We're in the prime of our life, no longer a newcomer on the feminist scene.
Christians who are also feminists have been around for hundreds of years, but in second-wave feminism they appeared in the 1960s. Evangelical feminists formed an organization in 1974, the Evangelical & Ecumenical Women's Caucus.
See this press release about our 40th anniversary gathering in St. Louis:
Christians who are also feminists have been around for hundreds of years, but in second-wave feminism they appeared in the 1960s. Evangelical feminists formed an organization in 1974, the Evangelical & Ecumenical Women's Caucus.
See this press release about our 40th anniversary gathering in St. Louis:
 |
| McKenzie Brown, Ashley Cason, Jennifer Newman, and Jacinda Thomas with EEWC co-founder Letha Dawson Scanzoni (center) |
For immediate release
7/11/2014
Christian Feminism Today celebrates
40 years
In 1974, during a conference of Evangelicals for Social
Action, a group of women formed a caucus to show that gender equality in church,
home, and society is a justice issue.
Their approach became known as biblical feminism. From that small group emerged the Evangelical
& Ecumenical Women’s Caucus (EEWC), now more popularly known as EEWC-Christian
Feminism Today.
The organization celebrated its 40th anniversary on June
26-29 in St. Louis at the Sheraton Westport Plaza Hotel with presentations by current
and pioneering Christian feminists and social justice advocates.
Christian Feminism
Today is EEWC’s online publication
featuring articles, blogs, book reviews and other commentary at www.eewc.com.
In addition to continued advocacy for women's rights, the
organization in 1986 adopted a resolution supporting civil rights for LGBT
people within the church and community, making EEWC one of the first
evangelical organizations to do so.
Pre-eminent among the pioneers was plenary speaker Letha
Dawson Scanzoni, whose groundbreaking All
We're Meant to Be: Biblical Feminism for Today was named by Christianity Today as one of the “top 50
books that have shaped evangelicals.”
She recounted her questioning of a 1963 Eternity magazine article
on the proper place of Christian women and subsequent steps toward leadership
in feminist awakening.
“Fundamentalism is like a sword that broke off in us,” reflected
another speaker, Susan Campbell, quoting her brother and her memoir Dating
Jesus: A Story of Fundamentalism, Feminism, and the American Girl. After 25 years as a columnist and feature
writer for the Hartford Courant, she now co-writes Hot Dogma: The Belief
Blog with former AP religion writer Tom Breen.
Reviewing ideas still current in conservative evangelical
popular culture regarding women’s nature and roles, Dr. Kendra Weddle Irons of Texas
Wesleyan University and Dr. Melanie Springer Mock of George Fox University underscored
the need to deconstruct those ideas.
Their forthcoming book will contribute to that effort.
"Let Justice Roll On like a River!" was the recurrent
theme at this year’s biennial gathering near the junction of the Missouri and
Mississippi Rivers, echoing the prophet Amos: “But let justice roll on like a
river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” 5:24 (NIV).
Student presenters McKenzie Brown, Ashley Cason,
and Jacinda Thomas dazzled old-timers with feminist theory and historical
research. The first Nancy A. Hardesty
Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Jennifer Newman, double majoring
in politics and in philosophy at George Fox University with a minor in women’s
studies.
A rousing performance by The Troubadours of Divine Bliss
filled Saturday evening. This folk-bluegrass-gospel
duo from Kentucky has released six albums and made headlines at festivals
around the globe.
Four ordained women brought their talents to the Sunday
morning worship service: the Reverends Jan Clark (North Carolina,
Baptist), Leslie Harrison (New Jersey, African Methodist Episcopal), Shawna
R. B. Atteberry (Illinois, Episcopal), and Jann Aldredge-Clanton
(Texas, Baptist). In addition to hymns
with inclusive-language lyrics by Aldredge-Clanton, music was performed by Vickie
Bragg of Oklahoma, The Troubadours of Divine Bliss, and Marg Herder
of Indiana.
Notable among the workshops was Susan Cottrell’s on "Being
the Love of Christ: It’s Not That Complicated." She addressed ways in which the church is
called to respond to the LGBTQ community, one part of the larger calling to
embrace all who are marginalized or oppressed. Author of “Mom,
I’m Gay” — Loving Your LGBTQ Child without Sacrificing Your Faith, Cottrell
is a national speaker, teacher, counselor, and founder with her husband of
FreedHearts Ministries.
Other speakers included:
·
Dr. Sharon Groves, Director of the Religion and Faith Program for
the Human Rights Campaign, the largest civil rights organization in America
working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
·
Dr. Mary E. Hunt, Roman Catholic feminist theologian, co-founder
and co-director of the Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual
(WATER).
Dr. Reta Halteman
Finger of Messiah College led a
workshop on how to counter the Bible’s legacy of violence against women. She edited the quarterly journal Daughters
of Sarah based in Chicago from 1976 to 1996.
Other workshop
leaders were the Reverend Deb
Vaughn on current grief therapies, Peg Conway on childbirth and empowering women through body theology, Esther Emery on finding our most authentic voice, and Dr. Paula Trimble-Familetti on
giving voice to Bible women whose claim to fame was neither motherhood nor
prostitution.
More information is available on the Christian Feminism Today website. http://www.eewc.com/Conferences/2014
Please direct media
inquiries to Marg Herder, Director of Public Information for EEWC-Christian
Feminism Today. She can be reached by
emailing office@eewc.com or calling 317-414-8157.
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