Compiled by Joan Pries

This is a non-exhaustive listing of some of the major reference and reference- type works in the area of feminist theology.  Reference works are those which the user generally employs for specific bits of information rather than reading in their entirety.  This includes commentaries as well as some sources found in the main collection of the library.

Handbooks

Beinert, Wolfgang and Francis Schussler Fiorenza. Handbook of Catholic Theology. New York: Crossroad Publishing, 1995.

Unlike some handbooks, this volume presents the reader with informative articles rather than brief "bits" of information.  The material is, naturally, condensed and presented as an overview, but nonetheless it is well written and informative.  Catholics are concerned with what is happening in the realm of theology today, therefore it is no surprise that feminist theology is usually included in the Catholic sources.

This volume addresses such areas of feminist theology and Christology (briefly touching upon some of the elements of the Gospel narratives which are used to critique "any christological interpretation that would deny the full humanity of women and betray the inclusiveness of God's salvation") ; imago Dei  or 'image of God' ( the importance of the imago Christi symbol lies in the fact Jesus was human rather than focusing on his maleness) ; metaphorical language for God ( metaphors are used to illumine but not to give an essential definition; therefore, metaphors should consist of a variety of ways that suggest how God relates to us as humans) ; and ecofeminism (belief that "dominations of nature and of women are intimately connected and mutually reinforcing").  These are  some of the areas briefly discussed in this volume.  The bibliography after each article also contains helpful resources to turn to.  

Hinnells, John R., ed.  Who's Who of World Religions.  New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992.        

Although this work does not deal specifically with "feminism" or "feminist theology" as such, there are several of well-known women mystics cited.  These women are important to the area of feminist theology in that they are writing from a woman's point of view.  Some of the highly influential women include Hildegarde of Bingen, Julian of Norwich,  Teresa of Avila, Evelyn Underhill, and Simone Weil to name a few.  Although they were not writing with "feminism" in mind, they wrote and lived from who they were as women of God.

Metzger, Bruce M., and Michael D. Coogan, eds.  The Oxford Companion to the Bible.  New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.

The editors include an article on "Feminism and the Bible" which is well written and informative, presenting a succinct overview of the history and areas of inquiry in recent feminist study.  The author states five major areas where feminist study has impacted biblical scholarship:  1) It has emphasized more systematic historical inquiry into the status and role of women in biblical cultures;  2) A more complete and balanced picture of the actual content of the Bible has been encouraged by highlighting texts pertaining to women that were not well known even among people familiar with the Bible;  3) Alternative interpretations of familiar biblical texts have been introduced to show that the texts do not necessarily present a negative view of women;  4) A more complete and balanced picture of the God portrayed in the Bible has been encouraged by emphasizing texts in which the deity is compared to a woman;  5)Fresh translations of all or parts of the Bible seek to reduce the amount of gender-exclusive language in the text.

The author also furnishes three options in the area of feminist hermeneutics including a detailed study of texts pertaining to women to demonstrate that they are not advocating a patriarchal structure or the status quo of the times; using the Bible itself as a means of critiquing patriarchy; and study of the texts pertaining to women to examine the ways in which the patriarchal setting  and worldview then may still be in effect today.

Musser, Donald W. and Joseph L. Price, eds.  A New Handbook of Christian Theology.  Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992.

This work proves to be a suitable starting point for delving into the issues of feminist theology with an article reviewing aspects of feminist theology, as well as topics associated with it.  Three prominent aspects appear to be on the agenda of those seeking to level the playing field for women : the aspect of feminist theology's critique of patriarchy; that it serves to clear a space for women writing about their experiences and especially their spirituality; and proposing a new vision of both Christian practice and of human flourishing.  Topics addressed by feminist theology include scripture and tradition, anthropology, basic symbols of theology, and ethics.  Rebecca Chopp's scholarly yet lucid article causes us to reflect upon some of the deeper issues involved in feminist theology rather than merely viewing it as a system of thought undertaken by women who feel hard done by.

 Chopp cites several important sources for further research in her bibliography as well as providing some cross-references to other important articles within the Handbook itself.  One of those cross-references is an excellent article by Toinette Eugene pertaining to "Womanist Theology," which is the term used by a black feminist or feminist of colour.  Womanist theology believes that white feminists have not taken African American women into consideration when arguing for their cultural, social, and theological perspectives.  Thus, womanist theology is based on a "tri-dimensional analysis of racism, sexism, and classism.  Eugene also cites several very useful works within her bibliography as well as other cross-references.

Dictionaries

Dictionaries are not very useful for the area of feminist theology as the definitions are usually too brief or non-existent, such as in the Dictionary of Christian Theology.  This is a travesty since feminist theology is here to stay and Christians must be aware of the issues and ideas involved in an area that is proving to have such a tremendous impact on the Church.

However, there are a few dictionaries that may be of interest and prove both useful and informative.

Childress, James F., ed.  Dictionary of Christian Ethics, revised ed.  Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1986.

There are several articles worth noting in this work: "Feminist Ethics," by Margaret Farley;  "Oppression," by Gibson Winter;  "Women, Status of," by Beverly Wildung Harrison, and perhaps a few others listed in the cross-references of each of the above mentioned articles.

Farley states that feminist ethics is different from other ethical theories by insisting on the "combination of principles of autonomy, equality, and mutuality."  It seems to share the same principles as 'womanist' theology in its critique of sexism, racism and classism.  Christian feminist ethics has a more direct concern with issues shaped by Christian belief and theology and "takes as one of its tasks the formulation of a theory of moral and religious development and a feminist theory of virtue or character."

Winter refers very briefly to the women's movement forging an attack on sexist population and links liberation ( as in liberation theology, etc.) with structures of patriarchy and anti-Semitism.

Harrison's article on the status of women looks at historical movements to change the public policy regarding women's lives, as well as  social - scientific investigation of the roles of women. Her belief is that no matter what the effect of scholarly debates ( regarding the status of women in the economic realm) at the scientific level, "the status of women as a normative moral question in social ethics requires urgent attention in Christian ethics now and in the future."  Again, a well defined bibliography is provided which would be worth looking into for further research.

Douglas, J.D., ed.  New Bible Dictionary, 2nd ed. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers,1982.

Nothing on feminism or feminist theology is noted but there is one short exegetical-style article on 'Women' looking at both the Old and New Testaments with a brief three-citation bibliography.  It is generally a favourable article but does little to actually delve into how women may have been oppressed in a patriarchal system.  It seems as though the author may be attempting to demonstrate that the plight of women was not nearly as bad as feminists claim.  This may be useful to read as a very brief introduction to the status of women in the Bible, but it would  also go without saying that one should dig deeper than this surface level article.

Elwell, Walter A., ed.  The Concise Evangelical Dictionary of Theology.  Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1991.

Several articles under the heading 'Woman' bear noting, although they are not all equally useful and/or informative.  R. Nicole has written an article pertaining to the biblical concept of women, from creation to the early church.  Depending on one's view, one could take issue with the statement that "God is represented as a male; to do otherwise would have undoubtedly severely curtailed the understanding of his majesty."  If one takes this statement in the cultural context of the times, it may be something to think about.  The article is worth reading, if only as a means to lead one into further study to check the accuracy of the statements.

Directly following is an article on the ordination of women, citing New Testament evidence and several factors which adversely affected the ordination of women throughout history.  This article is a good preview for the next article on women in the church.  The authors, Richard and Catherine Kroeger, have written several books of their own on this topic which are worth reading.  In this article they present evidence to demonstrate that women were in fact part of the early church.  They also write regarding seldom heard of evidence in church history of women in positions of authority within the church. The final section deals with women in evangelical thought, presenting three major views held by evangelicals regarding the role and status of women in the church.

The Concise Dictionary of Evangelical Theology does not provide bibliographies with the articles, but it may be helpful to search for what each of the authors have written themselves and look at the bibliographies of their works, if any pertain to women or feminist theology. 

Ferguson, Sinclair B. and David F. Wright, eds.  New Dictionary of Theology.  Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1988.

A fairly substantial article on 'Feminist Theology' which includes a strong bibliography of several prominent authors in the area of feminist theology and women in ministry.  The author employs three models of studies based on the focus of each in the area of hermeneutical questions.  The first model is called 'rejectionist' or post-Christian in that it sees the Bible as an oppressive patriarchal structure and rejects it as not authoritative.  The second model, termed 'loyalist' or evangelical, has two differing views: a) finds no radical oppressive sexism in the message of the Bible and accepts the traditional argument for order through hierarchy; while b) argues that the full biblical data calls for an egalitarianism and mutual submission.  The third model, called the 'reformist' or liberation model, believes the Bible endorses a patriarchal structure which has continued throughout Christian history, but  also believes the central message of the Bible is one of human liberation.  This, in effect, keeps it from completely discarding the Bible or the Christian tradition. 

The author goes on to define a hermeneutic of feminism , addressing four main areas of consideration if we as Christians recognize "the integrity of biblical revelation" and if we desire a hermeneutic structured by biblical theology.

Richardson, Alan and John Bowden, eds.  A New Dictionary of Christian Theology.  London: SCM Press, 1989.

An excellent, if somewhat dated, article on 'Feminist Theology' by Rosemary Radford Ruether, one of the foremost women in this area.  Unlike several of the more radical feminists who choose not to use the Bible as an authority of any kind, Ruether steadfastly focuses on a feminist theology within the confines of the Bible.  Thus, her article is essential reading for anyone wishing to become more familiar with the core of feminist theology.  Ruether succinctly lays out the agenda of feminist theology by stating that it is "not to be understood primarily as theological reflection on separate 'feminine' themes."  Rather, it is based on the criticism of the "masculinist" bias of Christian theology, as well as attempting to discover "alternative historical traditions supportive of the full personhood of woman and  her inclusion in leadership roles in church and society."  Another important aspect is re-evaluating symbols found in Christianity, and questioning such concepts of sin and grace.  Ruether believes that all the basic Christian theological constructs need to be re-evaluated for their possible masculinist bias and "redeveloped to include the different experiences of women."

Russell, Letty M. and J. Shannon Clarkson. Dictionary of Feminist Theologies. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knowx Press, 1996.

"This [dictionary] seeks to provide guideance to readers who are interested in all areas of Christian theology as they relate to feminism, as well as in theologies of other religions as developed by feminists. Entries include topics of international interest and articles written by international scholars, but the majority of the writers are from North America ... No other dictionary of this kind exists in English."

The editors have put together a fine work to inform the layperson and students interested in this subject. Standard topics of Christian theological studies are covered as well as other religions as they intersect with the area of feminist studies. There are also several longer introductory articles that give an overview of current work in feminist theologies in areas such as Feminist Theories, Ethics and Moral Theologies, Biblical Studies, Church Ministries and Worship, etc. An interesting feature are the questions and issues that are posed at the end of many articles which encourage further study and reflection. Of particular interest is the extensive bibliography of the works cited within this volume.

Encyclopedias

Encyclopedias tend to publish longer and more indepth articles than those usually found in dictionaries, and are therefore more helpful in one's research.  There are usually several lengthy feature articles (on various topics) with other shorter articles within each section of the work.  Following is a list of several of the more prominent titles in the encyclopedia category which have addressed the areas of feminism/ feminist theology/women in a significant way.  

Bryne, Peter and Leslie Houlden, eds.  Companion Encyclopedia of Theology.  New York: Routledge, 1995.

Several excellent articles in this work are sure to broaden one's perspective on feminist and liberation theologies.  Grace Jantzen has written a significant article on "Feminism in the Philosophy of Religion" which enables one to understand more fully the views of feminism and its impact on many areas of society and education.  Jantzen states that although feminist philosophy of religion is a relatively new area, it is beginning to take hold quickly.  She believes it must be viewed within the broader context of feminist theory, as well as even more generally within the feminist movement as a whole.  Since feminism as a movement is concerned primarily with justice, Jantzen states "it is important to remember that feminist philosophy of religion is part of the effort of feminist scholars to develop theory in the service of active efforts for justice."  Feminist philosophy of religion is closely linked with feminist work in theology, biblical studies, and spirituality.  She describes four forms of feminism, sources of religious knowledge, and the concepts of God and personhood from a feminist viewpoint.  Her bibliography is extensive and cites many of the major players within this interdisciplinary view of feminism.

While Jantzen's article is one of the longer feature articles, several other articles bear noting.  One such article deals with both liberation and feminist theologies and how they are linked together.  This is helpful for understanding the breadth of feminism, as well as providing a good overview of liberation theology itself.  Further on, within the section on Christian Theology: Scene and Prospect, one comes upon the article on 'Feminism and Christian Theology'.  This is somewhat of a critique of feminist theology and is worth reading to allow one to think critically of many of the issues presented for and against feminist theology.

McBrien, Richard P., ed.  The HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism.  New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1995.

It would be false to assume that because Catholicism is entrenched in the male hierarchy with no hope in the near future for any change, women are relegated to the back burner.  In many ways, Catholics are ahead of evangelicals in their view of women and the activities women participate in within the Church.  An article on 'Feminism', however, demonstrates that feminist theologians are just as active within the Catholic church as they are in mainline and evangelical churches.  The message appears to be that the playing field must be leveled throughout the entire Christian Church.

The four main categories of feminism are again stated- liberal, radical, romantic, or socialist- as well as the emphasis of each.  Moving on to Christian feminism, the author states that "feminist theologians put the Christian message and feminist thought in conversation, mutually critiquing one another."    Theology for feminists, and liberation theologians, consists of more than just intellectual and academic pursuits; it is action and reflection together.  The various forms of feminist theologies--reformist, revolutionary, and separatist-- are then discussed, along with their interpretation of Scripture.  Thus, the claims of feminist theologians are the same across the spectrum of Christianity, which should tell us something about how women as a class have been marginalized to a great degree.

McGrath, Alister, ed.  The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Modern Christian Thought. Cambridge: Blackwell Publishers, 1993.

A feature article on 'Feminist  Theology' gives a brief history before launching into the core of the article.  The author defines feminist theology, within the Christian context, as that area of study pertaining to views about women and the activities, roles and practices of women found in the Scriptures, in the texts of the tradition, and in the theologies of the churches.  Though it is true women have been denigrated and marginalized in Christian traditions, evidence shows they also exercised significant leadership throughout history.

Three main tasks of feminist theologians consist of protest and critique of patterns in the Bible and Christian tradition, historical revision through restoring the characters and voices of women in the Bible and history, and theological construction, i.e. reformulating the whole of Christian theology. Throughout these main tasks various views are introduced to comprise a more complete picture of the continuum which feminist theology presents.  Sin and salvation are defined in a feminist perspective as  the breaking of relationship with God, with other persons, and with nature and life itself, and the healing of these broken relationships respectively.

Once again an extended bibliography is supplied filled with authors central to this area of study. This is another important article from which to glean a deeper understanding.

Monographs (Books)

Monographs are simply books which relate to a specific area of study.  Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the word as "a learning treatise on a small area of learning."  Some monographs will be found in the main stacks but can be considered as reference-like materials since the user may not necessarily need to read the entire volume but will choose only certain parts.  Following are several monographs pertaining to feminist theology that fall into this category.

Brenner, Athalya and Carole Fontaine, eds.  A Feminist Companion to Reading the Bible: Approaches, Methods and Strategies.  Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997.

This is the introductory volume for the ten-volume (excluding the introductory volume) Feminist Companion series which seeks to exegete and interpret various books of the Bible from a feminist point of view.  As the title indicates, the purpose of this volume, which was written after the completion of the other ten volumes, is to critique and analyze the methods and approaches often used by non- feminists for biblical interpretation.  Therefore, included in this volume are a number of essays which seek to inform the reader of the methodologies, guidelines, strategies and approaches employed by feminist scholars as well as "non-feminist essays that have a direct bearing on the methods or subject matter feminists use."  The focus is on present research trends and some guidelines for future developments.

Brenner, Athalya, ed.  Genesis: A Feminist Companion to the Bible (Second Series). Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1998.

Although a first Genesis volume was published only four or five years prior to this one, the editor believed that a second volume was necessary for several reasons. One reason is the vast increase in publications by feminist scholars, as well as the heightened recognition of these same scholars.  Interest in the area of feminist studies has also increased to the degree that these new essays are now focusing on, or bringing to the discussion, new knowledge from a variety of disciplines.  Thus, this volume is meant to be read together with the first one, since there is no repetition from the first to the second.

The essays in this volume have been divided into three sections: Creation and Paradise Revisited; Mal[e]Practices; and Female Modes. The first section contains three essays pertaining to Genesis 2-3-- one a midrash  i.e. feminist midrash whereby the author retells the Genesis 2-3 account using her own translation and understanding of the text; followed by a historical-cultural reading of the same text, with the author's assumption that "the Yahwist's story of Adam and Eve in the garden has served ever since as the basis for patriarchy and the subordination of women"; and the third looks at another aspect of the same story.  Each uses various methodologies which differ from the traditional analyses, which is the main focus of this entire series.

The second section has five essays dealing with various patriarchs in the Genesis account who "behave badly...especially with regard to their socially inferior dependents, the women and children and other family members who rely on them."  The stories of Noah and Lot are discussed from a psychoanalytical as well as from a sociological perspective.  The story of Abraham and Isaac is reread through anthropological and feminist eyes.  In chapter 34, the account of Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob, who was raped by Shechem, is shaped by the question of focalization, of narrative perspective and interpretive perspectives.

Section three focuses on several women: Hagar, Rachel, and women "in pairs" i.e. women such as sisters, sisters-in-law, co-wives, wife-slave.  Hagar is seen through the eyes of liberation theology, as well as through the artistic representation of sixteenth and seventeenth century artists.  The "females in pairs" introduces "dualities and complexities of human existence, relatedness and behaviour," and Rachel is analyzed "from the viewpoint...of female agency within a certain cultural mode."  Once again, an extensive bibliography is included which will further one's research.

Curran, Charles, Margaret A. Farley and Richard A. McCormick, eds.  Feminist Ethics and the Catholic Moral Tradition.  New York: Paulist Press, 1996.

This volume is a compilation of articles previously published in various journals and/or books and is the ninth volume in a series entitled Readings in Moral Theology.  As indicated by the title, the focus is on feminist ethics as it relates to the Catholic moral tradition.  As the amount of literature pertaining to feminist ethics within the past few decades is enormous, the writings are of a recent date, thereby omitting some of the leading original writers.  However, footnotes and bibliography compensate for this.

The volume is divided into five sections: Overview; General Theory; Interpersonal and Familial Relations; Bioethics; and Social Ethics.  While the entire volume would be interesting and helpful, the Overview would be particularly helpful as it deals with both feminist ethics and feminist theology by giving a fairly brief summation of the principles and literature respectively.  Section two is useful to gain a clearer understanding of mujerista (Hispanic) and womanist (African American) feminism, as well as some of the commonalities and differences within feminist ethics from a Catholic perspective.

 It is the belief of the editors that the Catholic tradition "will only be enriched if it takes seriously the voices of women" such as those who were consulted for this volume, many of whom did not actually contribute essays for this particular work.  The evangelical tradition would do well to take this to heart as well.

Kroeger, Catherine Clark and Mary J. Evans, eds. The IVP Women's Bible Commentary. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002.

Contributions to this one-volume commentary are provided by 88 women and men from a variety of denominational perspectives on most of the books of the Bible. The focus is on the "meaning behind biblical gender interpretations." As well as commentary, over 75 supplemental topical articles help to provide a greater understanding of biblical concepts and customs. Basic bibliographies are listed after most of the commentary and articles. This volume appears to contain a great deal of research with regard to original languages and historical context, as well as the sociological and psychological concerns of women. It would be a very helpful supplementary commentary for anyone attempting to exegete and understand the biblical text.

Laffey, Alice L.  An Introduction to the Old Testament: A Feminist Perspective.  Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1988.

Slotted into the "commentary" category due to its analysis of specific texts, this volume seeks to cause its readers to reflect on characters involved in the texts other than those traditionally focused upon. Although this volume is already dated when one considers the amount of literature available even since the mid 1990's, nonetheless it serves as a work which reflects many of the basic methodologies used in feminist theology --that is, to "bring to critical consciousness the predominantly patriarchal and hierarchical characters of the texts."   It is intended to complement those textbooks used as an introduction to the study of the Old Testament which usually use historical- critical methodologies but rarely, if ever, a feminist interpretation.

Four main sections divide this volume, each with a brief introduction followed by various themes from a feminist perspective within the section, and then an analysis of specific texts from a feminist perspective.  Part I deals with the Pentateuch where the stories of women such as Eve, Sarah, Dinah, Tamar, etc are told.  Part II concerns the Deuteronomistic history, part II the major and minor prophets, and part IV the writings (those books which are diverse in authorship, in period composition, and in content).  The interpretations of specific texts and women are fairly brief and are not necessarily meant as an exegesis of the specific text, but rather a re-reading of some very familiar texts through a woman's lens.   

Newsom, Carol A. and Sharon H. Ringe, eds.  The Woman's Bible Commentary.  Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992.

A single-volume commentary, this work brings together women of Jewish, Roman Catholic and Protestant communities.  All the contributors are "women of linguistic talent who have decided to make a specialty of Hebrew and New Testament Greek in the interest of their sex."  Although there are differences in what each of these religious groups refer to as the "Bible", a decision was made to use the Protestant canon in its number and order, with one exception: the deuterocanonical additions to Esther and Daniel.  The remainder of the Apocrypha is included in a separate article.

Each section on a biblical book includes an introduction to its contents as well as an overview of the major issues involved.  The contributors then selected for comment those passages which they believed had special significance for women.  It is not, therefore, a verse-by-verse commentary but rather a theme-based commentary.  There is also an article at the end of the Old Testament section concerning the everyday life of women in the time of the Hebrew Bible, as well as one written about women in New Testament times.  

The reader may not necessarily agree with the what has been written, but it is important to acknowledge that there may be more than one way of viewing a particular passage.  Understanding a situation about a woman from a woman's point of view is crucial to its authenticity.

There is a 1998 expanded edition of the above commentary which includes essays on the Apocrypha, or deuterocanonical books, and is valuable for those with an historical interest. As well, a bibliography is included at the end of the volume which serves as a supplement for the bibliographies of the various individual articles. This bibliography helps to demonstrate the "rich variety of interpretations of the Bible being done by women in all parts of the world..." However, only works available in English have been listed.

O'Brien, Joanne and Martin Palmer. The State of Religion Atlas. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993.

While all the major religions of the world are included in this volume and perhaps much of the information is irrelevant to the area of feminism and feminist theology, there are a few maps that may be worth scanning.  One map deals with a world-wide view of the main denominations of the major religions which can be cross-referenced with the world map of  'Equal Rites' which shows the status of women within the major religions.  This may help to demonstrate that, while we still have a long way to go to reach a state of egalitarianism for women and other marginal-like groups, there is hope that at least some parts of the world have begun the long way forward.  Feminism is not only opposed to inequality between the genders, but is also opposed to other forms of unjust discrimination and patterns of domination which includes such things as poverty and how we use/abuse the environment.

Walsh, Mary-Paula. Feminism and Christian Tradition: an annotated bibliography and critical introduction to the literature. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 1999.

This work "presents a survey of important writings, trends and sources and seeks to organize this literature in ways which are helpful to a broadly based and interdisciplinary audience." Most of the work reviewed is taken from American journal and book publications from the period 1968-1993, "although...recent publications through the mid 1990's are also included." This book seeks to make the literature accessible and introduce readers to the issues raised by the areas of theology and sociology.

The volume is divided into six sections: I. Introductory and Background Materials, which includes topics such as feminism and the women's movement; feminism and feminist sociology, etc. ; II. Feminism and the Development of Feminist Theology, addressing the early literature, core works, and recent literature; III. Topical Literatures in Feminist Theology, such as feminist theological method; feminist theology and Christian worship; feminist spirituality, etc.; IV. Feminism and Womanist Theology, background literature and ethics; V. The Religious Leadership of Women, in American Protestantism and Catholicism, as well as theological education; VI. Responses and Recent Developments, such as antifeminism and antifeminsim theology; patriarchy, violence and sexual harassment in the churches.

May-Paula Walsh is a sociologist with specializations in feminist and religious studies.