Facing Challenges

Book excerpt: This book is a collection of ten essays, all focused on the realities of conducting feminist work within Christian universities and colleges, as well as churches. The purpose of this collection emerges from the contributors’ lives at the intersection of feminist ideas and the Christian contexts in which they work. The book’s focus is on the ways in which feminism continues to meet resistance from Christian institutions and communities. Within these contexts, the authors describe the ongoing challenges they face as feminists with their students, their colleagues, their pastors, their fellow congregants, their peers, and their own families. Scholars, clergy, students, and readers interested in understanding feminism more deeply, and interested in the intersection of religion, feminism, and scholarly life will find this collection invaluable. Readers will find insights into the everyday feminist work of academics, the development of more inclusive student-life climates, feminist learning in college classrooms, and the obstacles to creating more inclusive Christian churches. These essays are honest, heartfelt, and helpful in envisioning more liberating paradigms and practices for feminist Christians who continue to negotiate current realities in integrating feminism with faith in many contexts.