Feminism and Faith Seminar led by Dr Nicola Slee, Saturday 29th of March, 2014
Dr Nicola Slee, the well-known feminist theologian, is Guest Speaker at a Seminar in Leicester on
Saturday 29th of March, 2014. The Seminar is titled: ‘Feminism and Faith’ and will be followed by a
Short Feminist Liturgy.
Third wave feminism is having a significant impact on society, challenging violence against women,
the objectification of women and campaigning for equality of opportunity for women especially in
the public sphere. A new younger generation of women and men are its advocates. One of its targets
is institutional religion which is perceived to still be aligned with patriarchal values and practices.
Feminist theology, responding to the changing scene, has grown and diversified exponentially since
its flourishing in the early 1980s and has become a world-wide movement of many different forms
and with many different faces. At the same time, the men's movement has made its own response
to the gender critique of society and religion, and there is more talk of a crisis of masculinities within
both church and society. Broader gender studies and queer theory add to the complexity of the
issues, with more fluid understandings of gender and sexuality challenging traditional assumptions
of gender identities, roles and relations. How do such shifting understandings of gender engage with
Christian faith, and what are the implications for our theology and practice, including the ways in
which we worship and pray? What resources can we draw upon within Christian tradition to help us
think about gender in constructive and liberating ways?
Dr Slee will discuss feminist theology’s response to third wave feminism in the first half of her talk
and then in the second half discuss developments in feminist liturgy over the past few decades,
examining some of the principles of feminist liturgy and considering how feminist perspectives can
enrich as well as challenge mainstream liturgy in the churches (including a consideration of inclusive
language, images of God, the importance of space and visual imagery.
Venue: Barnabas Centre, St Pauls, Oadby
Time: 10 till 1pm
Dr Slee is Research Fellow at the Queens Foundation for Ecumenical & Theological Education,
Birmingham. She has written extensively on Feminist Theology and her latest book is ‘Seeking the
Risen Christa’. Dr Slee lectures internationally and is a regular speaker at the Greenbelt Christian Arts
Festival.