by Carol Blessing
Common belief holds that women have often been excluded, marginalized, or silenced in the Christian tradition from its inception. From St. Paul's first-century teaching that "women are to remain silent in church" to the more recent Southern Baptist censure of female pastors, many women have found a less than welcoming presence in Christianity, particularly in leadership positions. Fortunately, recent work in history has uncovered a more varied role for women in the Church, from antiquity through the Middle Ages and throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Theological studies have worked to present a more accurate view of Christ's teachings and treatment of women, and have sought to separate patriarchal cultural constraints from the Gospel message and vision of the Church for all genders and races. This listing of websites includes both traditional and reconstructed views of women in the Christian tradition, from the Bible through the present day.
The following listings inevitably overlap with other Feminist Collections website reviews, particularly in the area of women in the Middle Ages. As the Catholic Church shaped medieval society, the study of European women in that era was also primarily a study of women in relation to the Church. In this review, some Christian traditions are also more heavily represented than others, because of the longer history and wealth of resources in Catholicism, but the aim is to include websites of both Catholic and Protestant sources. Denominational sites are listed only if they have extensive coverage of women in the Christian tradition.
Christian Classics Ethereal Library
URL: http://www.ccel.org
Maintained by: Calvin College
Last updated: December 20, 2001
Reviewed: December 20, 2001
This site, which is maintained by a Reformed (Calvinist) institution, provides public domain editions of hundreds of Christian works, most heavily from the early Christian and medieval eras, but also including theology and literature from later ages. While the majority of the writings (including all of those in the "Recommended" category) are by males, there is a representation of medieval female texts, including those by Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Siena, and Teresa of Avila; texts are continually being added to the archive, however. Searches can be performed by author, title, and type (such as Mysticism, which includes many females); unfortunately, the structure precludes being able to search only for women authors. A subject search using "woman" turns up numerous entries that discuss females in the Church. Good links to other theological and historical websites are included.
Matrix
URL: http://matrix.bc.edu
Developed/maintained by: Katherine Gill and Lisa Bitel, editors; Marilyn Dunn, managing editor; and a team of advisors, contributors, and assistants.
Last updated: Unknown
Reviewed: December 20, 2001
A well-constructed scholarly database with wonderful graphics, Matrix focuses on "all professional Christian women in Europe between 400 and 1600 CE." Centered at Boston College, this Web resource is compiled by an interdisciplinary team of medieval academicians. One may search by region, date, or name to receive descriptions of the communities, or access biographies of individual women. Very good high-resolution images are available for search through the image library subsection. The site also contains an extensive bibliography of print resources, as well as a helpful glossary. A small selection of secondary documents is available; more are currently being added to the site. A collection of primary documents will also join the site in the near future.
The Labyrinth: Resources for Medieval Studies
URL: http://labyrinth.georgetown.edu
Developed/maintained by: Martin Irvine and Deborah Everhart
Copyright: 1994-2001
Reviewed: December 20, 2001
Sponsored by Georgetown University, this is a megasite that can be easily searched for information either on women or on Church history, although a combination search is not possible. Under the "women" category are other valuable links relating to women in the Christian tradition, such as the Bibliography on Women in Byzantium, the Medieval Feminist Index, and a good site on medieval mystic and writer Julian of Norwich, which in turn contains links to women in the Bible and many other helpful resources.
Mapping Margery Kempe: A Guide to Late Medieval Material and Spiritual Life
URL: http://www.holycross.edu/departments/visarts/projects/kempe/
Developed/maintained by: Sarah Stanbury and Virginia Raguin
Last updated: Unknown
Reviewed: December 20, 2001
This smaller but beautifully illustrated and well-structured scholarly website is located at the College of the Holy Cross, created by a medievalist and an art professor, and supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Focusing on the Book of Margery Kempe, the first English spiritual autobiography, written by the fourteenth-century housewife, pilgrim, and mystic, the site also includes full-resolution images and links to articles and websites on many other female saints and mystics. An extensive bibliography of print sources on female religious life completes the site.
Women and Christianity
URL: http://www.earlham.edu/~libr/acrlwss/wsstheo.html#christianity
Developed/maintained by: Christine M. Larson
Last updated: December 18, 2001
Reviewed: December 20, 2001
Part of WSSLINKS, the Women's Studies division of the Association of College and Research Libraries, this site contains good general and research links, ranging from resources on lesbians in the Church to conservative critiques of women's roles. Included are U.S., European, and Canadian links, as well as both Catholic and Protestant resources, making this an excellent place to begin a search on women in the Christian tradition.
Christian+Feminist
URL: http://www.users.csbsju.edu/~eknuth/xpxx/index.html
Developed/maintained by: Elizabeth T. Knuth
Last updated: June 7, 2001
Reviewed: December 20, 2001
A striking icon of Christ as Holy Wisdom and the statement "This page is dedicated to the proposition that faith and feminism are not mutually exclusive" open this small but useful website. The creator, who holds graduate degrees in divinity and theology, provides an easy-to-use site with a mix of good scholarly and general resources on women in the Church, from sources on medieval women to current times, from the European tradition to African Christianity.
Hulda: Feminist Theology
URL: http://www.dike.de/hulda/english.html
Developed/maintained by: Rebecca Unsoeld
Last updated: April 1, 2001
Review: December 20, 2001
This private bilingual website of a German protestant theologian is available in both English and German and has links to a number of North American and European feminist theological resources, including other Web pages, scholarly journal articles not seen on other websites, information on liberation theology, and a current workshop and conference listing on women in Christianity. There are some misspellings, and the site has not recently been updated, but otherwise this is a good asset for nontraditional views of women in the Church.
Wabash Center: Women and Religion
URL: http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/Internet/women.htm
Last updated: November 11, 2001
Reviewed: December 20, 2001
Sponsored by an all-male liberal arts college, this actively maintained site has an unexpectedly wide range of resources on many spiritual traditions and a range of viewpoints from very conservative to radical feminist. Especially helpful are the links to women-in-Christianity syllabi and courses throughout the country, many of which include other good links. The annotations and well-organized format make this a very easy site to navigate.
Women and Religion; Web Resources
URL: http://www.aarweb.org/syllabus/syllabi/o/ogrady/women_and_religion_web_resources-ogrady.html
Developed/maintained by: Kathleen O'Grady
Last updated: Unknown
Reviewed: December 20, 2001
Although covering many religions, this site includes many good articles, excellent journals (including Vox Feminarium: The Canadian Journal of Feminist Spirituality and The Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion), videos, online courses, and other websites specifically on women in the Christian tradition. The annotated listing notes which resources are suited for beginners as well as more advanced researchers, but some links are outdated.
Wesleyan/Holiness Women Clergy
Developed/maintained by: Susie Stanley
Last updated: Unknown
Reviewed: December 20, 2001
This site, created by a female religion professor and ordained pastor, contains information on women in the following denominations: Salvation Army, Free Methodist, Nazarene, Church of God Anderson, Brethren in Christ, Wesleyan, and Evangelical Friends. Historical coverage runs from the nineteenth century through the present day and focuses on women in Church leadership. The collection includes an extensive bibliography of print resources (albeit without Web links), full texts of a number of booklets relating to women in ministry, women hymnists, and inclusive language in the Church, and texts of other articles from journals and general periodicals. Those who wish to witness the 150-year history of American women preachers will enjoy clicking on the extensive portrait gallery.
United Methodist Women
URL: http://gbgm-umc.org/womens-division/index2.html
Developed/maintained by: United Methodist Women
Last updated: Unknown
Reviewed: December 20, 2001
In addition to links on current women's events and issues, this site includes several important study guides relating to women in the Christian tradition. In the lesson on John Wesley, there is a section on women and Wesley's times, with essays and links to eighteenth-century women (starting with John Wesley's mother, Susanna) who influenced the founder of Methodism, were female preachers, or engaged in dialogue with him concerning the position of women in the Church. One of the guide's links is "Sources of Women's History in Methodism," a valuable research tool for accessing archival materials in the United Kingdom. The Corinthians study guide addresses the Pauline controversy over a woman's right to speak in church and the dominance of the husband over the wife. The links to women in early Christianity and Bible commentaries on the passage provide a defense of females who play active roles in the Church. Jesus and Courageous Women of the Bible, another study guide, includes a useful annotated bibliography as well as good essays.
SisterSite
URL: http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/1114/index.html [Editor's note: site is being terminated. Information from J. Cole, March 28, 2004.]
Developed/maintained by: Margaret Susan Thompson and Ritamary Bradley
Last updated: December 17, 2000 (Essay and review page)
Reviewed: December 20, 2001
Sponsored by the Internet discussion group Sister-L, SisterSite is a Web resource for women in Catholic religious communities, as well as laity and those interested in learning more about historical and contemporary Church women. It is easy to navigate, includes both popular and scholarly resources, and has a good listing of resources for "Women's Spirituality and Theology," although several have not been updated to reflect the Web links' new addresses. The section "Women's Congregations of the Web" is an especially complete listing with clicks to home pages of current Catholic religious communities throughout North America and other locales.
[Carol Blessing, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Literature at Point Loma Nazarene University, where she teaches in the Women's Studies minor and writes on medieval women and women in the Wesleyan tradition.]
FEMINIST COLLECTIONS' copyright is held by the Regents of the University
of Wisconsin System.
Single issues of FEMINIST COLLECTIONS may be purchased for $3.50 (plus
postal charges for non-U.S. requests--inquire about rates). Please send a check
made payable to University of Wisconsin-Madison to Women's Studies Librarian's
Office, 430 Memorial Library, 728 State Street, Madison, WI 53706
For subscription rates or for further information, questions, or comments, email the Women's Studies Librarian, wiswsl at (replace with "@") library.wisc.edu
Return to FEMINIST COLLECTIONS Homepage
Return to Wisconsin Women's Studies Librarian's Homepage
Mounted February 22, 2002.