Women-Church: Theology and Practice

by Rosemary Radford Ruether

Elucidates the theological and historical understanding of church as a community of liberation from sexism, describes a complete revisioning of the sacramental fundamentals of baptism and eucharist, and details women's liturgies and sacramental forms

Genres: Theology, Feminism, Religion

306 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1988

About the author

Visiting Professor of Feminist Theology B.A. Scripps College; M.S., Ph.D., Claremont Graduate School

Rosemary Radford Ruether was the Carpenter Emerita Professor of Feminist Theology at Pacific School of Religion and the GTU, as well as the Georgia Harkness Emerita Professor of Applied Theology at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. She had enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a scholar, teacher, and activist in the Roman Catholic Church, and was well known as a groundbreaking figure in Christian feminist theology.

Education

B.A. – Scripps College
M.S., Ph.D. – Claremont Graduate School

Recent Publications / Achievements

Christianity and Social Systems: Historical Constructions and Ethical Challenges (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2009)

Catholic Does Not Equal the Vatican: A Vision for Progressive Catholicism (New Press, 2008)

America, Amerikkka: Elect Nation and Imperial Violence(Equinox, 2007)

Encyclopedia of Women And Religion in North America, with Rosemary Skinner Keller (Indiana University Press, 2006)

Goddesses and the Divine Feminine: A Western Religious History (University of California Press, 2005)

Integrating Ecofeminism, Globalization, and World Religions(Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2005)

Mountain Sisters: From Convent To Community In Appalachia, Forward (University Press of Kentucky, 2004)

The Wrath of Jonah: The Crisis of Religious Nationalism in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Fortress Press, 2002

Reviews

[Rachel Phelps Shearer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. I’ve been reading a lot lately about women and Christianity, and this is definitely the most progressive of anything I’ve read. There were things in here with which I agreed—we as women can’t just wait around for men to give us the rights we deserve; we have to fight for it ourselves. I also like some of the proposed liturgies, especially the ones for healing after miscarriage, rape, etc. However, in proposing women-church and what that would look like, Ruether focuses more on women’s self-actualization rather than the gospel. Based on some of the chapters about the history of the church, she seems to believe that some parts of Christianity cannot be redeemed or reclaimed from patriarchy and must be abandoned altogether, and that includes portions of scripture itself. I definitely disagree with those ideas.

I do think this is an interesting read for anyone who likes reading about feminism and Christianity, but I think there are much better books than this one (anything by Beth Allison Barr is what I would recommend). And as a final petty comment, if The Gospel Coalition can’t handle BAB, I think their Calvin-addled brains would explode if they read Women-Church.

[Carolyn Kost · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most important books in feminist theology. Provides a vision of what a system of spirituality and rituals can look like when liberated from patriarchy.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

AS THE SUBTITLE STATES, "THEOLOGY AND PRACTICE OF FEMINIST LITURGICAL COMMUNITIES”

Rosemary Radford Ruether (born 1936) is an American feminist scholar and theologian.

She states in the "Acknowledgments" section of this 1985 book, "This book is a collective creation that reflects the contributions of many people in the emerging movement of women-church and feminist liturgies." She later adds in the Introduction, "This book on women-church is written from the perspective of religious feminists who seek to reclaim aspects of the biblical tradition, Jewish and Christian, but who also recognize the need both to go back behind biblical religion and to transcend it. Women-church embraces a liminal religiosity... This book is also written out of a recognition that Christian feminists cannot wait for the institutional churches to reform themselves..."

Here are some representative quotations from the book:

"Women have to withdraw from male-dominated spaces so they can gather together and define their own experience."
"Women-Church is the Christian theological expression of this stage of feminist collectivization of women's experience and the formation of critical culture."
"Modern pagans tend to exhibit an impatience with historical accuracy in these matters, a desire to make do with myths that serve their present purposes, such as an easy equation between worship of ancient Goddesses and a feminist religion that empowers women as autonomous persons."
"If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again!"