Home > Web Explorations Index > Divorce
October-December 2004 by Letha Dawson Scanzoni
- Resources for Christian Living and Learning
- Special Topic: Divorce
- Current Issues News items of interest to women and men who care about equality, compassion, and justice.
- Expanding Our Horizons Websites to aid in understanding people of various backgrounds and faiths
Introduction
Welcome to another edition of Web Explorations for Christian Feminists. We’re glad you stopped by and hope you’ll come back often. Just a reminder: Since the links in Web Explorations take you to sites outside eewc.com, please keep in mind that EEWC cannot be responsible for their content. Nor does the inclusion of a link mean that it represents the views or official position of EEWC. Rather, the links will simply direct you to sites that I think you’ll find interesting, informative, challenging, inspiring, or just worth knowing about. I hope you’ll enjoy exploring them.
Part 1. Resources for Christian Living and Learning
St. Nicholas website
From the website: “St. Nicholas is beloved throughout the world and continues to be revered in Christian tradition, especially as protector and patron of children in the West and as Wonderworker in the East. The St. Nicholas Center aims to bring Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians together in common purpose-to help people understand and appreciate the original St. Nicholas, the only real Santa Claus.” This website has lots of information, activities for children, e-cards, and more.
Connections: A Monthly Letter Calling the Church to Faithful New Life
Barbara Wendland, an active Methodist layperson and speaker, publishes this newsletter on a wide variety of topics of interest to Christians. Published each month and archived on the website, you can read current and back issues here. They are in pdf format, so you’ll need to have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. (EEWC member Nancy Hardesty told me about this website and highly recommended it.)
Feminist Christian
Website of the Australian Student Christian Movement’s Women’s Project. From the website: “To be a Christian feminist in a post-Christian post-feminist age might seem impossible or contradictory. After all, weren’t all the battles for women’s rights won by our mothers? and isn’t Christianity at loggerheads with feminism, intent on putting women back in the kitchen in a male-headed household?” Click on the four questions under FAQs to see why Christianity and feminism fit together.
Washerwoman God
EEWC members who attended the 2004 conference in Claremont, CA will remember, as one of the highlights, Colleen Fulmer and a group of EEWC volunteers singing her composition, “Washerwoman God,” while performing the accompanying movements. Now you can hear Colleen singing “Washerwoman God” on the Web, along with a delightful interview with Martha Ann Kirk who wrote the lyrics for the song. Dr. Kirk talks about the scriptural basis for the imagery that she and Colleen used in the song, as well as for female imagery for God in general. The two women are featured on Interfaith Voices, which describes itself as “a public radio show promoting religious tolerance and interfaith understanding.” Click on “Listen to the Shows of 2003″ and go to Show #4 , January 24-26, 2003, which shows the content. The last segment of that broadcast features Martha Ann Kirk and Colleen Fulmer.
Part 2. Special Topic: Divorce
Religion and Divorce
Born-again Christians just as likely to divorce as are others
2004 statistics from the Barna research group
The Barna Research Group’s statistics from 2001
Divorce and religious faith: Overview from Religious Tolerance. Org
Which states have the highest divorce rates?
A sociologist comments on the Barna Research Group’s findings on conservative Christians and divorce.
Speaking of Faith: Marriage, Family, and Divorce
Two professors, Rabbi Elliot Dorff and Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson, discuss marriage and divorce from the perspective of their respective faith traditions. This is an audio program from the Speaking of Faith public radio broadcast. You can hear it online.
Guide to Religious Divorce Rituals
How various denominations and religious faiths are using rituals to assist couples in the sad process of ending their marriages. The site also contains interesting links to related material. From Belief Net.
Can One Become Two?
This article from Christianity Today magazine lists the major Scripture passages generally used by Christians in discussions of divorce. It then lists the differing conclusions biblical scholars have reached about the permissibility of divorce.
Practical and Economic Considerations in Divorce
Divorce Magazine
Regularly updated news and practical advice about divorce from a magazine devoted to the subject.
Credit and divorce (Federal Trade Commission)
Advice on credit accounts in marriage and divorce.
Equality in Marriage Institute
If marriage is a 50-50 partnership, married life should demonstrate it, and divorce settlements should be equitable.
Part 3: Current Issues
News items of interest to women and men who care about equality, compassion, and justice.
Television networks ban UCC ad on Jesus’ welcome to all
Website of defrocked Lesbian Methodist pastor in the news recently
World Health Organization and maternal deaths
Sexual harassment of women in Pakistan
A British view of Americans, religion, and politics
India’s textbooks now spotlight woman who fought dowry demands
Breastfeeding bill in Scotland
Oasis women and embroidery business
Breaking up a marriage by renaming couple siblings
“Women struggle in Afghan cinema”
“Grandmothers on guard”
A report from Mother Jones magazine about a human rights group, Machsom ["Checkpoint"] Watch, founded by three Israeli women to monitor Israeli soldiers’ treatment of Palestinians at checkpoints.
“Illegal abortions rampant in Latin America”
Part 4: Expanding Our Horizons
Websites to aid in understanding people of various backgrounds and faiths
Interfaith Voices
Earlier in this issue of Web Explorations, I mentioned a specific program from this site (“Washerwoman God”). But it’s worth looking at this home page and exploring the entire site further. Check the contents of the archives to see the great selection of speakers, interviews, and topics that have been featured over the past few years, and then take time to listen to some of them.
Amnesty International’s efforts to end gender-based discrimination and violence
Feminist sexual ethics project : Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Feminist Sexual Ethics website. Supported by a grant from the Ford Foundation and Brandeis University. Articles, links, and audio materials.
That’s all for this time. Enjoy your exploring.
Your Web Explorations Guide,
Letha Dawson Scanzoni
© 2004 Evangelical and Ecumenical Women’s Caucus