Finding a Voice
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Living on the Boundaries, excerpts from chapter 1
I haven't got a copy of this book for myself yet (just learned about it yesterday!). In the meantime, I'm glad that the preface and chapter 1 are available online. Chapter 1 is interesting for me on many levels. It introduces the topic, introduces the authors, and overviews their methodology in the project of surveying 90 evangelical or post-evangelical women about their experiences in the academy. I found the methodology part particularly instructive as I work on my own thesis research about women's histories.Excerpts that resonated with me:
The simple question Where are the good women? condenses a host of complex issues and conflicting assumptions. ... The question suggests additional questions about the context of women’s formation. How do evangelical institutions shape women for the academy? What are the practices, commitments and expectations of the families, churches, schools and communities that form them? Where are the tensions? Insights from women presently teaching in evangelical schools as well as from women who have left evangelicalism provide a window into the complex experience of personal, intellectual and theological formation. (10)
We are writing for colleagues and administrators who believe that a school is stronger when it has both women and men involved in training the next generation of leaders and who are concerned about the well-being of female evangelical academics. We are writing for female students considering a call to doctoral studies and to work in the theological academy. We are writing for female academics who are serving faithfully in evangelical institutions and for those academic women who identify themselves as evangelicals but are working in nonevangelical environments. We are writing for male and female pastors who are concerned about nurturing the call of intellectually gifted women and men to theological engagement.
Our purpose is both descriptive and educative. We are describing a mostly unmapped territory: the boundary land where evangelical women, feminism and the theological academy intersect. Because the terrain is also the substance of our lives, it is quite personal, and we have chosen to use a modified narrative approach. The description, stories and insights from a variety of women serve a powerfully educative function because they bring to light some of the distinctive characteristics, challenges and graces of life on the boundary. (12)
… while for many people it is nearly impossible to imagine an intersection between evangelicalism and feminism that has integrity, we are convinced that this intersection is precisely what needs to be explored. Nevertheless, it is a topic that makes many people on all sides nervous, and naming and addressing some of the issues, assumptions and experiences can invite some very intense responses. It can occasionally feel like an interpersonal and institutional minefield. (13)
During the l970s, L’Abri was a remarkable movement of the Holy Spirit, a place where shared meals, worship, appreciation for art and the asking of questions went hand in hand. Although some people have experienced evangelicalism as closed doors and minds, we experienced it as a lively and intense interaction with culture and a deep compassion for those who did not believe. L’Abri workers interacted with the “cultured despisers” of religion and thought that hard questions were exciting. (14)
A second experience at the intersection of deep evangelical worship, thoughtful intellectual engagement and warm fellowship was also formative for both of us. On most Sunday evenings during our seminary years, a group of about thirty students met at the home of a New Testament professor for prayer, praise and biblical discussion. In the home of Gordon and Maudine Fee, we experienced welcome and an extraordinary blending of scholarship, love for God and passion for teaching. In that environment, the prospect of combining Christian faith and academic work became not only interesting, but also absolutely compelling. While we never formed a tight community, we found a place where gender and background were relatively insignificant. A most potent form of mentoring for us turned out to be a kind of hospitality that drew us in because of the host’s love for his subject area. 3 In retrospect, we realized that a number of the women at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary who went on for Ph.D.s shared in this same experience; in fact, many of the men who went on to further studies also participated in the fellowship at the Fee’s home. In both L’Abri and the home fellowship at Gordon-Conwell, what drew us to go further in our studies was not individual mentoring or even personal encouragement toward additional education. At L’Abri, women were neither encouraged toward nor discouraged from advanced theological study, and in many cases the male female roles were somewhat gender stereotypical. But in both settings, the academic component was richly theological and deeply personal. Two communities that identify themselves primarily as evangelical provided us with a place where Scripture and life, culture and theology, prayer and critical reflection came together in a vibrant way. As a result, we have found it impossible to abandon these connections and commitments. (15)
posted by Colleen McCubbin at 10:24 PM
4 Comments:
see, this is exactly the kind of book I wish I had for my life - a book about other women pursuing Christ, pursuing careers, and pursuing a deep love relationship with their husbands. It's gotta be out there... does Phil have any leads? :)
Umm ... well ... Phil gave me this lead ...
Hey Colleen,
Remember when we met with Christine Pohl in Chicago 3 years ago? She gave us copies of some of her work when we went to the session on "Women in Academy". That was cool, hey?
Thanks for this. . . I am glad to be reminded. . .
dp
Colleen, This site is beautiful. I am just now taking my first workshop on creating a webpage... How's your life going these days...hmmm, and then there's email. Sherry
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