Womens’ Program Area “Linkages”
by
Sylvia Dooling
Just prior to its review by the General Assembly Council, the Women’s
Ministry Program Area (WMPA) produced and circulated a colorful brochure
entitled, _On Behalf of Women_. The purpose of the booklet is to trumpet the
accomplishments of the WMPA.
Among other things, the brochure includes an article written by Unzu Lee,
Associate for Women’s Advocacy. In it, she surveys advocacy programs for
women’s concerns around the United States. Lee begins her piece with these
words: “Advocacy for women clearly involves issues. Advocacy for women by
people of faith, however, takes the spirituality of advocacy seriously.”
This, of course, begs the question what kind of spirituality is the
spirituality of advocacy?
Lee answers that question by citing, among other things, the work of the
Synod Women’s Advocacy Network (S.W.A.N.) in the Synod of Southern
California and Hawaii. Unfortunately, however, her report on S.W.A.N. lacks
detail. To get that information, we have to go to S.W.A.N’s report to the
Synod of Southern California and Hawaii dated October 21-21, 1999. There we
discover that S.W.A.N. strengthens its advocacy base by maintaining
relationships with several organizations, including Voices of Sophia. Voices
Of Sophia, of course, is a group within the PC(USA) that is committed to
promoting the same radical feminist philosophical agenda as that promoted by
the Re-Imagining Community.
So, here we have the same kind of linkages that we reported in yesterday’s
news article, _One Big Happy Family_. Leaders and organizations within our
church are working hand-in-glove with the proponents of a specious
philosophy that has been roundly condemned by the General Assembly.
But, there’s more. In addition to recounting their accomplishments during
the past year, the S.W.A.N. report also includes a bibliography that reveals
that money from the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii is being used to
build a Resource Library that only a radical feminist could love.
Here is the list for your review:
S.W.A.N.’s Resource Library
Books:
Bos, Johanna W.H. van Wijk. _Reformed and Feminist: A Challenge to the
Church._ Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1991.
_Reimagining God. The Case for Scriptural Diversity_.
Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1995.
Adams, Carol & Fortune, Marie. _Violence Against Women and Children: A
Christian Theological Sourcebook_. New York: Continuum Press, 1995.
Christ, Carol & Judith Plaskow. _Womanspirit Rising: A Feminist Reader in
Religion._ San Francisco: Harper Press, 1979.
Harrison, Beverly & Robb, Carol. _Making Connections: Essays in Feminist
Social Ethics._ Boston: Beacon Press, 1985.
Heyward, Carter. _Our Passion for Justice: Images of Power, Sexuality, and
Liberation_. Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 1984.
Isasi-Diaz & Tarango, Yolanda. _Hispanic Women: Prophetic Voice In The
Church._ Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992.
lsasi-Diaz. _En La Lucha: In theStruggle – Elaborating a Mujerista Theology:
A Hispanic Women’s Liberation Theology_. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993.
Isasi-Diaz. _Mujerista Theology_. New York: Maryknoll Press, 1996.
Kidd, Sue Monk. _The Dance of the Dissident Daughter_. San Francisco:
Harper, 1996.
King, Ursula. _Women in the World’s Religions: Past and Present_. New York:
Paragon Press, 1987.
Mollenkott, Virginia. T_he Divine Feminine: The Biblical Imagery of God as
Female._ New York: Crossroads Press, 19833.
Morton, Nelle. _The Journey Is Home_. Boston: Beacon Press, 1985.
Ruether, Rosemary Radford & Keller, Rosemary Skinner. _In Our Own Voices:
Four Centuries of American Women’s Religious Writing._ San Francisco:
Harper, 1995.
Russell, Letty. _Human Liberation In A Feminist Perspective – A Theology._
Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1974.
_Household of Freedom: Authority in Feminist Theology_. Philadelphia:
Westminster Press, 1987.
Russell, Kwok, Isasi-Diaz, Cannon. _Inheriting Our Mothers’ Gardens.
Feminist Theology in Third World Perspective_. Louisville: Westminster
Press, 1988.
Schussler Fiorenza, Elisabeth. _Discipleship of Equals: A Critical Feminist
Ekklesia-logy of Liberation_. New York: Crossroads Press, 1994.
T_he Power of Naming. A Concilium Reader in Feminist Liberation_
Theology. New York: Orbis, 1996.
Trible, Phyllis. _God and The Rhetoric of Sexuality_. Philadelphia: Fortress
Press, 1978.
Winter, Miriam Therse, et. al. _Defecting In Place: Women Claiming
Responsibility for Their Own Spiritual Lives_. New York: Crossroads, 1995,
Periodicals:
_Illuminations_. (Voices of Sophia)
_Justice Jottings_ (P.C. U.S.A. -Justice Ministries)
Videos:
_Look at the World Through Women’s Eyes_ — U.S. Ecumenical Network: Bejing
and Beyond.
Other Resources:
_A Community Checklist: Importan tSteps to End Violence Against Women_ -
_What Can We Do About It? -_- The U.S. Department of Justice.
_Confronting Violence Against Women: The Church’s Calling _– The
Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., Societal Violence Initiative.
_Women Healing and Empowering_.
_Human Rights Update_. A Resource of the 208th General Assembly, Presbytrian
Church, U.S.A.