Before you begin please refer to the introduction to learn more about about the National Network of Presbyterian College Women (NNPCW). You will also find links to download other chapters of Lifting Up Our Voices.
We enter this topic with the assumption that readers will come from a wide variety of perspectives on issues of faith, feminism, and the intersection of the two. Some readers will claim Christian faith but not feminism. Others may claim feminism but not Christian faith. Others may claim both. Others may claim neither. The information presented on this topic aims to serve as a discussion starter for any of these situations. We use the term “feminism” broadly to discuss the empowerment of women, but many women see this term as applying exclusively to Caucasian women. Some women of color, however, wish to claim a feminism that is not the exclusive domain of Caucasian women. Discuss in your group the advantages and disadvantages of using feminism as a broad term. This topic focuses primarily on personal exploration of faith and feminism/women’s concerns, rather than in-depth information about women’s theologies. You may use this section in conjunction with Women’s Theologies, which focuses more on an analysis of the various contributions women have made to the development and articulation of theology.