Leaning In Since 1960

Last updated on: June 14, 2013 at 11:26 am By Caryn Riswold

Not me, that is. I was more than a decade away from being born when Valerie Saiving published her pivotal article, “The Human Situation: A Feminine View,” in the Journal of Religion, critiquing the traditional Christian idea of sin as pride. In a more academic, theological, and less press-savvy way, Saiving was in fact telling women in 1960: Lean in. Sheryl Sandberg’s recent bestselling book, Lean In, has received its fair share of attention, praise, and substantial critique. I’d read... Read more

Vocation Summer Camp

Last updated on: June 9, 2013 at 3:59 pm By Caryn Riswold

This week I’m spending time in Holland, Michigan, working as part of the Scholarly Resources Project. It’s an initiative of the Council of Independent Colleges Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) focused on developing new resources for those of us working in higher education. Here’s some description of the project: “Despite the increasing interest in the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation, its further development on college and university campuses faces significant challenges. The current economic climate has led... Read more

Papa’s Day 2013

Last updated on: June 12, 2013 at 7:17 pm By Caryn Riswold

Check out the great series of e-cards for Papa’s Day 2013 from Strong Families. Some of the images are embedded here. This builds on the success of the Mama’s Day campaign in recent years, which I talked about last month. It all comes from the organization whose motto simply is: “All Families Matter.” Strong Families is a home for the 4 out of 5 people living in the US who do not live behind the picket fence—whose lives fall outside outdated... Read more

“Where is the Motherbody?”

Last updated on: June 12, 2013 at 7:23 pm By Caryn Riswold

Many good things can be said about Terry Tempest Williams’ 1991 spiritual memoir, Refuge. Its subtitle reveals that it is in part about the intimate connection between people and the natural world: “An Unnatural History of Family and Place.” I’ve heard people talk about and praise this book over the decades since its release, and just now got around to reading it in full. One passage stands on its own and needs to be read and considered by as many... Read more

Our Voices: “Little Lady”

Last updated on: June 14, 2013 at 11:28 am By Caryn Riswold

This summer, I’ll be sharing a series of short personal stories from the Our Voices, Our Stories booklet published by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Justice for Women program. It is available in full on the program’s website, and is described thus: “Rooted in the gospel, truth-telling is a part of all social change, no less so when confronting patriarchy and sexism. This booklet of true stories, written by a variety of people across the ELCA, serves to encourage listening and... Read more

‘She and He Together Dancing’

Last updated on: May 30, 2013 at 10:31 am By Caryn Riswold

Check out this lovely collaborative effort from Rev. Jann Aldredge-Clanton and Larry E. Schultz of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church. Jann writes: “This hymn was one of the first in my collaboration with composer and minister of music Larry E. Schultz. Larry wrote the fresh, vibrant tune for this hymn and named the tune “Spirit Dance.” Larry and I believe that Sister-Brother Spirit brought us together in creative collaboration.” About the lyrics (sample below) she composed, Jann writes: “People of all... Read more

Are We Still Having This Conversation?

Last updated on: May 29, 2013 at 3:09 pm By Caryn Riswold

I keep collecting what I think I should call “whiplash stories.” Here’s the most recent example. A couple of weeks ago I participated in my town’s third annual Downtown Celebration – kind of a Main Street festival, complete with live music, food and other vendors, pony rides for kids, and a pint-sized train circling the newly renovated downtown square. I sat at a table as part of the “Authors & Artists” tent organized by our lovely little independent bookstore, Our... Read more

Lutheran Pride

Last updated on: June 1, 2013 at 11:04 am By Caryn Riswold

June is LGBT Pride Month and so it’s a particularly good time to celebrate the fact that Rev. Dr. Guy Erwin has been elected by the Southwest California Synod to be the first openly gay bishop in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. President Barack Obama’s 2013 proclamation about Pride Month reads in part: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans and their allies have been hard at work on the next great chapter of that history — from the... Read more

The Women Who Stayed

Last updated on: May 29, 2013 at 3:15 pm By Caryn Riswold

The stabbing of British soldier Lee Rigby in the middle of the afternoon on a London street last week is a terrible horrible no good very bad story. To me, one aspect of the story is striking: They [the attackers] dragged the almost beheaded body of their victim into the road and walked up and down the street next to the body for 20 minutes, waiting for police to arrive. At least two women were seen sobbing over the man’s... Read more