Expanding The Image Of The Divine To Include The Feminine with Reverend Jann Aldredge-Clanton, Ph.D.

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Jann Aldredge-Clanton doggedly persisted against the tide of the times in order to become a Baptist Minister. When she was growing up in the Baptist tradition, only women who were missionaries in other countries were allowed to baptize and preach, and perform other ministerial roles. However, in the United States, they were not allowed to preach in churches. She has joined a movement within religion to invite more inclusive language that would include such offerings as prayers to "mother/father" instead of just "father." She believes that in order to have a more egalitarian society where women are truly equal, where there’s not so much domestic violence and abuse, then we need to change religious institutions. She asserts that bringing the Divine Feminine into religious institutions is not just a cosmetic cure. She says, “Words reflect and create reality. Language shapes reality, which drives our actions. What we call the Ultimate Power of the universe is huge. It influences all of these other things such as how women are seen. Until women are imaged as The Holy, then they won’t be given as equal value to men and there will continue to be oppression and discrimination.” This movement is leading the church to a new day of justice, peace, and equality. (hosted by Justine Willis Toms)

Bio

Reverend Jann Aldredge-Clanton is an ordained Baptist minister, author, teacher and chaplain, and currently serves as adjunct professor at Perkins School of Theology and Richland Community College in Dallas, Texas. She also serves as co-chair of Equity for Women in the Church and on the council of Evangelical and Ecumenical Women’s Caucus Christian Feminism Today. A native of Louisiana, she received her masters and Ph.D. degrees from Texas Christian University as well as a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Theological Seminary.

Reverend Jann Aldredge-Clanton is the author and editor of many books, including:

• Breaking Free: The Story of a Feminist Baptist Minister (Eakin Press 2002)
• In Search of the Christ-Sophia: An Inclusive Christology for Liberating Christians (Twenty-Third Publications 1995; Eakin Press 2004)
• She Lives!: Sophia Wisdom Works in the World (Skylight Paths Publishing 2014)

To learn more about the work of Jann Aldredge-Clanton go to www.jannaldredgeclanton.com.

Topics Explored in This Dialogue

• What was Jann Aldredge-Clanton’s call to a Southern Baptist minister
• What were the challenges of being a Baptist feminist
• How was her “reverse” workshop received when she used only female pronouns
• How the concept of God goes much beyond gender
• What are some of the many mentions of the feminine as the Divine in the Bible
• What was her resistance to signing a fundamentalist inspired document
• Why languaging the Divine Feminine as equal to the Divine Masculine is important
• Why the way we think of God as both feminine and masculine is important to men
• How this movement is leading the church to a new day of peace, justice, and equality

Host: Justine Willis Toms   Interview Date: 11/15/2015   Program Number: 3565

Music Playlist

From Album: Origins
Artist: Radhika Miller, David Darling, W.A. Mathieu
1989 Radhika Miller Music #RMM 1108

Opening Essay: Track 03 Net of Gems
Music Break 2: Track 01 Origins
Music Break 3: Track 02 Shepherd's Joy

From Album: Medicine Music
Artist: Bobby McFerrin
1998 Blue Note #DR9N

Music Break 1: Track 12 The 23rd Psalm