Intersectional Identities of Christian Women in the United States: Faith, Race, and Feminism
Ebook
In Intersectional Identities of Christian Women in the United States: Faith, Race, and Feminism, Amanda Hernandez explores the complex relationship between Christianity and feminism in the United States. Often, feminism and faith are seen as contradictory to each other. Through sociological analysis that includes content analysis, survey data, and interviews with over forty Christian women, the author argues this seeming contradiction is rooted in white supremacy. Further, she examines how whiteness, racism, and experiences of sexism shape feminist identities in religious contexts. By centering the experiences of Christian women, this study challenges existing narratives and calls for a more nuanced understanding, of feminism and faith in the United States.
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction - Christian Feminists: Oxymoron?
Chapter 1: These Two Can Work Together: A Content Analysis of Feminism’s Relationship to Faith
Chapter 2: Wife-Mother-Girl Boss
Chapter 3: Arenas of Moral Combat: Sexual Violence, Abortion, and Gay Christians
Chapter 4: White Women Confronting Racism, Women of Color Living with Racism
Chapter 5: Christian Feminists
Conclusion: A Christian Feminist, Who Can Find?
Bibliography
Appendix 1: Full Demographic Profiles of Interview Participants
Appendix 2: Interview Questions
About the Author
Amanda Hernandez’s ambitious and incisive volume demonstrates the immense value of integrating intersectional insights on race and gender into the study of religion. She draws on rich interview data from religious women of diverse backgrounds while also analyzing influential texts to shed new light on the connections between race, gender, and faith. As it turns out, faith and feminism are not incompatible, but their connections vary remarkably by race. Intersectional Identities of Christian Women in the United States breathes new life into ongoing discussions that are vital to understanding religious complexity today.
In this important book Amanda Hernadez takes on the myth that feminist and Christian are incompatible identities for American women. Using interviews, supplemented by national survey data, Hernandez shares the narratives of the complicated relationships many women encounter with bringing together feminism and religion in their lives. Central to her argument is an intersectional perspective. With the interview accounts, Hernandez shows how race affects these women’s experiences and perspectives and argues that women of color are much more likely than white women to bring these identities together in their lives. Hernandez presents a compelling critique of white feminism and white Christianity and the ways that they both support white supremacy. She unpacks the many ways that Christian women today talk about feminism, suggesting how intersectional feminisms that focus on structural change rather than individual choice can transform patriarchal religion. Hernandez’s passion for this transformation of feminism and Christianity informs her work. This book should be widely read; its approachable style lends itself to classroom use, and her thoughtful analysis advances how those who study religion understand intersectional processes.
- Title: Intersectional Identities of Christian Women in the United States: Faith, Race, and Feminism
- Author: Amanda Hernandez
- Publisher: Lexington Books
- Print Publication Date: 2024
- Logos Release Date: 2024
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781666941647, 9781666941630, 1666941638, 1666941646
- Resource ID: LLS:9781666941647
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-09-17T04:11:46Z
Amanda Hernandez is assistant professor of sociology and contributing faculty in the feminist studies and race and ethnicity studies programs at Southwestern University.