Course Syllabus

Introduction to Feminist & Womanist Theologies

Fall 2016

ILIFF SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

 

Instructor: Professor Michele Watkins                                   

Email: mwatkins@iliff.edu   Phone: (303) 228-8618

Office Hours: Thursdays 9:00 am- 12:00 pm (By Appointment Only)

 

Course Description: The goal of this course it to introduce students to several significant dimensions, continuities, and differences found in feminist and womanist theological discourse. This course seeks to integrate theories on gender, race, class, and sexuality in ways that patriarchy has influenced women and men’s identity formation. Specific attention will be given to the ways that theological doctrine has been utilized in feminist and womanist discourses in order to make sense of this formation in order to construct a more liberative schema that advances the flourishing of creation.

 

Course Objectives

1) to become familiar with the logic of sexism in our society through readings feminist discourse and hearing into speech women’s experiences of domination based on gender and race

2) to become aware of black feminist as well as womanist critique that begins at the intersection of not just gender but also of intersecting sites of gender, race, class and sexuality to just name few over-lapping sites,

3) to become familiar with how patriarchal theological perspectives support oppressive views of certain groups of peoples,

4) to become familiar with the similarities and distinctions between feminist and womanist theological methodology

5) to develop new and constructive ways of articulating and envisioning a more nuanced and liberative theology rooted in theory and praxis.

 

Course Texts

• Clifford, Anne M. Introducing Feminist Theology. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 2001.
• Hunt, Mary E., and Diann L. Neu, eds. New Feminist Christianity: Many Voices, Many Views. Woodstock, Vermont: Skylight Paths Publishing, 2010.
• Phillips, Layli, ed. The Womanist Reader. Routledge, 2006.
• Johnson, Elizabeth A. She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse. New York, New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1992.
• Lightsey, Pamela R. Our Lives Matter: A Womanist Queer Theology. New York: Pickwick Publishing, 2015.
• Reuther, Rosemary Radford. Sexism and God-Talk: Toward a Feminist Theology, Boston: Beacon Press, 1983. 
• Walker, Alice.In Search of our Mothers’ Gardens: Womanist Prose. San Diego: Harcourt Brace, 1983.
• Williams, Delores S. Sisters in the Wilderness: The Challenge of Womanist God-Talk. Orbis Books, 1993.

Each student is responsible for locating the articles or chapters for presentations through the DU or ILIFF Taylor Library. 

Course Requirements

• Regular class attendance (no more than 2 absences) and reading that is complete, careful, critical, and on schedule.
• Weekly Submission of 2 Discussion Questions (45% of your final grade) After careful and critical engagement of the assigned readings, each student is required to come to class with two questions for class discussion and reflection: one clarifying question and one critical discussion question

 

Clarifying discussion questions: identifies a particular idea, concept, or aspect of the author’s point of view that you would like to know more about (not just for the sake of knowing) but so that you might grasp more fully the author’s proposal

 

Critical discussion questions: reflects your understanding of what the author has written and wants you to believe (thesis, argument, truth of a specific narrative, etc) but goes a step further to interrogate an aspect of the author’s proposal to determine whether it is worthy of agreement.

• Your interrogation of the author’s presentation while honoring the integrity of the author who wrote it
• Your questioning of whether the author’s views about a certain aspect of the text are worthy of agreement

 

Discussion questions based on the weekly assigned reading should be posted online in the Canvas Discussion Forum no later than each Wednesday at Noon/12:00 p.m. (MT).

 

Be prepared to share your critical discussion questions at the beginning of each class with at least a 5 to 7 sentence rationale for how you arrived to the question and why it is important to you.

 

• 2 Oral Presentation on 1 Chapter/Article and 1 Book (20% of your final grade)

 

Students will sign up on the first day of class to present 2 oral presentations (1

for an article/chapter and 1 for a book), each accompanied by a 3 to 5 double-spaced written summary of the presentation for the instructor (with correct referencing of the sources, using footnotes).

 

The purpose of this exercise is to acquaint the student with the literature of feminist and womanist traditions and for the student to share that knowledge with the class. In no more than 15 minutes, the student will provide a short bibliographical and historical introduction to the author and context (5 min.), a summary of the gist of the text (5 min.), and major questions that arise from sections worth highlighting (5 min.).

 

The 15 minutes will be timed strictly (practicing the presentation beforehand is

therefore essential). For many of the student colleagues, this will be a first introduction to the text and author, and that should be taken into account.

 

• Final Interview Project (35% of your final grade)

In the form of a final analysis paper based on a cogent literature review and two qualitative interviews.

 

The final interview project is an examination of one focused topic that has shaped the lives of women (i.e. What is the “lived experience” of women’s relationship to men and their God images?) Students will choose two women of their choice and conduct a structured interview with each with questions related to this focused topic. With the informed consent of each interviewee, their answers are to then be placed in conversation with all the assigned readings as well as relevant literature specific to the focused topic chosen.

 

The final paper should offer clear, logical, and convincing analysis of that issue then offer a feminist or womanist theological analysis in response to this issue.

 

Timeline for Project

 

• Topic Submission to the Professor with Draft of Interview Questions and Bibliography – Due October 3, 2016
• Sign up for timeslot to meet with Professor on Canvas Scheduler Forum
• Meet for 15- minute Consultation with Professor – October 3-7, 2016
• Submission of Final Draft of Interview Questions - October 13, 2016
• Conduct Interviews – October 14- 31, 2016
• In-Class Presentation: “Snapshot of Final Interview Project” with topic, findings from literature and interviews, and an outline of thesis, subtheses, and sources. November 10, 2016
• Submission of Final Project Essay: 10-12 double spaced, Times New Roman according to the rubric distributed on September 29^th in class.

 

Due: November 17, 2016 (NO EXTENSIONS OR LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED) Please plan ahead.

 

            COURSE SCHEDULE

 

Week 1             Introduction to the Course

Sept 15             

 

Week 2             Topic: Feminism, Womanism and Intersectionality

Sept 22             Assigned Readings for Class Discussion:

• Clifford, Introducing Feminist Theology, Introduction and chap. 1
• Hunt & Neu, New Feminist Christianity, Introduction and Part I
• Article Presentation: Joh, “Race, Class, Gender, Sexuality” in New Feminist Christianity:   Many Voices, Many Views. Woodstock, Vermont: Skylight Paths Publishing, 2010.

Week 3             Topic: The Blessing & Curse of Theological Doctrine

Sept 29             Assigned Readings for Class Discussion:

• Clifford, Introducing Feminist Theology, 3-5
• Ruether, Sexism and God-Talk (Entire Book)
• Article Presentation: Monique Wittig, “One is Not Born a Woman,” in Feminist Theory Reader: Local and Global Perspectives, edited by Carole R. McCann and Seung-Kung Kim (New York and London: Routledge, 2003).

 

Week 4             Topic: “Feminism is to Womanism as Purple is to Lavender”

Oct 6                Assigned Readings for Class Discussion:

• Walker, In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens, (Entire Book)
• Phillips, The Womanist Reader. Part I.
• Article Presentation: Williams, Delores. “The Color of Feminism,” Christianity and Crisis (April 29, 1985) 164-65; “The Color of Feminism: Or Speaking the Black Woman’s Tongue,” The Journal of Religious Thought, 43 (Spring/Summer, 1986) 42-58
• Article Presentation: West, Tracy. “What Does Antiracist Feminist Christian Social Ethics Look Like,” in New Feminist Christianity: Many Voices, Many Views. Woodstock, Vermont: Skylight Paths Publishing, 2010.

 

Week 5             Topic: Black Feminism & Womanism

Oct 13               Class & Professor Consultation- Final Project Topics & Interview Questions

 

Week 6               Topic: Black Feminism & Womanism

Oct 20               Assigned Readings for Class Discussion

• Phillips, The Womanist Reader, Part II
• Book Presentation: hooks, bell. Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center (Boston: South End Press, 1984)
• Article Presentation: Virginia R. Mollenkott, “Transforming Feminist Christianity” in New Feminist Christianity: Many Voices, Many Views. Woodstock, Vermont: Skylight Paths Publishing, 2010.