The mere association of "womanism" with theology is sufficient to discredit it. I once heard a radio interview in which Walker said she called herself a womanist because she's a Southern woman, which is also enough to cast suspicion on her perspective. I wrote an unflattering blog entry on the occasion of her birthday:
http://reasonsociety.blogspot.com/2008/02/alice-walkers-new-age-freethought.html At 03:41 PM 3/28/2008, Charles Brown wrote: > v â d â e The word womanism was adapted > from Pulitzer Prize winning author, Alice > Walker. In her book In Search of Our Motherâs > Garden: Womanist Prose, Walker used the word to > describe the perspective and experiences of > "women of color." Although most Womanist > scholarship centers on the African American > woman's experience, other non-white theologians > identify themselves with this term. The need > for this term arose from the early feminist > movements that were led specifically by white > women who advocated social changes such as > womanâs suffrage. The feminist movement > focused largely on oppressions based on sexism. > But this movement, largely a white middle-class > movement, ignored oppression based on racism > and classism. It was at this point that > Womanists pointed out that black women > experienced a different and more intense kind > of oppression than did white women. The roots > of theological womanism grew out of the > theology of James Hal Cone, Jacquelyn Grant, > and Delores Williams. Cone developed black > theology which sought to make sense out of > theology from black experience in America. In > his book A Black Theology of Liberation, Cone > argued that âGod is blackâ in an effort to > demonstrate that God identifies with oppressed > people. Grant, a first generation womanist > theologian, argued that Cone did not attend to > the fullness of black experience specifically > that of black women. She arguued that the > oppression of black women is different than > that of black men. Grant pointed out that black > women must navigate between the three-fold > oppression of racism, sexism, and classism in > her books Womanist Theology and White Woman's > Christ Black Women's Jesus. For her, Jesus is a > âdivine co-suffererâ who suffered in his > time like black women today. Therefore, black > women are more oppressed and in need of further > liberation than black men and especially white > women. Delores Williams took the work of > theologians such as Cone and Grant and expanded > upon them. She suggested that womanist > theologians need to âsearch for the voices, > actions, opinions, experience, and faithâ of > black women in order to experience the God who > âmakes a way out of no way.â In her book > Sisters in the Wilderness, she defines womanism > in the following way: âWomanist theology is a > prophetic voice concerned about the well-being > of the entire African American community, male > and female, adults and children. Womanist > theology attempts to help black women see, > affirm, and have confidence in the importance > of their experience and faith for determining > the character of the Christian religion in the > African American community. Womanist theology > challenges all oppressive forces impeding black > womenâs struggle for survival and for the > development of a positive, productive quality > of life conducive to womenâs and the > familyâs freedom and well-being. Womanist > theology opposes all oppression based on race, > sex, class, sexual preference, physical > ability, and casteâ (67). With the increasing > use of the term in Master of Divinity, African > American Studies, and Women's Studies, programs > have clearly begun to incorporate womanism into > university and seminary courses. Two examples > of educational institutions that incorporate > womanism in their graduate coursework are Eden > Theological Seminary in Saint Louis, Missouri > and Memphis Theological Seminary in Memphis, > Tennessee. Professionals such as historians are > regarded as "womanist" historians if they have > incorporated the views and experiences of > African American women in their accounts of history ____________________________ As my ancestors are free from slavery, I am free from the slavery of religion. -- Butterfly McQueen, Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Oct. 8, 1989 _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
