She Lives!

Rev. Jann Aldredge-Clanton, PhD, an innovative feminist theologian and popular teacher, helps both women and men broaden their views of God, deepening their spiritual experience and contributing to justice and peace. Ordained in the Alliance of Baptists, she ministers in ecumenical and interfaith settings and cochairs the national ecumenical, multicultural Equity for Women in the Church Community. She is an award-winning author of many books about religion and ministry, including Seeking Wisdom: Inclusive Blessings and Prayers for Public Occasions; In Search of the Christ-Sophia: An Inclusive Christology for Liberating Christians; Inclusive Hymns for Liberation, Peace, and Justice and In Whose Image? God and Gender. She has also written articles for The Journal of Pastoral Care and The Christian Ministry, among other publications.

• Index of Inclusive-Language Hymns viiiIntroduction ixPart 1: Wisdom's Works of Gender Equality 1Rev. Lori Eickmann: Teaching Female Divine Images in Scripture 3Intentional Interim Pastor, Sierra Pacific Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaRev. Sheila Sholes-Ross: Preaching Transformation of Church and Society 9Pastor, First Baptist Church, Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Cochair, Equity for Women in the Church CommunityDr. Kendra Weddle Irons: Embracing Our Mother 15Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Texas Wesleyan UniversityMark Mattison: Reclaiming Biblical Female Divine Images 21Author; Lay Theologian; Coeditor, Divine Feminine Version of the New TestamentRev. Dr. Angela M. Yarber: Embodying the Divine Feminine 27Scholar; Dancer; Artist; MinisterPart 2: Wisdom's Works of Racial Equality 33Rev. Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim: Healing Racism, Sexism, and Classism Through Sophia Christology 35Associate Professor of Doctrinal Theology, Moravian Theological SeminaryRev. Christine A. Smith: Creating Multicultural Churches 40Senior Pastor, Covenant Baptist Church, Wickliffe, OhioRev. Virginia Marie Rincon: The Virgen de Guadalupe at the Forefront of Justice 46Episcopal Priest; Founder and Executive Director, TengoVozDr. Melanie Springer Mock: Gathering Everyone under Her Wings 52Professor of English, George Fox UniversityPatrick Michaels: Celebrating Her Dark Gracefulness 58Composer; Minister of Music, St. James's Episcopal Church, Cambridge, MassachusettsPart 3: Wisdom’s Works of Marriage Equality 65Rev. Dr. Nancy Petty: Challenging Unjust Marriage Laws 67Pastor, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Raleigh, North CarolinaRev. Dr. Susan Newman: Claiming Our Divinity 73Associate Minister of Congregational Life and Social Justice, All Souls Church, Washington, D.C.Rev. Paul Smith: Releasing the Divine from the Male Prison 79Author; Teacher; MinisterDr. Caryn D. Riswold: Connecting Feminism and Christianity 84Professor of Religion; Chair, Gender and Women’s Studies Program, Illinois CollegeRev. Stacy Boorn: Changing the World by Changing the Church 90Pastor, Ebenezer/herchurch Lutheran, San Francisco, CaliforniaPart 4: Wisdom’s Works of Economic Justice 97Rev. Dr. Isabel Docampo: Sophia Wisdom Making All Things New 99Professor of Supervised Ministry, Perkins School of TheologyDr. Mary E. Hunt: Seeing Everyone in the Divine Image 105Cofounder and Codirector, Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and RitualRev. Dr. Gail Anderson Ricciuti: Bearing Her Life in the World 111Associate Professor of Homiletics, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity SchoolRev. Dr. Cheryl F. Dudley: Changing Our Default Settings 117Global Religions Director, Arcus FoundationPart 5: Wisdom’s Works of Caring for Creation 123Rev. Dr. Genny Rowley: Neighbors in the Whole Community of Creation 125Pastoral Theologian; Religious EnvironmentalistRev. Dr. Rebecca L. Kiser: God as Gender-full 131Intentional Interim Pastor, Presbyterian Church (USA)Rev. Daniel Charles Damon: The Amazing Diversity of Creation 137Composer; Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Richmond, CaliforniaRev. Connie L. Tuttle: Justice for Earth and All Creation 142Pastor, Circle of Grace Community Church, Atlanta, GeorgiaPart 6: Wisdom’s Works of Nonviolence 147Rev. Judith Liro: Weaving Our Lives Together with Sophia-Spirit 149Priest, St. Hildegard’s Community, St. George’s Episcopal Church, Austin, TexasMarg Herder: Knowing Her, Loving All People 155Writer; Musician; Director of Public Information, Evangelical &Ecumenical Women’s Caucus–Christian Feminism TodayRev. Dr. Monica A. Coleman: Knowing a Savior by What She Does 161Associate Professor of Constructive Theology and African American Religions, Claremont School of TheologyDr. Virginia Ramey Mollenkott: Radicalized by the Bible 167Author; English Professor Emeritus, William Paterson UniversityRev. Marcia C. Fleischman: Holy Mama’s Peaceful Vision 173Pastor, Broadway Church, Kansas City, MissouriPart 7: Wisdom’s Works of Expanding Spiritual Experience 179Deborah Hall: Mother God Nurturing My Soul 181Lay Theologian; Founder of Sophia Sisters, Chandler, ArizonaRev. Larry E. Schultz: Singing the Gospel of the Divine Feminine 186Composer; Minister of Music, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Raleigh, North CarolinaRev. Beverly Jane Phillips: Learning a New Language for the Divine 192Presbyterian Minister; AuthorRev. Alice D. Martin: Divinity Within and Around All 198Healer, San Francisco, CaliforniaPart 8: Wisdom’s Works of Interfaith Collaboration 203Dr. Chung Hyun Kyung: The Great Mother of All People 205Lay Theologian of the Presbyterian Church of Korea; Associate Professor of Ecumenical Studies, Union Theological SeminaryLana Dalberg: Face-to-Face with the Mother 211Writer; Activist; Lay TheologianJeanette Blonigen Clancy: Cherishing Christianity Without Its Exclusive Claims 217Writer; Educator; Lay TheologianOrion Pitts: All-Encompassing Love Uniting Us 223Director of Music, Office Administrator, First United Lutheran Church, San Francisco, CaliforniaPart 9: Wisdom’s Works of Changing Hierarchies into Circles 229Ann Landaas Smith: Cocreating a New Story 231Writer; Cofounder and Director, Circle ConnectionsDr. Mary Ann Beavis: Charting New Spiritual Paths 237Professor of Religion and Culture, St. Thomas More College,University of SaskatchewanDr. Bridget Mary Meehan: Leading, Not Leaving, the Church 243Priest, Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community, Sarasota, Florida; Bishop, Association of Roman Catholic Women PriestsChristina Cavener: Seeing God in Her Fullness 249Founder and Leader of Feminine Divine Worship Services, Minister of Formation, Grace United Methodist Church, Dallas, TexasPart 10: Wisdom’s Works of Creative Worship 255Christ-Sophia Loves Us, Restores Us, and Sets Us Free 257Liturgy by Christina CavenerPrayer for Christ-Sophia’s Peace 259Beverly Jane PhillipsLitany for Peace 259Deborah HallSeeking Sophia 260Poem by Susan C. HamiltonA Pentecost Prayer: Come, Sophia-Spirit 261Diann L. NeuBlowing Where She Wills 263Excerpts from a Pentecost Sermon by Shawna R. B. AtteberryBreathe on Me, Ruah, Fire 265Hymn by Deborah HallIn the Beginning 266Poem by Shawna R. B. AtteberrySophia Is the Breath of Life 267Responsive Meditation by Christina CavenerWho Are You, God? 269Poem by Bridget Mary MeehanPart 11: Wisdom’s Works of Feminist Emancipatory Faith Communities 271Epilogue 281Notes 283Additional Inclusive Worship Resources 297Credits 300

"She Lives! establishes Jann Aldredge-Clanton as the leading voice standing at the crossroads of feminist emancipatory theologies today.... A tour de force of engagement with the politics and imagination of theological liberation and faith expression…. Readers of this book will never be able to speak or think of deity and world in the same ways ever again."—Stephen V. Sprinkle, PhD, professor of practical theology and director of field education and supervised ministry, Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University"When we first acknowledged the Divine as female in our sacred rites and liberating rituals, we never imagined we would live to see a time such as this. She not only lives, She is everywhere."—Miriam Therese Winter, PhD, professor and director, Women's Leadership Institute, Hartford Seminary"Inspiring…. Draws on a rich diversity of voices to show that female images of God are essential to gender equality and social justice."—Rosemary Radford Ruether, PhD, Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, California“Challenges [us] to remember that too many people, wherever they are on the gender-identity spectrum, still suffer from a hierarchical vision of the Divine that is overwhelmingly male.... Bring[s] hope and healing to those who have felt excluded for far too long.”—Dr. Deborah Sokolove, director, Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion, Wesley Theological Seminary; coauthor, Calling on God: Inclusive Christian Prayers for Three Years of Sundays“An important book chronicling a revolution in Christianity—the reclaiming of the Divine Feminine; a revolution that must be duplicated in other faiths as well. Read the book. Join the revolution.”—Rabbi Rami Shapiro, author, Embracing the Divine Feminine: Finding God through the Ecstasy of Physical Love—The Song of Songs Annotated & Explained“Helps us realize that it is not lone feminists who have found Her! Plenty of so-called 'mainline' religions include congregations and groups that take seriously inclusive worship, and that require a full array of ways to understand Godde. Brava!”—Dr. Carolyn Stahl Bohler, author, God the What? What Our Metaphors for God Reveal about Our Beliefs in God and God Is Like a Mother Hen and Much, Much More“An impressively diverse and accomplished community of church leaders…. Not merely a feminist rally cry, it gives us a glimpse of a tidal wave of grassroots passion to re-member the fullness and wholeness of the Divine. Our wounded world cannot be healed until this wholeness has been restored.”—Kathe Schaaf, coeditor, Women, Spirituality and Transformative Leadership: Where Grace Meets Power