EVENTS - box2032.temp.domainsbox2032.temp.domains/~karinhel/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/THG … · Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, led an Overflow/ FORUM

“It is the smallest of all seeds” (Mt 13:32)

a message from Dr. Karin Heller Professor of Theology

Research & Scholarship Coordinator of WGS Program

It’s true, the TH&G Program gave us the impression it would start out as “the

smallest of all seeds” since its implementation in Fall 2015. But we grew, little

by little. We’re happy to report the following highlights. Congratulations to our

first graduates: Jessica Hoogerhyde (TH&G Minor, ‘17) and Judy Mata (BA in

Theology with WGS concentration, ‘17). Since Fall 2016, a number of students

have heard about TH&G issues by successfully completing the following courses:

TH 275 Bible&Gender (110 students); TH 140 Great Themes of the Bible, a Women and Gender friendly

perspective (55 students); TH 362 Men and Women in the Image of God (18 students) and four students

completed TH 350 as an Independent Study . This academic year 2017-18, twelve students are signed up

for a TH&G Minor and three for a BA in Theology with a WGS concentration.

Our program also extended to 26 students from the School of Continuing Studies, who successfully

completed TH 275, while eight completed TH 140. Enjoy discovering other achievements and events as you

read through the following newsletter.

EVENTS March 20-21, 2017: Dr. Philip Payne

Dr. Payne gave a talk titled “Is God a Feminist?” for “Overflow” and spoke the next

day to the campus community on the following topic: Why Women and Gender

Studies Matter at a Christian University?

What students wrote:

“I am so blown away and thankful for the opportunity to come to lectures like these.

There were definitely seeds planted in my head such as “male headship”: it struck

me how we really do need to change our hermeneutics.”

“I had not outward but some inward reservations in regard to women leadership. They are gone now.”

“It has given me hope that even people that are at first very negative towards feminism can have a

change of heart.”

THEOLOGY & GENDER

NEWSLETTER #1 - SPRING 2018

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT My name is Rachel Murray and I am from Fremont, California (it's in the San Francis-

co Bay Area). I am passionate about History, especially exploring the reasons behind pop-

ular beliefs and ill-informed understandings of well-known events. I heard about Whit-

worth because my dad's family is from Spokane and my grandpa actually went here in the

1950s. I love Whitworth's history and theology departments, especially that the faculty

encourages different opinions and exploring different types of analysis.

I was taking Dr. Heller's Bible and Gender class in the fall of 2017 and I realized how little

I understand about church tradition and the origins of theology. Recognizing this made me want to understand

the contemporary Church's relationship with its theological past. I have most enjoyed the research paper I am

working on right now in Gender Theologies on Julian of Norwich. It has been an interesting exploration of the

connections that can be drawn from the Medieval period and now. This minor will help me in the field of Public

History, especially in analyzing different perspectives. I also get to do this minor in the context of my faith which

makes it a unique minor. This minor is great for people who want to explore the reasons why the church, as an

institution, has certain doctrines and theologies and what Scripture says.

May 2, 2017: April Ross Thesis Presentation

April Ross successfully presented her master's thesis for the degree of Master of Arts

in Theology. Her thesis entitled “Proclaiming the Good News to the Poor: Gender and

Disability in the Light of the Image of God” is available in the WU library.

Some words from April about benefits she received from her research:

I began to understand the extent to which people with bodily differences have been

deemed hopeless by society, family, friends, and churches.

I now see the female body as whole, without lack. I view the bodies of people with

disability as complete and part of God’s diverse and good creation. I know deeply

that I am called to pastoral ministry.

My academic research increased my hope and trust in the presence of the Holy Spirit

working through my perception of patients’ words or reactions. This hope reinforced

my resilience for this work of spiritual care as it freed me from stereotypes and rigid

patterns due to narrow interpretation of scripture and social norms.

October 17, 2017 Trustee Eric Peterson & Pastor Jan Shannon

More than 60 students attended a FORUM discussion on Ordaining Homosexuals?

What students wrote:

“A discussion like this is very important to have at Whitworth. Some people are really closed off to this discussion, and I

think that this is dehumanizing people. “

“I always felt excluded from Church discussions as a non-Christian lesbian and Jan’s very existence in this discussion

made me feel like my opinion matters.”

“I felt a sense of relieve and empowerment for the speakers on the panel, but at the same time I still feel fear. “

“What’s not okay is when there is no respect or common ground between the two sides.”

“Reverend Eric also opened my mind when he exposed his point of view on why homosexuals in the Bible don’t

necessarily apply to society now. “

FORUM:

Several TH&G Minor

students initiated

FORUM, a student

led discussion

opportunity on

topics related to

God, Theology and

Gender Worldwide.

March 11-12, 2018: Dr. Christine Yoder

Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, led an Overflow/

FORUM discussion on the following topic: “ ‘Capable’ or ‘Valiant’?: Proverbs 31:10-31

and Understandings of Women’s Agency.” Her Staley Foundation lecture was entitled

"Wisdom Personified as a Woman: An Odyssey across Texts and Testaments".

What students wrote:

“I loved the event because it was open-ended. My favorite quote from the presentation

was Dr. Yoder translating this woman to be known as a woman of “valor, strength,

valiance, virtue and substance”. My hope is that wisdom would have a mother who set that example for her and a

father who empowered her. I would like to be that father if I ever have a daughter in the future.”

“I was caught by surprise when I saw the title of Christine Yoder’s speech. Women in the Bible are typically por-

trayed as wives and mothers and punished if they do not follow what they are told by men. Now, the mere idea of

wisdom being a woman creates so much power and strength in what a woman is. “

“Seeing wisdom as the tree of life transformed my thinking. Previously I have seen wisdom as being smart. Now, I

see wisdom as life. People who eat her fruit and drink her water always want more, because she contains life. I

have previously prayed for knowledge, now I pray to see wisdom. “

Student Spotlight: My name is Ethan Mendoza-

Pena. I was born and raised in

Spokane, WA, and love this city

with all my heart. I am very pas-

sionate about being an advo-

cate for minority voices. Being a minority myself has had

its challenges, but it has made me resilient and

perseverant in my pursuit of equality and advocacy.

Eventually, I was selected to come to Whitworth, through

the Act-Six program and do not regret my decision at all. I

am currently a Sociology major with minors in Psychology

and Theology & Gender Studies.

My Great Themes of the Bible class, with Dr. Karin

Heller, has been nothing short of a treat. It attracted me

to this minor. My favorite assignments have definitely

been the essays and reflection papers. They really make

me engage the texts we are assigned, with my outside life

and understandings of the Old&New Testament. This

minor will allow me to further my knowledge in Theology,

but also with gender and how we, as a society, are

evolving to encompass/include all genders and

orientations.

If someone were to ask me about this minor, I

would encourage them to sign up for it if they are

passionate about exploring new perspectives that would

otherwise be unknown to them. This minor is also very

attractive to employers as it provides a foundation to

understand and meet the demands of an increasingly

changing world and workplace.

The PCUSA awarded Dr. Karin Heller

the Teaching of the Bible grant for

writing a text book for use by faculty,

students, campus ministry, pastors

and church communities. The book’s

primary goal is to introduce students

to the Bible by considering its great

themes in a women-and-gender-

friendly-perspective. What the great

biblical themes reveal is that sex, sex-

uality and sexual orientation do not

make a human being in God’s image

and likeness. The book argues that

the essence of being created in God’s

image is a lengthy process. Human

beings are shaped into God’s image

while they journey throughout their

lives through the great themes of the

Bible.

Four TH&G students presented their research at SIRC and completed their TH 350

Gender Theologies Independent Study program:

Rachel Murray: “Julian of Norwich: Ignored and Rediscovered”

Abigail Nye: “The Redemption of Mary’s Image in Catholicism and Protestantism”

Breezie Rayas: “Faith in the Line of Fire. Gender and Faith in the World of Emergency Workers.”

Juan Felipe Paz: “Gender Construction in the midst of Secular Culture and Christianity”

Alumna Spotlight – Kayla Sisk-Vargas (’14)

Doctoral Student, Counseling Psychology, University of Oregon

Graduate Employee, Counseling Psychology and Human Services, University of Oregon

LEAD Higher Education Equity Trainee, College of Education,

Counseling Extern, Lane Community College

Recovery Coach, Monte Nido & Affiliates

Getting a theology minor allowed me to integrate my

numerous interests in human beings. My favorite theology course

was the “Theologies in Dialogue” ecumenical Seminar”. This

course gave me the opportunity to conduct my own research and

begin the work of identifying a theology that was practically relevant and inclusive of

all human beings. Spirituality is something that is lacking in the psychological

disciplines, and yet I found theology (or a lack of) incredibly important in my clinical

work with human beings – humans naturally strive for meaning.

The theology minor has helped me be more open-minded and has increased

my ability to spread God’s love to a multitude of people. It has also prompted a lot of

existential thinking and an emphasis on meaning making in my clinical work/research

interests.

Student Spotlight – Abigail Nye (’19) I am a psychology and theology double major with a women and gender

studies concentration. I have a passion for social justice, especially wom-

en’s and children’s rights and hope to become a psychologist specializing

in eating disorders or school psychology. I came to Whitworth because of

the social activities, the integration of faith into education, and the WGS

track within the theology major.

My favorite course so far has been TH 275 Bible and Gender. This course

revealed the truths of so many biblical women who are the foundation of

the Christian tradition. They made me think of how I could help to redeem

the importance of biblical female characters. I don’t plan on going into ministry, but from learning

about empowerment and courage through biblical women I have much to apply to my counseling

career path. I hope to show young women and men the power of gender similarities and not

differences.

I encourage anyone to engage in a combination of theological and women and gender studies.

This path has challenged me in my beliefs and from that, I have immensely grown in my faith. I

am more aware of the impact that gender issues have in the church, and the ways I can work to

overcome them.

MISCELLANEA WEAVING OUR SISTERS’ VOICES

February 28, 2016; December 9, 2016; and February 24, 2017:

More than 250 students and adults attended in the Whitworth Chapel the theatrical

production Weaving Our Sisters’ Voices, co-created by Dr. Suzanne Ostersmith

(Theatre department) and Dr. Linda Schearing (Religious Studies department), from

Gonzaga University. This sacred tapestry blended into dance, music and poetry is a

contemporary look at stories of strong women from Scripture. As a performative act,

it serves to inspire artists and audiences to engage in dialogue about complex issues of unjust legal systems, domestic abuse,

dignity, and mutual respect in relationships and faith.

What students wrote:

“I left feeling very empowered. It was about all women. The most radical change in my belief happened when I heard the story of

Job’s wife, I never heard the full story until now. In my opinion, Job’s wife is one of the most misunderstood characters in the Bible.”

“These women became human, and in their humanity, I was able to see God’s voice through their stories, shaping their lives.”

“After watching this play and although I’m still very unfamiliar with the bible, I can finally say I feel I have taken the first step in the

direction of understanding my role as a woman.”

“Alongside standing up for myself, Tamar’s story has helped me understand how I may have oppressive attitudes towards women. I

believe the major benefit I received from this play was realizing the one-sidedness of the Bible. My perspective of Scripture has

morphed into a more inclusive understanding of what is in the Bible and what has been left out.”

April 17, 2018: Dr. Amy Peloff, WGS Presentation

Affiliate assistant professor of gender, women, and sexuality studies at the

University of Washington: “Feminism in Pop Culture”

Amy Peloff said “these men (like Harvey Weinstein) are the ones creating the bulk of the

entertainment media we consume and their attitudes toward women seep into their work.”

This can be applied to how we read the Bible as well. When reading the Bible it is

important to remember that society’s and men’s view of women did have an influence on

how they wrote the Bible. This means that it is okay to question the Bible and disagree with

how women are portrayed or treated. I do believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of

God, but it was written by men.

Most men willingly look for false accusations and anything slightly negative to confirm their

opposition to feminism. I think this applies to the Bible as well. One of my favorite

simplifications of a bible story is when instead of telling women to dress modestly, Jesus

tells men to avoid lust by plucking their eyes out.

Applying to the Bible Amy Peloff’s last fundamental of feminism, which is “gender norms

hurt everyone”, I see the biblical texts implicitly conveying the message that God created

both men and women with uniqueness. There was no dominance meant to be of one over

the other. Theology and Gender minors are encouraged to take one course from the WU

Women’s and Gender Studies’ Program as the students from this program are encouraged

to take one course from Theology and Gender. The course taken counts toward their

respective minor.

Theology and Gender students participate in presentations and events organized by the

Whitworth University Women’s and Gender Studies’ Program. Our students benefit from

these events as they make them familiar with basic foundational knowledge about

“feminism” such as: “what is straw feminism?” “intersectionality” or “pop culture”? This

knowledge allows them to better explore connections between feminism in a secular world,

theology, faith, and church as highlighted in the following examples of what they wrote:

Karin Heller engaged with Faculty (groups

of 25-60 people) along the following issues:

Theological Christian Talk on Sex and

Gender. Limits and Hopes. (Faculty

Scholarship Forum, September 19, 2016)

“Why do we think about Gender what we

think? The influence of Western Theology

on Contemporary Culture" (October 23,

2016)

"Jesus' Maleness and the Image of

God" (April 4, 2017)

“What kind of Feminist is Jesus? (October

24, 2017)

More than 70 students attended

“Beyond Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice.

Thinking Theologically about Abortion”.

A talk with Karin Heller and Karen

Petersen Finch at Overflow, December

5, 2016.

WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY

Theology & Gender Studies Minor (18 Credits)

SAMPLE COURSE OFFERINGS:

A Theology & Gender Minor provides…

An understanding of differences of

sex, gender, and sexuality.

Expertise in interpreting scriptures

from a gender-friendly perspective.

Insight into connections between

the ways in which we think of God

and humankind.

A foundation for analyzing religious,

social, and racial issues.

Strategies for initiating change and

implementing change.

A tool for critical thinking and

social awareness

Formation of students pursuing

a graduate program

Mission Statement:

Whitworth’s Theology Department affirms that all

peoples share a common humanity. At the same time,

we recognize that factors such as gender, race, class,

sexual orientation, and religious upbringing influence our

worldviews. We also affirm a unity in Christ where class,

race, and gender are overcome (Gal 3:28). Our goal is to

provide students with an intellectually challenging,

academically rigorous, and spiritually enriching

theological inquiry into what this unity may look like in a

wide variety of contexts.

TH/WGS 362 Christian Anthropology

TH/WGS 275 Bible and Gender

PH/WGS 369 Feminist and Multicultural Philosophy

TH/WGS 196 Biblical Themes and Women

TH/WGS 350 Gender Theologies (Taught as Independent study)

OTHER POSSIBILITIES MIGHT INCLUDE:

TH 232H Wisdom Literature

TH 250 Gospel of John

TH 256 Biblical Theme of Shalom

WGS 201 Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies

Contact:

Dr. Karin Heller

Professor of Theology Research & Scholarship Coordinator of

Women’s & Gender Study Program

[email protected]