RELIGION
Scholar to discuss Scripture from feminist view
New Testament scholar and author Elisabeth Schussler-Fiorenza will speak at St. Clement's Episcopal Church on Wednesday on "Reclaiming the Power of Naming: Christian Feminist Theology."
The 6:30 p.m. lecture at the church, 1515 Wilder Ave., is open to the public. Free-will donations will be accepted.
Schussler-Fiorenza, a professor of Scripture and interpretation at Harvard Divinity School, is best known for her exploration of the Bible and the Christian church from a feminist viewpoint. Her 1983 book, "In Memory of Her," described the role of women in the early church and the marginalization of women as the church became a more formal institution. That book and "Bread Not Stone," published in 1984, have been translated into several languages.
Her method of interpretation encourages the reader to read between the lines and become aware of what is not being said, a process used today by women to study Scripture in the context of their historical experiences as women. The method of interpretation has evolved into use by other marginalized groups such as people of color and the poor seeking to understand how God is involved in their struggles against oppressive institutional structures.
Educated in Europe, she taught for 15 years at Notre Dame University. She is a visiting professor at the Union Theological Seminary in New York and at theological institutions in Germany. She was the first female scholar chosen president of the Society of Biblical Literature and was recently elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She co-founded and co-edits the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion.