Black Women, Womanist Thought and the Church

1 credits · Divinity School

Black women have historically been and remain the bedrock of the African American church. And while this is the case, due to the perduring patriarchy within the Black Church, Black women's experiences of congregational life, the imposed delimitations encountered in their quests for ordained ministry, congregational and denominational leadership remain exceedingly problematic. Drawing upon the insights of womanist theologians, this course will explore how womanist thought, given its penetrative critique of Black religious patriarchy, challenges, and critiques the oppression of Black women and their disenfranchisement in the quest for full equality. Womanist thought is offered here as an alternative context, model and vision for the flourishing of Black women in every aspect of Black church life.