All of the books we recommend are available for the borrowing from the Carol Murdock Scinto Library in the WATER office. Check out librarything.com for our complete collection. We are grateful to the many publishers who send us review copies to promote to the WATER community.
Berger, Teresa (Editor). LITURGY IN MIGRATION: FROM THE UPPER ROOM TO CYBERSPACE. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2012 (200 pages, $35.99).
This edited collection of essays offers historic and contemporary examples of liturgical migration –from antiquity to Internet era. Technical and nuanced, it is a volume for those interested in liturgical history and theory.
Berry, Jan. Ritual MAKING WOMEN: SHAPING RITES FOR CHANGING LIVES. London, England and Oakville, CT: Equinox, 2009 (257 pages, $34.95).
Jan Berry explores feminist liturgy and ritual through a close look at theology, spirituality, and gender. She highlights the healing power of feminist ritual in the face of religious patriarchy with narrative and interviews. Examining this new field from its beginnings and encompassing facets such as methodology, embodiment, and identity, her research emphasizes the power of ritual for women and by women.
Fulkerson, Mary McClintock and Sheila Briggs (Editors). THE OXFORD HANDBOOK OF FEMINIST THEOLOGY. Oxford, England and New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2012 (600 pages, $150).
A reference work of broad scope and intricate details, this book is a useful companion to academic research. Chapters include ample bibliographies and helpful notes on a number of narrowly drawn topics.
Hayes, Diana L. STANDING IN THE SHOES MY MOTHER MADE: A WOMANIST THEOLOGY. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2011 (232 pages, $22).
Drawing upon a rich womanist history of foremothers and community, Diana Hayes weaves elements of her womanist liberative perspective into considerations of liturgy, church, ministry, and salvation. She provides an invaluable resource for theologians, students, and parishioners trying to build inclusive communities.
Miles, Margaret R. AUGUSTINE AND THE FUNDAMENTALIST’S DAUGHTER. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2011 (236 pages, $26).
A powerful read of a powerful life. Margaret intersperses Augustine’s events with her own: family, love, sex, loss, the arts, faith, and death. Stunning. Likewise, her memoir with Hiroko Sakomura, GETTING HERE FROM THERE: CONVERSATIONS ON LIFE AND WORK. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2011 (128 pages, $18) gives more glimpses into Margaret’s scope. Paired as professor and producer, American and Japanese, Christian and Buddhist, these women share and illuminate their many commitments.
Murdock, Michele. A JOURNEY OF COURAGE: THE AMAZING STORY OF SISTER DOROTHY STANG. Cincinnati, OH: Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, 2009 (139 pages, $12).
A tragic injustice, the killing of Sister Dorothy Stang because of her commitment to indigenous people in Brasil is told in a heart-warming biography, bringing joy to readers as if she wrote it herself. Michele Murdock shows that Dorothy’s lifelong commitment to social justice is at once that of a woman religious and of every justice seeker.
Newsom, Carol A., Sharon H. Ringe, and Jacqueline E. Lapsley (Editors). WOMEN’S BIBLE COMMENTARY. 3rd Edition (Revised and Updated). Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012 (680 pages, $50).
Feminist biblical criticism has evolved in the past twenty years, hence a new version of this classic resource was in order. The revised and updated volume includes the voices of younger and increasingly diverse feminist biblical scholars. New essays and provocative artwork focused on female characters in the bible make this holistic commentary a valuable part of any library.
Phillips, Anne. THE FAITH OF GIRLS. Surrey, England and Burlington, VA: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2011 (218 pages, $89.96).
Adolescent females between the ages of 11 and 13 have historically been an ignored group in Christian churches and in relation to the Bible. Anne Phillips attempts a study of their spirituality and faith using psychological and sociological methods including interviews. It is a difficult task when trying to take account of cultural differences, girls’ autonomy, agency, and the like. But it is a start.
Pineda-Madrid, Nancy. SUFFERING AND SALVATION IN CIUDAD JUÁREZ. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2011 (200 pages, $18).
Instead of turning away from the disturbing violence of feminicide in Ciudad Júarez, Nancy Pineda-Madrid calls theologians to consider the theo-political ties between suffering and salvation in light of this violence. She puts forth a notion of social salvation that accounts for structural evils and requires deep human solidarity.
Ruether, Rosemary Radford. WOMEN AND REDEMPTION: A THEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 2nd Edition. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2012 (352 pages, $39).
This updated version of a classic is student-friendly and future-oriented with timelines, focusing questions, and recommended readings. Macro and micro dimensions of women and redemption stand out thanks to a new chapter on post-colonialism and the “Fourth World.” Historically overlooked and emerging perspectives move to the forefront of the conversation.
Valente, Judith. ATCHISON BLUE: A SEARCH FOR SILENCE, A SPIRITUAL HOME, AND A LIVING FAITH. Notre Dame, IN: Sorin Books, 2013 (224 pages, $15.95).
This unvarnished picture of one women’s religious community echoes so many others where people go to live intentional lives of meaning and spirit. Each must find her own way, not copy another’s path.
Wind, Renate. DOROTHEE SOELLE: MYSTIC AND REBEL, THE BIOGRAPHY. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2012 (224 pages, $25).
An insightful account of the life of Soelle, this is biography with a personal feel. Family and academic history shine light on her postwar politics and Christian liberation theology as well as on the woman herself.