Feminist Studies in Liturgy

Convener: Marcia McFee, PhD, Creator and Visionary of the Worship Design Studio, a training and resource website serving Protestant churches across the country; Visiting Professor of Worship and Ford Fellow at the San Francisco Theological Seminary, Graduate School of Religion, University of Redlands

Members in Attendance: Jill Crainshaw, Heather Murray Elkins, Barbara Green, Marcia McFee, Elizabeth Sue Moore, Susan Roll, Deborah Sokolove, Sylvia Sweeney, Janet Walton, Khalia Williams, Chelsea Yarborough

Description of Work: Feminist Studies in Liturgy focused on womanist, black feminists and scholars of color at the 2020 gathering, hearing from our member scholars whose work derives directly from this location as well as hearing from other members regarding new works, use of symbols and marketing and exploitation, rituals regarding refugees and separation of families, and response to Dr. Gennifer Brooks’ Vice-Presidential address.

Papers and Presentations:

• Khalia Williams, Assistant Dean of Worship and Music, Assistant Professor in the Practice of Worship at Candler School of Theology, led us in a discussion of observations from her recent course offering entitled “Womanist/ Feminist Spirituality and Worship.” We talked about content, outcomes and pedagogy. • Chelsea Yarborough, PhD Candidate, Homiletics and Liturgics, Theology and Practice Fellow, Graduate Department of Religion, Vanderbilt University, led us in a conversation about some of her findings through her dissertation work entitled “That’ll Preach: Decentering the Pulpit through the Non-Pulpit Homiletical Practice of Black Women” and we discussed not only the project, but how she might imagine a future project dealing more specifically liturgical studies on this topic. • Rev. Yolanda Norton, Professor of Hebrew Bible, San Francisco Theological Seminary and creator of the Beyonce Mass Womanist Worship Service, presented “How black women find their voice, represent the image of God, and create spaces for liberation,” spoke to us via videoconference. A lively discussion ensued with seminar members and several guests from other seminars who came in for this session. • Sylvia Sweeney presented her newly-published book, Winged with Longing for Better Things, a Lent devotional book that calls us to a life of advocacy for the earth and all who suffer from oppressive forces.

• Heather Murray Elkins presented “Buying the World and Keeping it Company: a feminist reflection on soda,” which incorporated symbolic imagery and the Coke marketing mechanism with an orientation to Epiphany. • Marcia McFee and Elizabeth Moore showed footage and photos from a recent nativity installation depicting the holy family separated in cages as an example of ritual and aesthetic disruption in order to focus attention on a social justice issue. • Janet Walton and Jill Crainshaw explored the topic of ritual, wisdom, refugees, and the call of Dr. Gennifer Brooks to NAAL membership regarding wisdom and marginality. • An opening ritual by Elizabeth Moore offered an opening to our work and a closing ritual was led by Janet Walton and Jill Crainshaw, providing a frame for reflection on our time together and the continuation of that work in our day to day lives.

Other Work and Plans for the Future: The seminar will continue with issues of white privilege and intersectionality, specifically looking more deeply into Dr. Gennifer Brooks’ 2020 address and discerning about active and ritual response.