Lecture on Womanism and Theology

Introduction

• Guest: Dr. Mitzi Smith, Professor of New Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary.
• Host: Dennis Metzler.
• Topics: Womanism, biblical interpretation, social justice.

Dr. Mitzi Smith's Background

• Raised by her mother in Columbus, Ohio.
• Mother's influence in learning about God.
• Experience with Presbyterian and Seventh-day Adventist Churches.
• Currently ordained in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Womanism: Introduction

• Coined by Alice Walker in 1979, expanded in 1983.
• Originated from the term "womanish" in the black community.
• Emphasizes audacity, curiosity, and freedom.
• Inclusivity of various sexual identities.

Womanism in Theology

• Brought into religious academia by Katie Geneva Cannon.
• Distinct from feminism, focusing on experiences of black women.
• Key figures: Lay Kelly Brown Douglas, Dolores Williams, Jacqueline Grant.

Necessity of Womanism

• Critiques traditional black theology for not representing black women's experiences.
• Feminism often overlooks race-related issues.

Womanism and Conservative Evangelicalism

• Flexibility in how individuals identify with womanism.
• Possible rejection of some elements of Alice Walker's definition by conservative Evangelicals.

Experience vs. Scripture

• Criticism: Womanism elevates personal experience over scripture.
• Dr. Smith argues against exegesis vs. eisegesis dichotomy.
• All interpretation is influenced by personal context.

White Men and Womanist Thought

• Womanist thought centers on human experiences relatable across races.
• Examples of engagement and transformation through womanist literature.

Dr. Smith's Publications

• I Found God in Me: A chapter on the womanist scholar as a prophetess, iconoclast, and activist.
  • Focus on justice and deconstructing oppressive icons.
• The Binary Portrayal of Women in the New Testament: Analysis from Matthew to Revelation.
  • Critiques binary of women as virgins or not.

The Great Commission

• Traditionally emphasized in Christian teaching.
• Dr. Smith suggests rethinking it to include social justice.
• Stresses importance of mutual learning and recognizing truth in other cultures.

Womanist Sass and TalkBack

• Inspired by Sandra Bland's story and the importance of voice.
• Discusses the Samaritan woman and water crisis.
  • Living water as a subversive gesture against empire.

The Syrophoenician Woman

• Intersectionality and Intertextuality in Mark 7 and Matthew 15.
• Dr. Smith prefers Mark's account emphasizing the woman's word.

Acts: Ethiopian Eunuch and Apollos

• Comparison and symbolism in relation to Roman Empire.
• Emphasizes subordinate others and intersections of trauma.

2 Kings: Elisha and the Bears

• Tied to authority and police brutality.
• Questions the deification of authority and the drastic reactions of authority figures.

Application of Womanist Thought

• Privilege justice in interpretations of text.
• Encourages dialogue between personal experiences and biblical texts.
• Emphasizes healing and understanding through interpretation.

Conclusion

• Dr. Smith's work challenges traditional interpretations and emphasizes social justice.
• Engages with contemporary issues through a womanist lens.