The recent Supreme Court decision to reverse Roe v. Wade has reminded us that the state of women in our country is more disturbing than we might at first want to think. Not only have the rights of women to…
This is my body
The traumas and burdens inflicted by COVID-19 are borne in our bodies, brains, hearts and communities. Physician Bessle van der Kolk explores the connection between trauma, the brain and the body in his fascinating book The Body Keeps the Score….
The consent of mothers
We are all called to be mothers of God — for God is always waiting to be born. — Meister Eckart, 13 c. German mystic In the wake of the news that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v….
Women of childbearing age are least likely to see strict abortion laws as best deterrent against abortion
There is the question of whether abortion should be legal in the United States, but there’s also a separate question about whether restricting abortion effectively reduces the number of procedures done. Abortion opponents believe outlawing abortion is the best way…
This is more than just sin
The Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee refused to act on hundreds of reports of abuse. This is more than just sin. The efforts of survivors and advocates to bring the truth to light was called, “a satanic scheme to completely…
Remember the women: The Southern Baptist cover up of sexual abuse
If you pay only minimal attention to news outlets, you know the story of the week is the Southern Baptist Convention’s stunning cover up of clergy sexual abuse. The glaring headlines of Christianity Today, The Washington Post and The New…
Don’t overlook the depth of the disease in the SBC
As news is breaking from the investigation of the Southern Baptist Convention’s handling of sexual abuse, my heart breaks for women in the denomination I once called home. It is devastating to read about the treatment of victims and about…
Intolerable cruelty is killing us
In 2003, the Coen brothers released their romantic comedy Intolerable Cruelty. The movie wasn’t great. In fact, it’s entirely forgettable, which is why I was surprised I remembered it at all. After reading the news lately, though, I’m now convinced…
The invisibility of women in the Bible
Taking a look at our world today, we find that while the profile of Asian Americans may rise in the popular American imagination, the Asian American woman is still shrouded in obscurations created by the white dominant society. The visible…
Ketanji Brown Jackson’s experience at the Senate felt a lot like being a Baptist woman in ministry
“She has a vast practical experience, something that I think is a real plus. … I will vote no.” “I can say definitively that I like her. I think she’s a good person, but I cannot support her.” “She seems…
Threats to religious freedom and to women go hand in hand
Whenever and wherever religious freedom is threatened, so too are the fundamental rights of women and girls, a panel of experts said during a recent virtual hearing before the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. “Gender-based and religiously based discrimination…
Where I found acceptance as a woman, others now find rejection
I was sitting at a table on the first floor of the library at Hardin-Simmons University when a fellow classmate from Logsdon School of Theology approached me with a smile. He sat down across from me and slid the rough…