Feminist Liberation Theologians' Network
Annual Meeting, October 2008

The annual meeting of the Feminist Liberation Theologians’ Network was held on October 31, 2008, in Chicago in conjunction with the American Academy of Religion meeting. More than 45 scholars, students, and activists gathered just before the historical presidential election. As always, the introductions revealed a wide range of projects in which participants are involved, demonstrating the many ways that feminist liberation work in religion can be taught, written about, funded, and otherwise embodied by committed colleagues.

Provocative presentations on the problems raised by using “feminism” as a name or a brand kicked off discussion. Susan Abraham of Harvard Divinity School focused on naming as a strategy, not a theory, something that emerges from a context, not something that can be taught. Rosemary Carbine of Whittier College used U.S. Catholic examples to explore her view of the topic, suggesting the importance of reinvention. Keri Day of Vanderbilt University emphasized the policy dimensions of feminist analysis with an eye toward multiple forms of human flourishing rather than getting caught in the limits of identity politics.

All three speakers raised key issues which sparked intense discussion in small groups and in the plenary session that followed. As usual, the session was informative and enjoyable. The short presentations and time for direct conversations stand in sharp contrast to the usual format at professional meetings where one only sees the back of the head of the person in the row in front.

A second meeting of the FLTN was held at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, November 21, 2008. Next year’s topic is “liberation” when a similar deconstruction of the term will be on the agenda.

If you wish to receive periodic updates from the FLTN, join the Google Group at http://groups.google.com or contact Mary E. Hunt at mhunt@hers.com. If you are already on the list, feel free to post to it so that we can keep one another informed about our work.