She Lives!: Sophia Wisdom Works in the World

by Jann Aldredge-Clanton PhD

Overview

Meet the ministers and laypeople driving foundational Christian theological change and restoring awareness of the sacred value of women and girls.

"The Bible teaches that we are made in the image and likeness of God; therefore, I must believe that there is a male and female expression of God…. Claim your divinity and walk in it every day, because you are fearfully and wonderfully made."
—Rev. Dr. Susan Newman, "Claiming Our Divinity"

In a world filled with injustice and violence, we long for a new sacred symbolism to inspire transformation. Our yearning includes a widespread hunger for visions of the Female Divine in church life and worship to restore gender balance and finally achieve just, equal and inclusive faith communities.

This collection of engrossing narratives of women and men trying to change the institutional church—and society—illuminates how reclaiming multicultural female images of God extends beyond the sanctuary and into the community. Whether you're searching for your own place in the church or you want to explore this growing movement, these fascinating pioneers invite you to join the adventure of creating rituals that include Her, affirming the sacred value of all people and all creation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594735738
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	10/13/2014
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Rev. Jann Aldredge-Clanton, PhD, an innovative feminist theologian and popular teacher, helps both women and men broaden their views of God, deepening their spiritual experience and contributing to justice and peace. Ordained in the Alliance of Baptists, she ministers in ecumenical and interfaith settings and cochairs the national ecumenical, multicultural Equity for Women in the Church Community. She is an award-winning author of many books about religion and ministry, including Seeking Wisdom: Inclusive Blessings and Prayers for Public Occasions; In Search of the Christ-Sophia: An Inclusive Christology for Liberating Christians; Inclusive Hymns for Liberation, Peace, and Justice and In Whose Image? God and Gender. She has also written articles for The Journal of Pastoral Care and The Christian Ministry, among other publications.

Table of Contents

Index of Inclusive-Language Hymns viii
Introduction ix

Part 1: Wisdom's Works of Gender Equality 1
Rev. Lori Eickmann: Teaching Female Divine Images in Scripture 3
Intentional Interim Pastor, Sierra Pacific Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Rev. Sheila Sholes-Ross: Preaching Transformation of Church and Society 9
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Cochair, Equity for Women in the Church Community

Dr. Kendra Weddle Irons: Embracing Our Mother 15
Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Texas Wesleyan University

Mark Mattison: Reclaiming Biblical Female Divine Images 21
Author; Lay Theologian; Coeditor, Divine Feminine Version of the New Testament

Rev. Dr. Angela M. Yarber: Embodying the Divine Feminine 27
Scholar; Dancer; Artist; Minister

Part 2: Wisdom's Works of Racial Equality 33
Rev. Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim: Healing Racism, Sexism, and Classism Through Sophia Christology 35
Associate Professor of Doctrinal Theology, Moravian Theological Seminary

Rev. Christine A. Smith: Creating Multicultural Churches 40
Senior Pastor, Covenant Baptist Church, Wickliffe, Ohio

Rev. Virginia Marie Rincon: The Virgen de Guadalupe at the Forefront of Justice 46
Episcopal Priest; Founder and Executive Director, TengoVoz

Dr. Melanie Springer Mock: Gathering Everyone under Her Wings 52
Professor of English, George Fox University

Patrick Michaels: Celebrating Her Dark Gracefulness 58
Composer; Minister of Music, St. James's Episcopal Church, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Part 3: Wisdom’s Works of Marriage Equality 65
Rev. Dr. Nancy Petty: Challenging Unjust Marriage Laws 67
Pastor, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Raleigh, North Carolina

Rev. Dr. Susan Newman: Claiming Our Divinity 73
Associate Minister of Congregational Life and Social Justice, All Souls Church, Washington, D.C.

Rev. Paul Smith: Releasing the Divine from the Male Prison 79
Author; Teacher; Minister

Dr. Caryn D. Riswold: Connecting Feminism and Christianity 84
Professor of Religion; Chair, Gender and Women’s Studies Program, Illinois College

Rev. Stacy Boorn: Changing the World by Changing the Church 90
Pastor, Ebenezer/herchurch Lutheran, San Francisco, California

Part 4: Wisdom’s Works of Economic Justice 97
Rev. Dr. Isabel Docampo: Sophia Wisdom Making All Things New 99
Professor of Supervised Ministry, Perkins School of Theology

Dr. Mary E. Hunt: Seeing Everyone in the Divine Image 105
Cofounder and Codirector, Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual

Rev. Dr. Gail Anderson Ricciuti: Bearing Her Life in the World 111
Associate Professor of Homiletics, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School

Rev. Dr. Cheryl F. Dudley: Changing Our Default Settings 117
Global Religions Director, Arcus Foundation

Part 5: Wisdom’s Works of Caring for Creation 123
Rev. Dr. Genny Rowley: Neighbors in the Whole Community of Creation 125
Pastoral Theologian; Religious Environmentalist

Rev. Dr. Rebecca L. Kiser: God as Gender-full 131
Intentional Interim Pastor, Presbyterian Church (USA)

Rev. Daniel Charles Damon: The Amazing Diversity of Creation 137
Composer; Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Richmond, California

Rev. Connie L. Tuttle: Justice for Earth and All Creation 142
Pastor, Circle of Grace Community Church, Atlanta, Georgia

Part 6: Wisdom’s Works of Nonviolence 147
Rev. Judith Liro: Weaving Our Lives Together with Sophia-Spirit 149
Priest, St. Hildegard’s Community, St. George’s Episcopal Church, Austin, Texas

Marg Herder: Knowing Her, Loving All People 155
Writer; Musician; Director of Public Information, Evangelical &Ecumenical Women’s Caucus–Christian Feminism Today

Rev. Dr. Monica A. Coleman: Knowing a Savior by What She Does 161
Associate Professor of Constructive Theology and African American Religions, Claremont School of Theology

Dr. Virginia Ramey Mollenkott: Radicalized by the Bible 167
Author; English Professor Emeritus, William Paterson University

Rev. Marcia C. Fleischman: Holy Mama’s Peaceful Vision 173
Pastor, Broadway Church, Kansas City, Missouri

Part 7: Wisdom’s Works of Expanding Spiritual Experience 179
Deborah Hall: Mother God Nurturing My Soul 181
Lay Theologian; Founder of Sophia Sisters, Chandler, Arizona

Rev. Larry E. Schultz: Singing the Gospel of the Divine Feminine 186
Composer; Minister of Music, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Raleigh, North Carolina

Rev. Beverly Jane Phillips: Learning a New Language for the Divine 192
Presbyterian Minister; Author

Rev. Alice D. Martin: Divinity Within and Around All 198
Healer, San Francisco, California

Part 8: Wisdom’s Works of Interfaith Collaboration 203
Dr. Chung Hyun Kyung: The Great Mother of All People 205
Lay Theologian of the Presbyterian Church of Korea; Associate Professor of Ecumenical Studies, Union Theological Seminary

Lana Dalberg: Face-to-Face with the Mother 211
Writer; Activist; Lay Theologian

Jeanette Blonigen Clancy: Cherishing Christianity Without Its Exclusive Claims 217
Writer; Educator; Lay Theologian

Orion Pitts: All-Encompassing Love Uniting Us 223
Director of Music, Office Administrator, First United Lutheran Church, San Francisco, California

Part 9: Wisdom’s Works of Changing Hierarchies into Circles 229
Ann Landaas Smith: Cocreating a New Story 231
Writer; Cofounder and Director, Circle Connections

Dr. Mary Ann Beavis: Charting New Spiritual Paths 237
Professor of Religion and Culture, St. Thomas More College,
Universityof Saskatchewan

Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan: Leading, Not Leaving, the Church 243
Priest, Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community, Sarasota, Florida; Bishop, Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests

Christina Cavener: Seeing God in Her Fullness 249
Founder and Leader of Feminine Divine Worship Services, Minister of Formation, Grace United Methodist Church, Dallas, Texas

Part 10: Wisdom’s Works of Creative Worship 255
Christ-Sophia Loves Us, Restores Us, and Sets Us Free 257
Liturgy by Christina Cavener

Prayer for Christ-Sophia’s Peace 259
Beverly Jane Phillips

Litany for Peace 259
Deborah Hall

Seeking Sophia 260
Poem by Susan C. Hamilton

A Pentecost Prayer: Come, Sophia-Spirit 261
Diann L. Neu

Blowing Where She Wills 263
Excerpts from a Pentecost Sermon by Shawna R. B. Atteberry

Breathe on Me, Ruah, Fire 265
Hymn by Deborah Hall

In the Beginning 266
Poem by Shawna R. B. Atteberry

Sophia Is the Breath of Life 267
Responsive Meditation by Christina Cavener

Who Are You, God? 269
Poem by Bridget Mary Meehan

Part 11: Wisdom’s Works of Feminist Emancipatory Faith Communities 271

Epilogue 281
Notes 283
Additional Inclusive Worship Resources 297
Credits 300

Editorial Reviews

08/25/2014
For minister and teacher Aldredge-Clanton (Changing Church), including female names and images of God in liturgy is vital to social justice. She argues that utilizing female terminology and imagery is needed to overcome the harm caused by centuries of exclusively male language. Building on her previous books and blog, she introduces Christian clergy and lay people who are working to create theological and social change through new religious language. These stories highlight how the people whom she interviewed came to believe in the importance of gender-inclusive language, their struggles to change entrenched traditions, and their triumphs as they offer new ways of being, doing, and believing. Reflecting her claim that using female language for the divine can remedy oppression, she organizes her material in such categories as gender equality, racial equality, and marriage equality. Practical resources, including hymns, prayers, and a list of feminist churches, are woven throughout. This book is not an academic exploration of an important topic but it does provide an intimate look at those working to create inclusive, feminist theologies and a more just world. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"She Lives! establishes Jann Aldredge-Clanton as the leading voice standing at the crossroads of feminist emancipatory theologies today.... A tour de force of engagement with the politics and imagination of theological liberation and faith expression…. Readers of this book will never be able to speak or think of deity and world in the same ways ever again."
—Stephen V. Sprinkle, PhD, professor of practical theology and director of field education and supervised ministry, Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University

"When we first acknowledged the Divine as female in our sacred rites and liberating rituals, we never imagined we would live to see a time such as this. She not only lives, She is everywhere."
—Miriam Therese Winter, PhD, professor and director, Women's Leadership Institute, Hartford Seminary

"Inspiring…. Draws on a rich diversity of voices to show that female images of God are essential to gender equality and social justice."
—Rosemary Radford Ruether, PhD, Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, California

“Challenges [us] to remember that too many people, wherever they are on the gender-identity spectrum, still suffer from a hierarchical vision of the Divine that is overwhelmingly male.... Bring[s] hope and healing to those who have felt excluded for far too long.”
—Dr. Deborah Sokolove, director, Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion, Wesley Theological Seminary; coauthor, Calling on God: Inclusive Christian Prayers for Three Years of Sundays

“An important book chronicling a revolution in Christianity—the reclaiming of the Divine Feminine; a revolution that must be duplicated in other faiths as well. Read the book. Join the revolution.”
—Rabbi Rami Shapiro, author, Embracing the Divine Feminine: Finding God through the Ecstasy of Physical Love—The Song of Songs Annotated & Explained

“Helps us realize that it is not lone feminists who have found Her! Plenty of so-called 'mainline' religions include congregations and groups that take seriously inclusive worship, and that require a full array of ways to understand Godde. Brava!”
—Dr. Carolyn Stahl Bohler, author, God the What? What Our Metaphors for God Reveal about Our Beliefs in God and God Is Like a Mother Hen and Much, Much More

“An impressively diverse and accomplished community of church leaders…. Not merely a feminist rally cry, it gives us a glimpse of a tidal wave of grassroots passion to re-member the fullness and wholeness of the Divine. Our wounded world cannot be healed until this wholeness has been restored.”
—Kathe Schaaf, coeditor, Women, Spirituality and Transformative Leadership: Where Grace Meets Power

From the Publisher

Listen to Jann'sWATERtalkto get a feel for the breadth and scope of this useful resource on female language/imagery in religion. Progress is slow, backlash is cruel, but inclusive/expansive language is a must.

WATER