Baking Some New Cakes
The Medusa Coils blog recently alerted me to the fact that the (in)famous feminist thealogy course “Cakes for the Queen of Heaven” (the title taken from a famous Bible verse) has released a new and updated version, now available through the Unitarian-Universalist Women & Religion non-profit group.
In the past 20 years it is estimated that 80% of UU congregations have offered the “Cakes” curriculum. Many congregations have offered the series repeatedly. Women who participated state that, “Cakes changed my life! . . . It connected me with my spirituality. . . . It made me aware that history often excludes herstory.” Even when the curriculum was out of print, some congregations continued to offer the series, using well worn, if not battered materials. Today there are many women who are young or new to UU or who have never experienced this series. The woman affirming message of “Cakes” is still just as relevant and necessary today as it was twenty years ago. With the newly revised and republished materials, we can begin anew.
It is safe to say that this course has had a large affect on the growth of feminist thealogy, Pagan religion, and recognition of the feminine divine in our culture. Over twenty years later, despite this growth in popularity of more female-focused or gender-balanced faiths, the mere idea of a female divinity (let alone the “Queen of Heaven”) is still enough to drive some monotheistic adherents to distraction. The vitality and endurance of “Cakes for the Queen of Heaven” can perhaps be measured by the scandals that erupt whenever the course, or one like it, dares to emerge outside the permissive boundaries of the UU church.
It should be interesting to see what the next twenty years of grass-roots feminist thealogy might do. Not only to Unitarian-Universalism, Goddess worshipers, and Pagans, but to the faiths with a vested interest in seeing women as subordinate. Check out the new “Cakes For The Queen of Heaven” blog, as well as samples from the course and a FAQ for more information.
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