Black Masculinity & Oscar

Last updated on: February 4, 2014 at 10:27 am By Caryn Riswold

The two movies I wrote about here last year, Fruitvale Station and The Butler, were inexplicably shut out of the Academy Award nominations this year. The Butler has received some nominations and acknowledgement by other awarding organizations like the Screen Actors Guild, and Michael B. Jordan has received much critical praise for his performance in Fruitvale Station. But the black man nominated for a lead acting Oscar played a slave. To be sure, Chiwetel Ejiofor’s performance in 12 Years a... Read more

Vocation Winter Camp

Last updated on: January 16, 2014 at 9:52 am By Caryn Riswold

“It’s always hard when your parents have one vocation for you and you find that you have another.” I’m pretty sure that the shuttle van driver who took me back to the Grand Rapids airport last summer had no idea how perfectly his comment fit with everything I had been reading, writing, and talking about that week. I called it “vocation summer camp” in this post last year, the week spent with a team of colleagues from colleges and universities... Read more

“Our Mother …”

Last updated on: January 28, 2014 at 9:45 am By Caryn Riswold

Many arguments for male-exclusive language for God insist that use of female images and names for God is a modern radical feminist plot to overthrow the church. To the contrary, scripture and the Christian tradition are full of such images that have simply been crowded out by the dominance of patriarchal views of God. Rev. Jann Aldredge-Clanton notes on her blog that: Although many churches limit God to male names and images, Scripture does not limit God to maleness. The... Read more

Talking Interfaith Studies

Last updated on: January 21, 2014 at 4:19 pm By Caryn Riswold

Note: Due to the winter storm, I wasn’t actually able to travel to this conference! I wanted to share about it anyway: The longer I teach religion, the more intentional I become about teaching religions. It’s not enough for any of us to know about only one religion. Religious literacy (or illiteracy as the case may be) is a persistent challenge that affects everything from interpersonal relationships to politics and global conflict management. Last week the Pew Research Religion &... Read more

“Listen to Those of Us Fighting”

Last updated on: January 20, 2014 at 4:55 pm By Caryn Riswold

My Women in Islam class meets tonight for the first time this semester. It’s a class I teach regularly, as a way to bring more students into deeper contact with and understanding of a major world religion that most in my classroom don’t encounter often. Using the lens of gender analysis helps me find one way in to the history and theology in a tradition of which I am not a part, and bring students into conversation about practical and... Read more

A Spring Semester with feminismxianity

Last updated on: January 14, 2014 at 11:47 am By Caryn Riswold

Spring semester classes begin today on my campus, and I’m finalizing the readings and assignments for three courses and getting ready to resume the routine that will carry me through to May. I’ve injected a new perspective into an old introductory course, updated texts in another, as well as sifted through material for a whole new theory course I’ve not taught before. In my introductory religion course this year, Questions of Christianity, I’ll bring a more deliberate interfaith focus to... Read more

For Feminist Days (After Christmas)

Last updated on: December 26, 2013 at 2:12 pm By Caryn Riswold

I’ve been sharing some feminist musical resources in the days surrounding Christmas this year, and last year did the same … check out these links if you want more! Today brings one last offering from Rev. Jann Aldredge-Clanton’s work on Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians, this time recorded by Vocal Divine at herchurch/Ebenezer Lutheran in San Francisco. Here are some of the lyrics: Come to our world, O Christ-Sophia, Wisdom; our hearts are longing for Your peaceful way. Lead us... Read more

“Sound Forth the News” (of Feminist Christmas Carols!)

Last updated on: December 18, 2013 at 2:26 pm By Caryn Riswold

Last year, I first shared some seasonal feminist musical resources around Christmas. They feature the words of my friend Rev. Jann Aldredge-Clanton from her work on Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians. I’m sharing some of them here again this year, especially for anyone who is looking for rich, creative, and inclusive words to inhabit comforting and familiar tunes. The version of “Sound Forth the News That Wisdom Comes” that I posted last year was recorded by Shannon Kincaid. This year, I share a recording of... Read more

For a Feminist Winter Solstice

Last updated on: December 20, 2013 at 11:56 am By Caryn Riswold

I love and abhor these dark days of winter. I love lighting candles, using my Himalayan salt crystal lamp, and snuggling up under blankets with cats and husband. I abhor the 4:20pm sunset, driving in the dark, and I long for sunlit evenings on the back porch to return. Years ago, a yoga teacher used the opportunity of the winter solstice to encourage us to do more sun salutations, because, as she said, the sun is still out there. We... Read more

For a Feminist Advent

Last updated on: December 18, 2013 at 2:29 pm By Caryn Riswold

Last year, I first shared some seasonal feminist musical resources around Christmas. They feature the words of my friend Rev. Jann Aldredge-Clanton from her work on Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians. I’m sharing some of them here again this year, especially for anyone who is looking for rich, creative, and inclusive words to inhabit comforting and familiar tunes. “O Holy Darkness, Loving Womb” is sung to the tune of “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” and Jann describes its lyrics as follows:... Read more