In regards to religious rhetoric, it is important to understand how the manipulation of religious language is used to enforce strict gender roles and a male hierarchy. Continue reading Gender Rhetoric: Understanding Gender Norms in Christian Co-Cultures Part I
What makes the writings of the Eldredges and Dobson so powerful and so able to transfer their rhetoric across Christian co-cultural groups is how they avoid using language that is accepted by only one co-culture. Continue reading Gender Norms in Christian Culture Part II
he structure and influence of the Christian publishing market allows the writings of authors from various Christian co-cultures to exert great influence over Biblical interpretation, family life, and the self-worth of the Christian individual. Continue reading Gender Norms in Christian Co-Cultures Part III
Note: This is an updated entry from 2011 when I was writing my dissertation. I’m in the process of updating and adding archival information on Free Methodist women evangelist for a book contract I have with Fortress Academic. The portion … Continue reading Ida Gage: A Pioneering Evangelist
At the 1890 Free Methodist General Conference the Northern Indiana Conference sent Anna Grant as a delegate. Grant, an evangelist who sent in regular ministry updates to the denominational magazine The Free Methodist, appears to primarily have been preaching in the northeast portion of the state (Whitley, Steuben, Allen, Noble, De Kalb and Legrange Counties). While other female evangelists I’ve researched have had either spouse who was ordained elders (Clara & John Wetherald) or a well-written annual conference history that outlined their story (Ida Gage), Anna Grant so far doesn’t have that. She and Clara Wetherald were the only two … Continue reading Who was S. Annie Grant?
After about a 5-year break, I am returning to the topic of 19th-century women’s ordination. Currently, I’m working on tracing the stories of the Free Methodist General Conference female delegates from 1890, Anna Grant, (Northern Indiana), and 1894, Clara Sage (Wabash, Ind,), Mrs. Colemen (Wisconsin) & Mrs. Barnhart (Pittsburg). More on what I have found to come. While my dissertation traced the stories of the two women delegates who spoke up in defense of their ministry (Clara Wetherald & Ida Gage), I have begun to wonder about those who were silent. Why didn’t they speak; what did they think? Some … Continue reading As God Will: 1892 Update from Clara Wetherald
This week the world lost arguably one of the most important Christian feminists of the twenty-first century. Rachel Held Evans, 37, author of a Year of Biblical Womanhood, Inspired: Slaying Giants and Living on Water and Loving the Bible Again and Searching for Sunday, passed away from complications relating to the flu. In 2012, Christianity Today named her on the top 50 Women to Watch, and they were right. Evans was a force, never settling for trite Christian messages, pushing evangelical culture to change and become inclusive not only to women and the LGTQI community and ultimately having to leave Evangelical culture to … Continue reading A Day with Rachel Held Evans
I’m now 34, and like so many former evangelicals who grew up at the height of the purity movement all of my romantic choices were influenced by the guidelines of books such as I Kissed Dating Goodbye. I now realize I am damn lucky my romantic narrative didn’t turn into a horror show. Continue reading Grappling with Purity Culture Regrets
In the past year, women have taken a stand on social media through the hashtag #metoo. speaking out about sexual assault and harassment. So, as a … Continue reading #Churchtoo Only a First Step
In the past two years I have continually asked myself what would Benjamin Titus Roberts, Clara Wetherald, Ida Gage, Marriet Hardy Freeland or other early Free … Continue reading The New Manifesto
Free Methodist Feminist 