"Before the Reformation, in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church, being a wife or mother was not a holy vocation. The only "spiritual" calling for women was to be found in a convent. The Reformers confronted the bad theology which led to this (and other worse abuses, like priest-patronized brothels) and returned to the Bible to develop a theology of vocation that began to free Christians to be "holy" no matter their occupation. But today, modern feminist claims about vocation have more in common with the pre-Reformation popes than anything else -- except feminists have replaced the nunnery with the hallowed corporate workplace. Christian women wondering about their place in society and comparing feminism with the Bible should start with the teaching of the Reformers and the lives of many exceptional women of the Reformation. Part history and part contemporary reflection, Popes and Feminists argues that women today have some of the same choices facing them as women in the sixteenth century. In this fascinating study, Elise Crapuchettes shows how the Reformation changed the lives of Christian women as it turned them away from trying to earn their salvation and toward a joyful, liberating view of vocation and work"--Page 4 of cover.

Catholic and Feminist: The Surprising History of the American Catholic Feminist Movement

"The Church cannot be understood without women..."- Pope Francis, July 28, 2013 In the new book Promise and Challenge, ten diverse Catholic women -- theologians, philosophers, attorneys, and an economist -- answer Pope Francis' call to address the deeper questions about the meaning of womanhood and the role of women in the Church. Based on their presentations at the 2014 Symposium on Women in the Church, these women help move the conversation forward through their intriguing insights and analysis of established teachings and traditions combined with original scholarship and new ideas. Through their personal experience, spiritual depth, and professional expertise, you'll examine: Threshold issues and important context to expand the role of women in the Church Several important aspects of complementarity that require further theological development theologically Practical issues related to the place of women in the church The promise and challenge of the future With insight, clarity, and great love for the Church, these women touch on both the challenges of today and the promise of tomorrow for women in the Church.

In Sex and the Catholic Feminist, Browder challenges the notion that you can't be a feminist and believe in God. She echoes John Paul II's call for Catholics to embody a "new feminism," a radical new view of women's dignity. Her goal in this book is to "follow one golden thread of feminism in America—the pro-life thread—to show why it has been ignored by the media and left out of public conversation for fifty years." For Browder, the pro-life movement is about more than abortion and contraception; it's about loving and respecting all human life. While tracing the history of feminism in America, Browder discovered at the core of these various feminist movements a search for personhood. Where do women place their identity and find their fulfillment? Browder ultimately concludes that in our noisy, consumerist society, placing one's identity anywhere other than in God will prove disappointing and unfulfilling. "My hope is that some thoughts presented here will spark a new conversation and help heal one of the deepest political divisions in our nation." — Sue Ellen Browder

John Paul II, the most charismatic and influential Pope in centuries, reshaped many facets of Catholic thought. Yet Church policy on women during his papacy remained deeply resistant to popular modern ideas on gender roles. Wojtyla's Women explores John Paul II's views on women, marriage, family and sexual ethics from both feminist and conservative Christian perspectives

This volume probes the meaning and ethical implications of the powerful symbol of vocation from the vantage of contemporary Catholic women, with particular attention to the experiences of women religious. Intended as a follow-up to Liberating Conscience: Feminist Explorations in Catholic Moral Theology, the new book will benefit many readers, including Catholic leaders, laity, and religious, as well as persons interested in Christian ethics and American religious history more generally. The work treats twentieth-century history and more recent developments, including tensions between the Vatican and progressive Catholics, the development of lay ministries, and the movement to ordain women deacons, priests, and bishops.

"An updated text based on James I. Good's Famous women of the Reformed Church."

Having confronted the conflict between feminism and the Vatican and Pope Benedict XVI, Beattie proposes a new theological approach to the encounter between feminism and Catholicism, for the twenty-first century"--Jacket

Over the 100 years since Rerum novarum, the popes have spoken about women on more than forty occasions. This book is the first study, in any language, of that teaching. From speeches to encyclicals, Richard Leonard takes the reader through twenty-seven of the most important papal documents concerning women, including Pope John Paul II's significant statements, Mulieris dignitatem and Ordinatio sacerdatalis. Writing in an easy and accessible style, Leonard shows how the popes have had very different things to say about women, depending on whether they were issuing Catholic social teaching or reflecting on the role of Mary. He examines why such papal teaching about women has met with scepticism and hostility from women and men inside and outside the Catholic Church. He demonstrates why there is such an outstanding contrast in approach to Christian womanhood taken by the papal teaching office and that of leading Catholic feminist theologian, Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what the popes have said about women and why they say what they do.