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Indian Feminist Theology and Women's Concerns Reviews, Resources and Remembrance Pearl Drego Streevani Streevani Pune, 2013 2013 Indian Feminist Theology and Women's Concerns Reviews, Resources and Remembrance © Streevani and the author Published by: Streevani 1 & 2, Lotus Building, Neco Gardens, Viman Nagar, Pune 411 014. email: [email protected] Printed at: Repro Prints, Alok Nagari Building, Shop No. 2 & 3, Kasba Peth, Pune. Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................... 5 Forward ............................................................................. 7 Part I 1. Indian Feminist Theology and Women's Concerns Reviews, Resources and Remembrance : Introduction...... 9 2. From survival needs to campaigns .................................... 13 3. Background trends worldwide .......................................... 15 4. Other Feminist Voices ....................................................... 21 5. Other International Locations ........................................... 24 6. Experience - Theory - Action ............................................ 26 7. Indian Women in Previous Decades .................................. 27 8. A Pioneer Publication ....................................................... 30 9. Women in India ................................................................. 30 Part II 10. Women in the Church......................................................... 34 11. Women in the 1970s .......................................................... 41 12. The 1984 Historic Publication on Women......................... 42 13. Landmark Events and Publications.................................... 47 14. Streevani Publications and Programs - 1980's onwards.... 59 Part III 15. CBCI Women's Desk ......................................................... 68 16. CBCI Commission for Women - Gender Policy .............. 69 17. Women with Special Charisms ......................................... 80 18. Voices from the Margins ................................................... 107 19. Other Voices to be Read and Celebrated ........................... 124 20. Conclusion ......................................................................... 126 Acknowledgements I thank Sr. Julie George SSpS for her support and suggestions while composing this record. I thank Virginia Saldanha, Phyllis Ignatius, Anita Lukose, Violet Scolt, Olinda Pereira, and Helen Saldanha SSpS for their support during my research. I thank all the women who have sent me their list of publications and ministries. I thank Joyce Almeida for her help with editing. I thank Ayesha Maliwal for her help with editing and the endnotes. I thank the Holy Spirit for her constant energy and guidance. Pearl Drego 5 6 Foreword The world of woman is full of stories that need telling. It is full of mysteries that need revealing. This time of rapid change we need its chroniclers, tellers and witnesses. The current volume of our Streevani bulletin Birthing a New Vision titled“Indian Feminist Theology and Women's Concerns: Reviews, Resources and Remembrance” traces the genesis of women's writings in the church and in the Society in India and how it has found its voice from the top ranking down to the grass roots. On the process we too have discovered that while traditional theology follows rational thought, feminist theology is experiential. Thus, Indian feminist theologians are giving creative manifestations to their faith in the Indian context. Pope Francis advocates working harder, "to develop a profound theology of women.” I am not sure what he meant when he said this, but I do know that we already have a formidable body of writing by women about their experience of God; from the early Christian martyrs, women mystics and great doctors of the church, to the famous contemporary feminist theologians of our day. There are volumes of feminist theology just waiting for us to plunge into. The fact is that women live the Gospel in their lives and not within the formalized power structure. It is an overwhelming experience to view how the very concept of theology has been deepened by these examples of women's writing and lived experiences over the years. Theology has been stretched to include different literary genres and different forms of life expression. Theology has authorized women to bring in their feminine genius and allowed women to share their poignant experiences and present a comprehensive picture of women's rights in the church. This volume demonstrates how women found ways to write theology, as books and articles, hymns and poems, all testimonies of their refusal to surrender the Word in their endeavour to transform traditions of exclusion. Angela Nijssen s.c.m.m. in her article “Participation of Women in the Life of 7 Christian Communities and Towards a Feminine Theology” fittingly advocates a “different theology of woman”, one which needs to correct the distortions of women's image of previous theologies which underlined the discriminating cultural attitudes towards women. For her, it was not just a question of re-examining the position of woman in the Gospel but of “seeing woman in a totally different light, as a person first, for whom God has a plan.” We sincerely thank Dr. Pearl Drego, the author, who has amazingly gathered the voices of women's movements, as well as those of women theologians, academicians, women with special charisms and women from the margins. She says that, “If we see feminist theology as not only theologising on woman's dignity, identity, status, from biblical, spiritual, and ecclesial perspectives but as rooted in lived contextual realities, and viewed from sociological, anthropological, political, linguistic, and other interpretations; as emerging from the struggles of women for justice on the ground and the struggles of women as part of larger movements for political, social, marital and personal independence, then its canvas expands in manifold ways, keeping it both soul-filled and pragmatic. Indeed, feminist theologising in India emerged through women's resistance against oppression and deprivation, through reflection in faith on these struggles and through women's responses and critique of Church documents and statements on women. By studying scripture passages related to women and critiquing Papal pronouncements as well as declarations of bishops, Indian, Asian and Western, women's local study groups and national conferences produced documents on women's condition in Church and society.” In recording, reminiscing and reviewing, Pearl Drego has given space to writings from the 1950s till date, giving us a random cross-section of published works by women. Still there are many more voices to be read, re-read and celebrated and we look forward to continuing this process. Though we have titled this book as Indian Feminist Theology and Women's Concerns: Reviews, Resources and Remembrance, this volume is restricted only to the Feminist Theology and Concerns of Catholic women. We affirm the truth that, “The experience and wisdom of women are conducive for the growth and transformation of the Church and society” (Gender Policy of the Catholic Church of India, 2010). Julie George SSpS Director Streevani, Pune 8 Part - I 1. Indian Feminist Theology and Women's Concerns: Reviews, Resources and Remembrance: Introduction Holiness is the responsibility of everyone, because, the “Lord Jesus, the divine teacher and model of all perfection, preached holiness of life to each and everyone of his disciples regardless of their situation.” Lumen Gentium 40. Theology is derived from the word theos in Greek which means God. Theology is therefore the science of God, the perception of life, cosmos, events, history, relationships, indeed all of the universe, its creatures and peoples, as sourced in God and being in circulation with divine energies and purposes. Feminist theology critiques the findings and deliberations of theology from the point of view of women's rights and hopes, gender-bias and discrimination, her emotions and desires, her humanity and holiness, responsibilities and talents, her communion with God and God-centered activities, etc. Because of the incarnation of Jesus in human history, humanity's connection to God is relocated in the message brought by Jesus and in his passage through death and resurrection. Women are also immersed in this relocation, and so is womens' theologising. Women theologising, theology as articulated by women, is also much wider than feminist theology. Women have often been relegated only to writing on women's issues in theology and often they are not quoted by mainstream theologians in India, even when writing about women and Church. If we see feminist theology as not only theologising on woman's dignity, identity, status, from biblical, spiritual, and ecclesial perspectives but as rooted in lived contextual realities, and viewed from sociological, anthropological, political, linguistic, and other interpretations; as emerging from the struggles of women for justice on the ground and the struggles of women as part of larger movements for political, social, marital and personal independence, then its canvas expands in manifold ways, keeping it both soul-filled and pragmatic. Indeed, feminist theologising in India emerged through womens' 9 resistance against oppression and deprivation, through reflection in faith on these struggles and through womens' responses and critique of Church documents and statements on women. By studying scripture passages related to women

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