WATER Recommends: September 2023
Ali, Tazeen M. THE WOMEN’S MOSQUE OF AMERICA: AUTHORITY & COMMUNITY IN US ISLAM. NY, NY: New York University Press, 2022 (274 pages, $30.00).
While progressive Christian groups in the United States have made their presence known to society, progressive Islamic groups have suffered racist and sexist Islamophobia in this regard. Tazeen Ali’s deep dive into the Women’s Mosque of America highlights the difficulties of that unique interracial community’s fight for existence. Read this to get up to speed on aspects of Islam that need public attention.
Altaras, Cameron and Carol Penner, Editors. RESISTANCE: CONFRONTING VIOLENCE, POWER, AND ABUSE WITHIN PEACE CHURCHES. Elkhart, IN: Institute of Mennonite Studies, 2022 (480 pages, $48.00).
Even Peace Churches are not immune from the many forms of violence that religious groups can exacerbate through silence and complicity. Whether marginalizing women, excluding and demeaning 2SLGBTQIA+ people, or abusing through clerical and leadership privilege, these stories are all too familiar from other traditions and at the same time very particular to the denominations involved. This is brave and necessary work, well worth reading and heeding.
Baker, Dori Grinenko. GIRL/FRIEND THEOLOGY: GOD-TALK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE. Cleveland, OH: The Pilgrim Press, 2023 (302 pages, $39.95).
Faith-sharing in a world of gender fluidity, racism, and climate change is beyond challenging. Fortunately, the author highlights many fonts of womanist, feminist, and indigenous wisdom that new storytellers can access as they shape their new faiths.
Glenn, William D. I CAME HERE SEEKING A PERSON: A VITAL STORY OF GRACE. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2022 (229 pages, $29.95).
A contemporary autobiography of a thoughtful, committed, spiritual person. Bill Glenn’s story tracing his life from conventional Midwestern good Catholic boy to deeply differentiated West Coast therapist has a bright red thread throughout: the combination of spiritual search with concrete acts of compassion and care. The Catholic Church’s loss was the world’s gain.
Murray, Michele WISDOM COMMENTARY: TOBIT, Vol. 15. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2023 (268 pages, $44.99).
Tobit is a little-used book, but this author proclaims it ripe for the feminist plucking both for its content and its place in the history of Jewish storytelling. This volume will astonish and enrich both experts and casual users of biblical resources by its many and varied themes. A recounting of the author’s scholarly progression from an arid, academic approach to an involved reading of the texts offers a good model of feminist work.
Oredein, Oluwatomisin Olayinka. THE THEOLOGY OF MERCY AMBA ODUYOYE: ECUMENISM, FEMINISM, AND COMMUNAL PRACTICE. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2023 (244 pages, $38.99).
Mercy Oduyoye is the source and root of so much of African and African American womanist/feminist theologies. This study of her life, writings, and activism offers a running start to those who wish to understand and build on the firm foundation she laid. Thanks to Dr. Oredin for this contribution to the literature.
Todd Peters, Rebecca and Margaret D. Kamitsuka. T&T CLARK READER IN ABORTION AND RELIGION: JEWISH CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM PERSPECTIVES. London, GB: T&T Clark, 2023 (452 pages, $42.95).
Rebecca Todd Peters and Margaret D. Kamitsuka do a service to the field of religion with this comprehensive reader on abortion in three major faith traditions. This is an indispensable resource for social, historical, religious, and political insights. It is a valuable resource for those looking at the complex matters of reproductive ethics and practice.
Wilcox, Ashley M. THE WOMEN’S LECTIONARY: PREACHING THE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2021 (258 pages, $28.49).
Lectionaries are useful tools for understanding scriptures from many perspectives. Wilcox’s version allows people to expand and enhance their readings of the Bible to include the under-explored role of women. Whether you are writing sermons, or learning about female involvement in the texts, this is an enlightening resource.
Zagano, Phyllis. JUST CHURCH: CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, SYNODALITY, AND WOMEN. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2023 (122 pages, $17.95).
What would a just Catholic Church look like, and why is it imperative that one emerge? Read Phyllis Zagano’s primer on the topic. She is best known for her tireless efforts to get Roman Catholic women ordained to the diaconate. This book shows that her commitment is set in scholarship, realism, and strategizing.