| abstract |
This project examines the harmful effects of theological mansplaining on women in religious leadership. I begin with the broader context of mansplaining, then move into the case study of women in religious leadership. I contend that there is healing to be found in identifying the problem and by sharing stories of harm to be heard and seen in a sacred space. This hearing and seeing took place in gatherings that I conducted to bear witness to the voices, stories, and leadership of women within my specific context.
Mary Magdalene and her roots have been deeply entrenched in theological mansplaining, serving as an example for women to connect to and be empowered by. Christian nationalism and the erasure of the divine feminine are major factors in silencing our voices, disempowering our leadership, and stealing our stories and those of Mary Magdalene. These larger social realities will shed further light on the harmful effects of theological mansplaining on women in religious leadership.
I use Mary Rose D'Angelo's term re-membering, bringing stories out of the shadows of the past, putting women's leadership back together, and bringing it back into community in a new way as a tool for the healing path for the women who shared their stories. To conclude the research and gathering, the data collected using the research method autoethnography, and the reclaiming of the story of Mary Magdalene alongside the clergywomen gathered, there is an Epistle, a letter to the church symbolizing the healing and liberation for women specifically.
|
