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By Lavjay Butani Some stories are never told. Others are told countless times, across generations, across languages, and across traditions, and in the retelling, they change. Sometimes imperceptibly, sometimes dramatically. Sometimes in ways that silence and sometimes, though not often enough, in ways that challenge the very systems that silence. In these retellings, heroes can […]
By Olivia Marr Robinson As religious studies scholar Dr. Margaret D. Kamitsuka observes, “no theology can go forward that does not recognize its rootedness in experience” (2007, 7). Whilst feminist theologians do not all share the same methods or emphases, many draw on this insight to argue that interpretation should attend to the lived experiences […]
By Gurmeet Kaur Himalayan region is known for its untouched lands, difficult terrains and limited access. While these features have attracted many (Sages, travellers and traders) for eons, the region is now actively acknowledged as living repository of ecological knowledge, spirituality, and memory. The role of women to pass on the lived memory to next […]
By Jill Y. Crainshaw Yearning for light, we wander. Someone has lit a lamp. A flame dances obligato, bedazzles aching eyes, choreographs bone-tired feet. Over the past two and a half decades, theological education has undergone profound transformation. Curricula have shifted. Institutional resources have contracted. Students arrive carrying different questions, question that are often heavier, […]
By Arlene Markowski My mother, Ydalba, was a farmer, born in Mérida, Venezuela. This terraced plateau of the Andes Mountains birthed my mother to María, who was conceived by Flor, all peasant farmers. This matriarchal lineage of experiential knowledge taught me that the right conditions for a bountiful harvest depend not only on sun, soil, and […]
By Catherine Montgomery At The Lighthouse, a safe space for LGBTQIA+ youth and their parents, I have had the privilege of knowing trans minors and adults for whom gender-affirming healthcare has been critically important to their wellness. I have seen these friends work exhaustively to access therapies that help them thrive. In the U.S., severe […]
By Emily Rutledge During a time when Romans ruled, and many Jewish leaders straddled the empire and the Torah-it was Jesus who came to turn the establishment upside down and extend the love of God wide. Jesus taught that the outsider was in, that abundance was possible, and that love was the way. The feeding […]
By Julia Madden In the Gospel of Mark 7:24-30, we find an unexpected encounter between Jesus and a Syrophoenician woman. It is a story in which Jesus, who often holds the role of teacher and healer, is challenged and ultimately “schooled” by a woman with no perceived social power. This text highlights the importance of recognizing […]
Over the years, Dr. Kate Ott has helped shape the voices, questions, and commitments of feminist studies in religion. As she steps back from her role, we honor her legacy by revisiting some of her most impactful contributions. Thanks to a special arrangement with Indiana University Press, the following articles by Dr. Ott will be […]
By Courtney O’Banion Smith. In her book Dawn, Octavia E. Butler scrutinizes issues of patriarchy and gender through the protagonist, Lilith. The Oankali—a terrifying, biotechnologically superior alien species—all but force this African American woman to become the thankless savior of humanity. A self-proclaimed feminist, Butler’s fiction often features Black women as strong, complicated heroes through […]