. ‘Second wave’ feminist theologies developed strength in the 1970s, giving special attention to justice for women (and their dependents—it is notable that children are often prominent in feminist theologies). Increasingly ‘third wave’ feminist theologies in the new millennium are ‘intersectional’, shoulder to shoulder with other minoritized persons and highlighting the interlocking nature of identity, and of oppression.
Very importantly, not all feminist theologians are women, and not all female theologians are feminist theologians. However, feminist theologians tend to be keen to explore women’s contributions to Christian tradition, as these have often been sidelined or silenced by more dominant—not necessary more wise—male voices.
Search Terms
- Feminist
- Feminist theology
- Feminist theologies
- Gender
- Queer theology
- Indecent theology
Call Numbers
Introductions
- Faith and Feminism: An Introduction to Christian Feminist Theology(opens in new tab), by Nicola Slee (London: DLT, 2003) presents a range of theological topics in feminist perspective and is intended for first readers in this area. It is currently the most accessible introduction to Christian feminist theology.
- The companion volumes Feminist Theology: A Reader(opens in new tab), ed. by Ann Loades (London: SPCK, 1990) and Feminist Theology from the Third World(opens in new tab), ed. by Ursula King (London: SPCK, 1993) are important landmarks that present the arguments of second wave feminist theologies, many of which have remained unheard in churches and in theological education.
- From Feminist Theology to Indecent Theology(opens in new tab), by Marcella Althaus-Reid (London: SCM Press, 2004) charts the turn from second wave to third wave feminist theologies.
Reference Texts
- The A–Z of Feminist Theology(opens in new tab), ed. by Lisa Isherwood and Dorothea McEwan (London: Bloomsbury, current edition 2016) is an invaluable reference tool for research in feminist theologies.
- Sexism and God-talk: Toward a Feminist Theology(opens in new tab), by Rosemary Radford Ruether (London: SCM Press, 1983) was a feminist first in a ‘systematic’ kind of theology, a touchstone for later work in the field. It remains a helpful resource to orientate oneself to the sound of feminist theologies.
Regional Contributions
The University of Divinity-based Australian Collaborators in Feminist Theologies is an important regional resource for feminist theologies. Their publications include:
- Contemporary Feminist Theologies: Power, Authority, Love(opens in new tab), ed. by Kerrie Handasyde, Cathryn Mckinney and Rebekah Pryor (Abingdon: Routledge, 2021).
- Feminist Theologies: Interstices and Fractures, ed. by Rebekah Pryor and Stephen Burns (Lanham: Lexington, 2023), which places Australian voices in dialogue with ones from other locations.
A number of scholars associated with the UD contribute to feminist theologies. Examples include:
- Reading the Magnificat in Australia: Unsetting Engagements, by Anne Elvey (Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix, 2021), an excellent book that engages feminist theologies with the struggles of first peoples in Australia.
- Reinterpreting the Eucharist: Explorations in Feminist Theology and Ethics(opens in new tab), ed. by Anne Elvey et al (Sheffield: Equinox, 2012), which indicates something of the challenge of feminist theologies to the churches.
Other Important Texts
- Feminist Theology: Voices from the Past(opens in new tab), by Ann Loades (Oxford: Polity Press, 2001) explores the background to second wave feminist theologies in the pioneering work of a number of twentieth-century figures.
- Postcolonial Imagination and Feminist Theology(opens in new tab), by Kwok Pui-lan (London: SCM Press, 2005) is (like Althaus-Reid’s, above) an important text on the turn from second wave to third wave feminist theologies.
- From the Shores of Silence: Conversations in Feminist Practical Theology(opens in new tab), ed. by Ashley Cocksworth, Rachel Starr and Stephen Burns (London: SCM Press, 2023) gives insight into the intersectional emphases of contemporary feminist theologies.
- God Beyond Gender: Feminist Christian God-language(opens in new tab), by Gail Ramshaw (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995) develops a feminist approach to trinitarian idioms in naming towards God.
- Seeking the Risen Christa(opens in new tab), by Nicola Slee (London: SPCK, 2011) turns a feminist lens on the central Christian doctrine of christology.
Journals