By Brittini L. Palmer. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. These women and many others refused to be quiet. There is just silence. Black women have been theologizing for a long time. She holds a B.A. [7] Grant was featured as a contributor in the 1983 April issue of Ebony magazine to the article "School of Religion for Men Behind Bars" and to the article "Gifts of the Spirit" in the 1992 December issue. Introducing Feminist Cultural Hermeneutics: An African Perspective (Pilgrim, 2002). #BlackWomanMagic speaks both to the wonder that we stand where the white gleam of our bright star is cast, and to the power and effort that it has taken collectively within the African diasporic community and individually within each of these women to reach these positions. Douglas, who is currently the Susan D. Morgan Distinguished Professor of Religion at Goucher College in Baltimore, has been named Dean of Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Africa is vast. It behoves all of us to have some idea of what is happening in Christianity globally, not just in our area. You may never be able to visit the stunning continent in person, but you can easily learn from African brethren take up and read. Currently, she serves as the Fuller E. Callaway Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, GA. in Theology at a well-known evangelical institution. We are flesh and bone, heart and soul. The Mosaic Bulletin aims to be a platform that amplifies the voices of seminary students, especially those at the margins, discussing everything from theology, race, and gender to bridging the gap between the seminary and the community, culture, and art. 2020 All rights reserved.Copying and republishing this article on other Web sites, or in any other place, without written permission is prohibited. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Her publications include Solidarity and Defiant Spirituality: Africana Lessons on Religion, Racism, and Ending Gender Violence (New York University Press, 2019); and Disruptive Christian Ethics: When Racism and Womens Lives Matter (Westminster John Knox Press, 2006). She is also a long-serving director of the HIV and Aids Advocacy and Initiatives by the WCC and passionate about sexual violence issues and made history by being the first Presbyterian woman to be ordained minister by the PCEA in 1982. Oduyoye has been awarded multiple honorary degrees, from Stellenbosch University, the University of the Western Cape, and Yale. She is considered the founding foremother of Womanist theology, and is best known for her 1993 book Sisters in the Wilderness: The Challenge of Womanist God-Talk.[10]. No other woman or African-American had achieved such an accomplishment. Mburu has taught in the United States as well as in Kenya at several universities, including Africa International University. November 15, 2019 This month, we want to highlight eight prominent theologians who are women of color. Elizabeth Mburu is from Kenya, and received her PhD in New Testament from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, as that schools first female PhD graduate in 2008. Musa W. Dube is originally from Botswana. 17 African American Women Theologians You Should Know About. She earned both her M.A. Never miss a blog post on World Christianity we'll send you an email when a new one comes out. [3], Rev. As I said, Africa is vast, and it is a continent in which Christianity is growing rapidly, as Philip Jenkins and many others have pointed out. July 6th, 2017. first African-American female deans of a theological institution, according to reports. But Williams pointed to a second tradition of Black . Three years later, Dr. Teresa Fry Brown also became a first when she was named Bandy Professor of Preaching, the most prestigious chair in homiletics in the country. Her career has so far included Professor at University of KwaZulu-Natal, Director of the Gender and Religion Programme 2005 to 2012, and Dean of Research in the College of Humanities, University of KwaZulu-Natal. In some instances, they are the firsts first deans, first to receive full professorship, first department chair. student, things havent changed. [9], The professor and former pastor argues that women serving as activists for the black church are sometimes put into institutional categories for their political expression by the black church itself. in Theology at a well-known evangelical institution. Today, black women theologians are still speaking and teaching us about God. Recommended book chapter: The Will to Arise: Reflections on Luke 8:40-56 inThe Will to Arise: Women, Tradition, and the Church in Africa (Orbis, 2005). 10 Notable Black Female Preachers You Should Know - NewsOne During the Civil Rights . Such is the case with theology, from Sojourner Truth's biblical feminism to third-wave womanist theology: when these Black women could not find themselves in the existing religious philosophies . Although suspicious of or For this reason, we have decided to feature 16 African American women theologians and biblical scholars you should know. from Howard University School of Divinity. in African American Studies from Harvard University, and her M.Div. Through womanism, African American women have gained a renewed sense of confidence, power, and creativity. Kiama Kia Ngo: An African Christian Feminist Ethic of Resistance and Transformation (Legon Theological Studies, 2000). The Rev. Dr. Keri Day is the Associate Professor of Constructive Theology and African American Religion at Princeton Theological Seminary. Whereas many of the theologians listed here are ones who established womens theology in Africa, Mburu is a younger scholar who has the potential to contribute significantly to the future of evangelical theology. Rev. Rev. Dr. Grant holds a B.A. July 6th, 2017. She founded the denomination's Women in Ministry organization, which later became the Commission on Women and Ministry.[3]. Along with my mentors, colleagues and friends. Sandra Smith Blair. Borrowing the title from Langston Hughes' poem "Mother and Son," Hayes paints a . Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. She studied at Durham for her masters degree in the New Testament and completed a PhD at Vanderbilt University. The use of #BlackWomanMagic is both encouraging and concerning. [1] https://utsnyc.edu/faculty/andrea-c-white/, [2] https://www.ctschicago.edu/people/joanne-marie-terrell/, [3] https://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/00336000014Tl9NAAS/diana-hayes, [4] https://divinity.yale.edu/faculty-and-research/yds-faculty/eboni-marshall-turman, [5] https://www.apu.edu/theology/faculty/jwinston/, [6] https://mccormick.edu/content/crumpton-stephanie, [7] https://www.upsem.edu/newsroom/professor-katie-cannon-first-black-woman-ordained-in-pcusa-dies-at-68/, [8] https://www.ptsem.edu/people/keri-day, [9] https://cathedral.org/staff/kelly-brown-douglas/, [10] https://utsnyc.edu/event/trailblazer-2018-5/, [11] https://divinity.vanderbilt.edu/people/bio/emiliem-townes, [12] https://www.itc.edu/directory/dr-jacquelyn-grant/, [13] http://www.shawu.edu/Faculty_Staff/kirk-duggan/bio.htm, [14] https://cst.edu/academics/faculty/monica-a-coleman/, [15] https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/mcas/departments/theology/people/faculty-directory/m-shawn-copeland.html, [16] https://www.ctsnet.edu/mitzi-smith-appointed-davison-philips-professor-new-testament/, Copyright 2019The Global Church Project Ltd|Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy| Website byEndure Web Studios. Copyright 2019The Global Church Project Ltd|Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy| Website byEndure Web Studios. Dear U.S. Catholic Theologians: The Lives of Black Women and Girls This year, several Black women have made history in theological education. She also received the U.S. Catholic Award for Furthering the Role of Women in the Church. This Black History Month, here's eight black theologians who have - or are - shaping our faith Alongside Katie Cannon, Delores S. Williams, and Kelly Brown Douglas, Grant is considered one of the four founders of womanist theology. I am reminded of Jesse Williams speech in which he said, Just because were magic doesnt mean were not real.. Seven Black Theologians to Know for Black History Month Jacquelyn Grant - Wikipedia She has also written various works, including A History of the Akurinu Churches with Particular Reference to the Holy Ghost Church of East Africa and Concept of Basic Human Rights in African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa and Jesus is Alive Ministries.. She serves in the leadership team of Mosaic Ministries, and as minister and womens ministry leader at Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. Consider the issue of representation. Dr. Turman holds an M.Div., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in Christian Social Ethics from Union Theological Seminary. Cannon, Williams, and Womanist Survival | Harvard Divinity Bulletin You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Moreover, I did not even have a required textbook written by an African American female author. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Black Theology - African American Studies - Oxford Bibliographies Womanist theologians and ethicists have edited volumes calling for African American female thinkers to develop a methodology that starts with the religious beliefs and practices of women, while also embracing the entire constituency of the church (i.e., men and boys, as well). The theory centers on the intersections of feminism, sexism, and anti-black racism in an effort to address the deeply oppressive . Nov 23, 2021. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. She loves to fuse her passion for art and faith through the designs she creates. However, I am frustrated by the effects. I will help prepare college men and women to critically engage the world around them in matters pertaining to religion, the Divine, and humanity. After earning a masters in religious education from the University of Lancaster in England, she earned a PhD from University of Cape Town, South Africa, where she majored in African theology, feminist theology, and mission history. Grant expounds on this and similar notions in her writings. She served with the World Council of Churches for two decades and has taught at Harvard University, Union Theological Seminary, and the University of Ibadan. She is also the first African American president of the Catholic Theological Society.[15]. Diana Hayes on Black women of God - U.S. Catholic She is the first African American woman to receive the Pontifical Doctorate of Sacred Theology Degree from this institution. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas was named Dean of Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary. On April 24, 1974, she became the first African American woman to be ordained by the denomination. Click To Tweet Andrea C. White There are voices. and Ph.D. in Religion and Theology from Claremont Graduate University.[14]. She has co-authored (with Isabel Phiri), HIV Research, Gender and Religion Studies InHandbook of Theological Education in Africa; as sole author, the chapter Her-Stories and Her-Theologies: Charting Feminist Theologies in Africa inThe Wiley-Blackwell Companion to African Religions; co-editor with Isabel Phiri ofAfrican Women, Religion, and Health: Essays in Honour of Mercy Amba Oduyoye. [4] She differs from earlier black theologians such as James H. Cone, whose work Grant did not think adequately addressed the lived realities of black women. in Pastoral Studies with an emphasis in Urban Ministries and her M.Div. Additionally, she is the founder of The Black Women in Church and Society (BWCS) program, The Womanist Scholars Program (WSP) and Black Women in Ministerial Leadership Program (BWML). Musimbi R. A. Kanyoro is a Kenyan who has earned two doctorates: one from the University of Texas at Austin in linguistics, and the other in feminist theology from San Francisco Theological Seminary. Now, as a third-year M.Div. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Juliany Gonzlez Nieves offers A Reading List on Latinx and Latin American TheologiesHEREand downloadableHERE. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Her research interests include gender issues, HIV/AIDS, among others. On one hand, the phrase speaks to the awesome and awe-inspiring work being done by Black women. Grant is known for her commitment to building stronger communities and churches. July 6th, 2017. Townes is an ordained American Baptist minister, and she earned her masters and bachelors degrees at the University of Chicago. She serves as a curriculum evaluator for the Association of Christian Theological Education in Africa. West is an ordained elder in the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.[17]. Today, black women theologians are still speaking and teaching us about God. Black women have been theologizing for a long time. I find myself at this stage in my life and journey where to me its about really making sure that I pay the rent I owe for living on this earth. One could say that not only are they the oppressed of the oppressed, but their situation represents the 'particular within the particular,'"[12] as author Joan M. Martin points out in The Notion of Difference for Emerging Women Ethics. Phiri is from Malawi. She is also the Canon Theologian at the Washington National Cathedral. In 2004, she received the Elizabeth Seton Medal for Outstanding Woman Theologian from Mt. Alongside Katie Cannon, Delores S. Williams, and Kelly Brown Douglas, Grant is considered one of the four founders of womanist theology. 17 African American Women Theologians You Should Know About. Grant and Cone both influenced scholar Delores S. Williams, who produced a commonly-referenced definition of womanist theology: Womanist theology is a prophetic voice concerned about the well-being of the entire African American community, male and female, adults and children. Dr. Terrell is a former doctoral student of Dr. Cone. Her publications includeWomen, Presbyterianism and Patriarchy: Religious Experiences of Chewa Women in Central Malawi; co-editor ofHandbook of Theological Education in Africa. Among her many publications are includedPostcolonial Feminist Interpretation of the Bible andThe HIV and AIDS Bible: Selected Essays, Talitha Cum Hermeneutics: Some African Womens Ways of Reading the Bible, and Searching for the Lost Needle: Double Colonization and Postcolonial African Feminisms. And with that silence comes the invisibility, the erasure. She went on to receive an M.A. Her co-edited publications include Inheriting Our Mothers Gardens: Feminist Theology in Third World Perspective (Westminster John Knox Press, 1988), Womanist Theological Ethics: A Reader (Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), and The Oxford Handbook of African American Theology (Oxford University Press, 2014). It is the living Body of Christ attempting to come to grips with the way that Jesus reveals Himself in our current settings. In 2007, Dr. Winston became Associate Professor in Church History at Azusa Pacific University, and in 2010, she became the director of the Theology Program. : Black Bodies/Christian Souls (Orbis Books, 2005). Revisiting Black Theology of Liberation in South Africa: Through 'new In 2021 she will begin serving in the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Prior to, she served as vice president of academic affairs and dean at Memphis Theological Seminary from 2005 to 2010. Katie Cannon, 68, Dies; Lifted Black Women's Perspective in Theology Women who are at the forefront of conversations about womanist theology, gender, feminism, and race in the church. In 2017, Rev. The first generation of womanist theologians and ethicists began writing in the mid to late 1980s, and the field has since expanded significantly. Her edited book I Found God in Me: A Womanist Biblical Hermeneutics Reader (Cascade Books) was chosen as one of Choices Outstanding Academic Titles in 2015.[16]. I began studying theologies in Africa because of my desire to return to Kenya: I felt I had to be informed about the context I was entering if I hoped to be a good teacher. The Will to Arise: Reflections on Luke 8:40-56 in, Major Challenges for African Women Theologians in Theological Education (1989-2008),, Whats in a Name? Black and Feminist Theologies Left Black Women Invisible The term has its roots in Alice Walker 's . Can you hear her? Phiris interests are in research in the following areas: gender justice, HIV and AIDs, and African theology. "The challenge of the darker sister" in Soskice, Janet Martin, and Diana Lipton. What they really mean is that women are in the 'background' and should be kept there."[9]. July 6th, 2017. She holds a B.A. On the other hand, the phrase speaks to the fetishization of the Black woman and her contributions to society. Unsurprisingly, many of the first women theologians in this online article were involved with the Circle. Sometimes referred to as the mother of African womens theology, Oduyoye was born in Ghana and founded the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians in 1989. In the mid-1980s, he said, the black liberation theologian Dr. James Cone was shocked when . Additionally, Dr. Smith is the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in New Testament from Harvard. However, the erasure does not happen because African American women are not speaking or because they are not present. From 1994 to 2016, Copeland worked for The Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana. [9], Delores S. Williams is the Paul Tillich Professor Emerita of Theology and Culture at Union Theological Seminary. I have studied at Christian schools my entire life. But for a significant extent of our history, African American women had no official office in theology departments. Ava Duvernay. Mburu is the African regional coordinator for Langham Literature, a member of theAfrica Bible CommentaryBoard and New Testament editor for its revision, and commissioning editor for Langham Publishing and Africa Regional Coordinator for Langham Literature. 8 Theologians and Women of Color You Should Be Reading [5], In 1981, Grant founded the Center for Black Women in Church and Society at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta in 1981, where she holds the title of Professor. 10 Notable Black Female Preachers You Should Know These women are using their God-given talents to spread the Gospel. : Third Wave Womanist Religious Thought(Fortress Press, 2013). Recommended publication: Major Challenges for African Women Theologians in Theological Education (1989-2008), International Review of Mission 98, no. In 2018, she presented the Grawemeyer Religion Award lecture on behalf of Dr. James H. Cone, who could not make it to Louisville to discuss his book, The Cross and the Lynching Tree. Nadar is a South African, of Indian descent, who received her PhD in Biblical Hermeneutics and Gender from the University of Natal. student, things havent changed. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. (RNS) Candice Marie Benbow came to be a theologian by way of the death of Whitney Houston, who she considers "the ultimate church girl.". 6 Black Theologians from Church History You Should Know Philomena was co-editor ofTheology in the Context of Globalization: African Womens ResponseandChallenges and Prospects of the Church in Africa: Theological Reflections of the 21st Century. Black women have managed to survive and thrive in the most oppressive of circumstances.. As I make this turn in my life, I still have got to pay. Black nun who founded first African American religious congregation Dr. Eboni Marshall Turman is the former director of Black Church Studies at Duke Divinity School. by Shannen Dee Williams, Ph.D. On Monday, December 8, 2014, a small group of U.S. Catholic theologians from St. Louis University, Loyola University New Orleans, the University of Dayton, and Marquette University released a statement calling for police reform and racial justice in America in the wake of the ever-expanding "Black Lives Matter" movement. Dr. Emilie M. Townes, a native of Durham, NC, is a womanist theologian, distinguished scholar, and leader in theological education. We are in this cycle where we keep seeing the same old things emerge racism, bigotry, and intolerance. Dr. Crumpton specializes in pastoral theological methodology, theories of personality development, historical and social dimensions of pastoral counseling, pastoral counseling as a specialized form of the churchs ministries, and family systems theory.[6]. [2] Grant is currently the Callaway Professor of Systematic Theology at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. Her publications include And Still We Rise: An Introduction to Black Liberation Theology (Paulist Press, 1996), Taking Down Our Harps: Black Catholics in the United States (1998), and Standing in the Shoes My Mother Made: A Womanist Theology (Fortress Press, 2010). Dr. Diana L. Hayes is a womanist theologian in the Roman Catholic tradition. She states, Theology is not a dry set of theories devoid of their social and cultural context. Names of a select few Black women who in the past year or two have shattered ceilings and seemingly achieved the impossible in their chosen fields. Viola Davis. This post is part ofa series The Global Church Project team are running profiling (mainly) female theologians from all over the globe see our other articles in this series: Celucian L. Joseph, 20 Haitian Theologians and Biblical Scholars You Should Know About, Jocabed Solano and Drew Jennings-Grisham, Some Indigenous Women Theologians You Should Know About, Stephanie A. Lowery, 9 African Women Theologians You Should Know About, Emmanuella Carter, 17 African American Women Theologians You Should Know About, Juliany Gonzlez Nieves,23 Latin American Women and USA Latinas in Theology and Religion You Should Know About, Grace Al-Zoughbi Arteen and Graham Joseph Hill,18 Arab Female Theologians and Christian Leaders You Should Know About, Jessie Giyou Kim and Graham Joseph Hill,18 Asian Female Theologians You Should Know About (Plus Others For You To Explore), Graham Joseph Hill and Jen Barker,20 Australian and New Zealander Female Theologians You Should Get to Know in 2020, Graham Joseph Hill and Jen Barker,160+ Australian and New Zealander Women in Theology You Should Know About, Graham Joseph Hill and Jessie Giyou Kim,12 Women on Changing the World: A 12-Session Film Series on Transforming Society and Neighborhoods, Juliany Gonzlez Nieves,Caribbean Christian Theology: A Bibliography. "From God and a Woman": Black Feminist Theology, from - Medium In it, Grant centers the voices of black women and the intersections between Christology and womanist theology, addressing the historical and modern-day experiences of black women.[8]. Her areas of specialization are African Christianity and new religious movements, and her research interests include Christian Religious Education, church history, gender and theology, Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity in Africa, and African Instituted Churches. Besides that, it is an encouragement to know how God is at work around the world! Teresa Okure is from Nigeria and is a sister of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. And with that silence comes the invisibility, the erasure. Within the same year, she became the Canon Theologian for the Washington National Cathedral in Washington DC. She is Emeritus Professor of Systematic Theology in the Department of Theology at Georgetown. Although they were not acknowledged as theologians, you can hear their theology in the poetry of Phyllis Wheatley, the activism of Sojourner Truth, and the preaching of Jarena Lee. Emmanuella Carter, "17 African American Women Theologians You Should Know About". It does not happen all at once. Adelle M. Banks. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. in African American Studies from Harvard University, and her M.Div. You can follow her on IG @agmalley95 and visit her website zamccror.myportfolio.com. She is one of the leading voices in the development of womanist theology, racial reconciliation, and sexuality and the black church. NBCBLK talked with six of these scholars about their accomplishments, what #BlackWomanMagic means to them and what they hope to accomplish in their new roles. But they are not the only examples of #BlackWomanMagic Black women making strides and challenging the status quo. Currently, she serves as a professor of Old and New Testament at the Universidad Santo Toms in Bogot, Colombia. and with black women in particular. Diana L. Hayes, emerita professor of systematic theology at Georgetown University, said that hooks' works helped Black women find a place for themselves in academia and society. 9 African Women Theologians You Should Know About Related: Meet ImeIme Umana, Harvard Law Reviews First Black Female President. Dr. Douglas was the first black woman to be ordained an Episcopal priest in the Southern Ohio Diocese and among the first ten to be ordained nationwide. Her research interests include womanist/feminist theologies, social critical theory, cultural studies, economics, and Afro-Pentecostalism. Black Theology and Womanist Theology in Conversation She was one of the first African-American female deans of a theological institution, according to reports, and only the second woman at Vanderbilt. What if we did not have the French voice of John Calvin, the Polish voice of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, or the Canadian voice of Don Carson?