She who is : the mystery of God in feminist theological discourse /

"What is the right way to speak about God in the face of women's newly cherished human dignity and equality? This is the crucial theological question." Johnson's response is to range far and wide from the early church all the way to the present day to unearth God as the She Who Is, the "creative, relational power of being who enlivens, suffers with, sustains, and enfolds the universe." The author's rich rhetoric is replete with nifty phrases: "mothering the universe," "sheer exuberant relational aliveness," "sacramental anticipatory moments," "the dark radiance of love in solidarity," and so on. The crowning achievement of Johnson's remarkably effortless writing style is that she engages in a gentle, nonconfrontational conversation with many of today's leading feminist theologians, among them Carol Christ and Judith Plaskow (Weaving the Visions, 1989), Anne E. Carr (Transforming Grace, 1988), Rebecca Chopp (The Power to Speak, CH, May'90), and Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite (Sex, Race, and God, 1989). Readers will find this incisive survey to be the finest yet written in the area of feminist theological discourse. D. W. Ferm; Colby College

As perhaps the best book of feminist theology to date, She Who Is is at once thoroughly orthodox, grounded in classical Christian thought, liberatingly contemporary, and rooted in women's experience. Johnson reviews the history of Christian language about God and explains the need for feminist language about God, thereby providing background for nontheologians. She then develops an inclusive and creative Christian spiritual doctrine. Highly recommended for all collections serving educated lay readers, theologians, and clergy. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.