What Happens When Momma Speaks?

As mothers there are certain expectations and demands society places on us. This role sometimes poses challenges with our additional professional obligations. Yet, as a Momma, we dare not put anything or anyone before our children. We are not afraid risk it all for another hug, another kiss, or attendance at baby boy’s or baby girl’s events. We take extreme strides to salvage who we are as Momma.

…Sometimes the road is rocky and replete with lions and tigers and bears. There are moments when there is a clear, maternal path… Ours is a stentorian voice even in the stillest moments. It is a voice that will not give way to hatred or injustice. In a mother’s tongue is a child’s future, a community’s rallying cry, a nation’s call to stand. The sacred, self, and society lend an ear and stir into action—when Momma speaks! -from When Momma Speaks: The Bible and Motherhood From A Womanist Perspective

Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder provides an engaging womanist reading of mother characters in the Old and New Testaments. After providing a brief history of womanist biblical interpretation, she shows how the stories of several biblical mothers—Hagar, Rizpah, Bathsheba, Mary, the Canaanite woman, and Zebedee’s wife—can be powerful sources for critical reflection, identification, and empowerment. Crowder also explores historical understandings of motherhood in the African American community and how these help to inform present-day perspectives. The work lifts pop culture mothers like Whitney Houston and Beyonce. Additionally it connects the stories biblical mothers to modern-day mothers of the movement such as Sybrina Fulton and Lucia McBath. Crowder includes questions for discussion with each chapter. The book is a profound theological and practical resource for the church and academy.

Reviews for “When Momma Speaks”

“When Momma Speaks is a powerful resource for the academy and the church. Crowder lifts up and reflects on the lived experiences of African American women with integrity, honesty, wholeness, and deep beauty. An African American woman’s experience has always been more socially, financially, culturally, and biblically complicated than traditional discourse has allowed. When Momma Speaks gives voice and texture to those complexities in ways women of color can embrace and celebrate.”
—Charisse L. Gillett, President, Lexington Theological Seminary

“Crowder draws our attention to the realities of mothering at the intersection of race, class, and religion. She weaves the narratives of mothers from the Bible into our present-day contexts to help us think critically about what it means to be a black mother in today’s world. Crowder opens the door of womanist maternal thought for scholars, pastors, and laypeople alike to enter into an emergent school of thought and depart with new and transforming insights for the academy, church, and home. A refreshing read!”
—Leah Gunning Francis, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, Christian Theological Seminary

“Through incisive readings of six biblical mothers, Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder clothes the complex realities of contemporary mommas with holy honor. Grounded in the lived experience of African American women, this book will introduce many readers to the cultural resources of womanist thought. I needed to read this book, and you do too.”
—Greg Carey, Professor of New Testament, Lancaster Theological Seminary

“Following a womanist maternal hermeneutic, Crowder explores the intersection between gender, class, and race as it pertains to biblical motherhood and African American motherhood in the United States. Readers will walk away amazed by the dynamic tension biblical mothers and African American mothers balance between a commitment to personal well-being and communal wholeness. This book is a fresh and approachable reading that inspires us to listen and act accordingly, when momma speaks.”
—Lt. Monta A. Stubbs, Chaplain, United States Navy, United States Coast Guard Academy

“Through Crowder’s illuminating perspective, biblical mothers from Hagar to Mary, Rizpah to Bathsheba come to new life. With references to “game of thrones,” Whitney Houston, and the corporate boardroom, she merges contemporary culture and these ancient texts with grace and an eye toward justice. This is a book inspired and shaped by the diverse experiences and courage of black mothers; it is also a book for all of us seeking to read Scripture in all its richness and depth.”
—Eric D. Barreto, Associate Professor of New Testament, Luther Seminary

For more information on “When Momma Speaks” and book signings in your area, click here.

Donate to the Work of R3

Like the work we do at Rhetoric Race and Religion? Please consider helping us continue to do this work. All donations are tax-deductible through Gifts of Life Ministries/G’Life Outreach, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, and our fiscal sponsor. Any donation helps. Just click here to support our work.