Department of Religion
Mary Suydam
Department of Religion
Mary Suydam
Links:
Selected handouts:
RELN 328: WOMEN AND THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION
| Prof. Mary Suydam Office: Ascension 309 Office Hours: MWF 12 - 2 Phone: PBX 5067 E-Mail: Suydam |
|
Course Description: This course explores the significance of Christianity for women in that tradition. Why wasn't Mary Magdalene considered one of the disciples? How did a system of church government evolve that excluded women? How have women responded to that system? We will examine founders of church-reform movements such as Clare of Assisi, as well as founders of new Christian churches (Ellen White, the founder of Seventh-Day Adventism, and Mary Baker Eddy, founder of Christian Science, for examples). The course will also explore contemporary Christian issues involving women, such as ordination, abortion, and marriage and divorce laws. One of the goals of the course is to explore the importance and consequence of gender in the Christian experience. Is Christianity different for men and women? A respect for the variety within both the Christian tradition and the choices made by different women within it, are also important parts of this course. These are some of the central themes that we will be examining:
Women as Leaders in Christian Movements
Women as Participants in Christian Movements
Views About Women in Christian Religious Governing Systems
Views About Women in the Central Myths of Christianity
Views By Women About Christianity
Woven through all these themes will be constant attention to context and complexity. In every case we discuss, we need to be asking "Whose Christianity is this?" "When?" and "Why?"
Class format: This class is organized as a seminar,
not as lecture/discussion. There will be occasional presentations by the teacher. Classes will focus on serious
discussion of the readings. You should come to class each day prepared to discuss the reading for that day. You
should also bring the relevant reading materials. Each class will begin with a written problem-solving or analytical
exercise related to the topic to be discussed in class. Then we will discuss our theories and strategies.
Because I will not be presenting formal lectures, you will be divided into small groups that will have the responsibility for leading the Thursday discussion and providing in advance written analysis, questions, and comments for the class to consider. Each group will have responsibility for four topics over the course of the semester. See Group List.
I will also assign short response essays or fact-finding assignments to provide context and commentary for the topics covered. For these assignments you will turn in either one-two page typed response essay or a short one-page summary of your findings and the source that you used. You will be expected to report on your findings to the rest of the class. Groups in charge of the discussion and critiques for that week will be exempt from these assignments.
There will be no midterm or final exam in this class.
Because of this format, your attendance is mandatory. If, for any reason, you miss more than two classes, your grade will be lowered by a full grade point.
Grading:
You will receive periodic assessments on your class participation, fact-finding assignments, and written work after each group discussion.
Required Reading:
Barbara Newman, Sister of Wisdom: St. Hildegard's Theology of the Feminine (UC Press: 1989)
Elizabeth Petroff, Medieval Women's Visionary Literature (Oxford: 1986)
Barbara J. MacHaffie, Readings in Her Story (Fortress Press: )
Cheryl Sanders, ed., Living the Intersection: Womanism and Afrocentrism in Theology (Fortress Press: 1995)
Course reserves and E-res documents:
Rosemary Ruether, Religion and Sexism.
Rosemary Ruether, WomanGuides: Readings Toward a Feminist Theology (Beacon: 1985)
Maryanne Stevens, ed., Reconstructing the Christ Symbol: Essays in Feminist Christology (Paulist Press: 1993)
Topics and Reading Assignments:
Topic 1: Women and the Foundation of Christianity
|
Tues Jan 15: Intro to the course: A survey about Christian origins and timeline Reading assignment for Thursday: Womanguides, Chap. 9: Foremothers of Womanchurch, 175-193 (Course Reserve) In the New Testament: Mark 16:1-8; Matt 28:1-10; Luke 1-2; Luke 8:1-4: John 11:1-20; John 19:25-27; 20:1-20;Acts 1:12-14; 16:11-16; 18:1-5; 18-26; Readings in Her Story, 11-16 Link: Forum Romanum |
|
Thurs Jan 17: Women in the gospels: Mary Magdalene, Mary and Martha Group 1 meet last 20 minutes of class |
|
Topic 2: Gender and the Central Myths of Christianity E-res, "Religious Women and the Meaning of the Feminine" Stereotype vs. Archetype Group 2 meet last 20 minutes of class Readings in Her Story, 17-20; 34-49 Response essay Assignment: Choose one of the writings in Medieval Women's Visionary Literature, 60-83 |
 |
Topic 3: Women in the Early Church Group 3 meet last 20 minutes of class Response essay Assignment: Analyze an aspect of two of the above writings |
|
 |
Topic 5: The Church as family, part 2: The Middle Ages Tues Feb 12: Medieval Women Role Models Group 2 meet last 20 minutes of class |
Topic 6: The Protestant Reformation
Tues Feb 19: The Protestant Reformation and Women
Reading Assignment for Thursday:
E-res, "Saints and Sisters"
Readings in Her Story, 92-115; 139-163
|
Th Feb 21: Women in Colonial America; women preachers (Group 1) Group 3 meet last 20 minutes of class Reading assignment for Tuesday, March 2: Living the Intersection, 21-56 Electronic Version through page 23 (right hand column) Link: Rebecca Cox Jackson Fact-finding assignment: Find out something about the role of Christian women in the abolitionist or suffragette movements |
|
Topic 7: African-American Women and Christianity Gifts of Power: Rebecca Cox Jackson Group 1 meet last 20 minutes of class |
 |
Reconstructing the Christ Symbol, Chap. 2 (Course Reserve)
Womanguides, Chapter 5 and 7 (Course Reserve)
Fact-finding assignment: Find out something about alternative Christian views of creation or Christian goddess imagery
----------------------------------------------------SPRING BREAK------------------------------------------
Topic 8: The Problem of Evil: Are Women to Blame? New Feminist Models
Tues Mar 18: Creation and the problem of evil
Reading Assignment for Thursday:
Mary Daly, Gyn/Ecology, "Mystification Through Myth" (E-Res)
Sally McFague, "God and the World" (E-Res)
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, The Woman's Bible
Sister of Wisdom, 121-155
Th Mar 20: Christian models of the world: Critiques from within (Group 3)
Group 2 meet last 20 minutes of class
Reading for next Tuesday:
Womanguides, Chap. 7 and 10 (Course Reserve)
Ruether, Religion and Sexism, "Canon Law and the Battle of the Sexes", 267-291 (Course reserve)
Readings in Her Story, 163-166
Fact-finding assignment for Tuesday, Mar. 25: Find out views about marriage, divorce, and abortion in a contemporary Protestant church:
Marriage and the Family in The Church of the
Nazarene
The Methodist Church: Statement about Marriage and family
Marriage, Divorce, Abortion: The Presbyterian Church
Topic 9: Sexuality and the Body in Christian Literature
Tues Mar 25: Christian sex; Marriage, Divorce, Abortion: Catholicism and mainline Protestantism
Reading Assignment for Thursday:
Reading:
E-res, "Fundamentalist Theology and Gender Roles"
E-Res: "Mormon Marriages in an American Context"
Official LDS Website About Beliefs
Group 3 meet last 20 minutes of class Reading Assignment for next Tuesday: "The Debate over Homosexuality" (Handout) Bernard Schlager, "Boswell and Gay-Affirming Movements in Christianity (E-Res) E. Ann Matter, "My Sister, My Spouse: Woman-Identified Women in Medieval Christianity (E-Res)
Topic 10: Christianity in the Gay and Lesbian Communities |
 |
Reading for Thursday: "The Rev. Irene Monroe" (E-Res) Reconstructing the Christ Symbol, chapter 6 (Course reserve)
Reading for next Tuesday: Reconstructing the Christ Symbol, Chapter 4 (Course reserve) E-Res: "Guadalupe, the Sex Goddess" |
|
Topic 11: Hispanic Christian Women
Tues Apr 8: Christianity and Hispanic Feminism
Guest Lecture, Prof. Roman-Odio
Reading for Thursday: "Women and the Theology of Liberation" -- Julia (E-Res)
This Bridge Called My Back (E-Res)
Liberation Theology, from the Encyclopedia Britannica
Th Apr 10: Gender and Christianity in Central and South America (Group 3)
Group 2 meet last 20 minutes of class
Reading for next Tuesday:
Selections from The Da Vinci Code -- E-Res
Reading: "One of the Marys: An Interdisciplinary Analysis of Michelangelo's Florentine Pieta" -- E-Res
An Introduction to Grail History
Rebutting the Da Vinci Code from
the New York Times
Womanguides, chap. 11, 127-131
Fact-finding assignment for Tuesday, April 17: Find out something about the way Mary Magdalene has
been portrayed throughout history: in art, in film, as a prostitute, leper, sinner, prophet, disciple
Topic 12: Prophecy, Dreams, Visions
Tues Apr 15: Looking at the Da Vinci Code
Reading Assignment for Thursday:
Elaine Pagels, "God the Father, God the Mother", from The Gnostic Gospels (E-Res)
Changing the Subject, "Joyful Speaking For God", 239-298 (E-Res)
Definition of Prophetic Religion
Mary the Sinner, from Catholic Saints Online
Mary Magdalene, from The Encyclopedia Britannica
Mary Magdalene, from Catholic Encyclopedia Online
Gospel of Mary excerpts from PBS Frontline series, From Jesus to Christ
A Gallery of Images of Mary Magdalene,
from Haverford College
Th Apr 24: Women Leaders (Group 2) Reading assignment for Tuesday: Sister of Wisdom, 196-271 Introducing Thealogy, pp. 1-51
|
|
 |
Topic 14: Rediscovering Christian Feminine symbols Tues April 29: Wisdom; The Mother of God; Ecclesia Reading for Thursday: "Ethics and Justice in Goddess Religion"Handout Rediscovering the Christ Symbol, chapter 5 Th May 1: Current Women's Spiritual Groups (Group 3) |
