Elizabeth Johnson
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth A. Johnson is a Christian
feminist theologian. She is a Distinguished Professor of Theology at Fordham University
, a Jesuit institution in New York City
. She is a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph
of Brentwood.
in 1964. and a Ph.D. in theology from Catholic University
in 1981. She taught science and religion at the elementary and high school level, then taught theology at St. Joseph's College (New York) and at Catholic University before moving to Fordham in 1991.
In 1990, when the Vatican offered a draft of a new catechism for comment, she criticized the text for its use of Scripture "in a fundamentalist way, with little regard for insights about the New Testament forged in the last half-century of Catholic biblical renewal," quoting the evangelists as if they all held identical views, and ascribing to them concepts only developed after centuries of theological dispute. She praised the text placing Jesus rather than the church at the center of its discussions of worship and ethics, but objected to its "truncated view of the humanity of Jesus Christ" who "walks around like God dressed up in human clothes."
She has served a head of the Catholic Theological Society of America
and the American Theological Society. She was one of the first female theologians church authorities allowed to receive a doctorate.
Johnson's best-known work is She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse (1992), for which she became the fourth recipient of the Grawemeyer Award
. It the first extended attempt to integrate feminist categories such as experience and emancipation into classical Catholic theology. Some of her other works have won awards, including the edited volume The Church Women Want, which received the Gender Award from the Catholic Press Association
. Andrew Greeley
has described her as a "feminist ideologue" and "one of those hard feminists who think that the use of that label [patriarchal] is enough to settle a debate." One study of contemporary theology, on the other hand, found her approach "moderate" and said that "unlike radical feminists and other liberationists, she believes it is possible to redeem Christian tradition and make it more inclusive." The Cardinal Newman Society
, an organization of conservative Roman Catholics with a particular interest in Catholic higher education has on several occasions criticized colleges for awarding Johnson honorary degrees. Its president said "I think she has officially challenged church teaching in ways that are beyond the pale."
Her Quest for the Living God appeared in 2007. In 2011, the Committee on Doctrine of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
wrote that Quest "does not recognize divine revelation as the standard for Catholic theology" and "differs from authentic Catholic teaching on essential points." Professor Johnson responded that the Bishops' statement "in several key instances...radically misinterprets what I think, and what I in fact wrote" and called these statements "misrepresentations." She noted that she had not had a conversation with the bishops. Fordham President Joseph M. McShane issued a statement that called Johnson a "revered member of the Fordham community" and noted that she viewed the bishops' action as "an invitation to dialogue." Boston College
theologian Stephen J. Pope said that "The reason is political. Certain bishops decide that they want to punish some theologians, and this is one way they do that. There's nothing particularly unusual in her book as far as theology goes. It's making an example of someone who's prominent." Terrence W. Tilley, chairman of Fordham's theology department, said: "What the bishops have done is to reject 50 years of contemporary theology.... Sister Johnson has been attempting to push Catholic thinking along new paths. And the bishops have now made it clear — this is something they stand against." The board of the Catholic Theological Society of America issued a statement that said the bishops' critique showed "a very narrow understanding" of the ways theologians serve the church."
One of the central disputes between Johnson and the bishops is language. Johnson writes that "all-male images of God are hierarchical images rooted in the unequal relation between women and men, and they function to maintain this arrangement." The bishops said: "The names of God found in the Scriptures are not mere human creations that can be replaced by others that we may find more suitable.... The standard by which all theological assertions must be judged is that provided by divine revelation, not by unaided human understanding. God does use human, and thus limited, means in revealing himself to the world." According to Tilley, in making that argument the bishops were "approaching the incoherent" since "All revelation is received through language, and all language is culturally conditioned." In sum, he said, "All they are saying here is that they have the truth and Sister Johnson doesn't." Teresa Berger, a feminist theology professor at Yale Divinity School
, said that "Gender has become such a contentious issue in the church that any exploration of it, in terms of language or in the larger question of the nature of God, is viewed as a threat to the basic givens of the faith."
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
feminist theologian. She is a Distinguished Professor of Theology at Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
, a Jesuit institution in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She is a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph
Sisters of St. Joseph
The title Sisters of St. Joseph applies to several Roman Catholic religious congregations of women. The largest and oldest of these was founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France...
of Brentwood.
Life and work
Johnson received her B.S. from Brentwood College in 1964, an M.A. from Manhattan CollegeManhattan College
Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
in 1964. and a Ph.D. in theology from Catholic University
Catholic University
A Catholic University is a private university run by the Catholic Church or by Catholic organizations like religious institutes. Those with closer ties to the Holy See are called pontifical universities....
in 1981. She taught science and religion at the elementary and high school level, then taught theology at St. Joseph's College (New York) and at Catholic University before moving to Fordham in 1991.
In 1990, when the Vatican offered a draft of a new catechism for comment, she criticized the text for its use of Scripture "in a fundamentalist way, with little regard for insights about the New Testament forged in the last half-century of Catholic biblical renewal," quoting the evangelists as if they all held identical views, and ascribing to them concepts only developed after centuries of theological dispute. She praised the text placing Jesus rather than the church at the center of its discussions of worship and ethics, but objected to its "truncated view of the humanity of Jesus Christ" who "walks around like God dressed up in human clothes."
She has served a head of the Catholic Theological Society of America
Catholic Theological Society of America
The Catholic Theological Society of America is a professional association mostly in the United States and Canada. It is a "Catholic" organization that was founded in 1946 to promote studies and research in theology within the Catholic tradition...
and the American Theological Society. She was one of the first female theologians church authorities allowed to receive a doctorate.
Johnson's best-known work is She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse (1992), for which she became the fourth recipient of the Grawemeyer Award
Grawemeyer Award
The Grawemeyer Awards are five awards given annually by the University of Louisville in the state of Kentucky, United States. The prizes are presented to individuals in the fields of education, ideas improving world order, music composition, religion, and psychology...
. It the first extended attempt to integrate feminist categories such as experience and emancipation into classical Catholic theology. Some of her other works have won awards, including the edited volume The Church Women Want, which received the Gender Award from the Catholic Press Association
Catholic Press Association
The Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada is an association of newspaper and media specialists specialized on reporting on the Roman Catholic Church. Founded in 1911, it has over 600 member organizations...
. Andrew Greeley
Andrew Greeley
Father Andrew M. Greeley is an Irish-American Roman Catholic priest, sociologist, journalist and fiction writer....
has described her as a "feminist ideologue" and "one of those hard feminists who think that the use of that label [patriarchal] is enough to settle a debate." One study of contemporary theology, on the other hand, found her approach "moderate" and said that "unlike radical feminists and other liberationists, she believes it is possible to redeem Christian tradition and make it more inclusive." The Cardinal Newman Society
Cardinal Newman Society
The Cardinal Newman Society is a 501 tax-exempt, nonprofit organization founded in 1993 and dedicated to what it calls the renewal of Catholic identity on the campuses of colleges and universities in the United States...
, an organization of conservative Roman Catholics with a particular interest in Catholic higher education has on several occasions criticized colleges for awarding Johnson honorary degrees. Its president said "I think she has officially challenged church teaching in ways that are beyond the pale."
Her Quest for the Living God appeared in 2007. In 2011, the Committee on Doctrine of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
wrote that Quest "does not recognize divine revelation as the standard for Catholic theology" and "differs from authentic Catholic teaching on essential points." Professor Johnson responded that the Bishops' statement "in several key instances...radically misinterprets what I think, and what I in fact wrote" and called these statements "misrepresentations." She noted that she had not had a conversation with the bishops. Fordham President Joseph M. McShane issued a statement that called Johnson a "revered member of the Fordham community" and noted that she viewed the bishops' action as "an invitation to dialogue." Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
theologian Stephen J. Pope said that "The reason is political. Certain bishops decide that they want to punish some theologians, and this is one way they do that. There's nothing particularly unusual in her book as far as theology goes. It's making an example of someone who's prominent." Terrence W. Tilley, chairman of Fordham's theology department, said: "What the bishops have done is to reject 50 years of contemporary theology.... Sister Johnson has been attempting to push Catholic thinking along new paths. And the bishops have now made it clear — this is something they stand against." The board of the Catholic Theological Society of America issued a statement that said the bishops' critique showed "a very narrow understanding" of the ways theologians serve the church."
One of the central disputes between Johnson and the bishops is language. Johnson writes that "all-male images of God are hierarchical images rooted in the unequal relation between women and men, and they function to maintain this arrangement." The bishops said: "The names of God found in the Scriptures are not mere human creations that can be replaced by others that we may find more suitable.... The standard by which all theological assertions must be judged is that provided by divine revelation, not by unaided human understanding. God does use human, and thus limited, means in revealing himself to the world." According to Tilley, in making that argument the bishops were "approaching the incoherent" since "All revelation is received through language, and all language is culturally conditioned." In sum, he said, "All they are saying here is that they have the truth and Sister Johnson doesn't." Teresa Berger, a feminist theology professor at Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School is a professional school at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. preparing students for ordained or lay ministry, or for the academy...
, said that "Gender has become such a contentious issue in the church that any exploration of it, in terms of language or in the larger question of the nature of God, is viewed as a threat to the basic givens of the faith."
Publications
- Consider Jesus: Waves of Renewal in Christology (1990)
- She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse (1992)
- Women, Earth, and Creator Spirit (1993)
- As Someone Dies: A Handbook for the Living (1995)
- Who Do You Say that I Am? : Introducing Contemporary Christology (1997)
- Friends of God and Prophets: A Feminist Theological Reading of the Communion of Saints (1998)
- The Church Women Want: Catholic Women in Dialogue (2002)
- Truly Our Sister: A Theology of Mary in the Communion of Saints (2003)
- Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God (2007)
Honorary degrees
- Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, Saint Mary’s CollegeSaint Mary's College (Indiana)Saint Mary's College is a private Catholic liberal arts college founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross. It is located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community northeast of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States — as are the University of Notre Dame and Holy...
, Notre Dame, Indiana, 1994 - Doctor of Theology, honoris causa, Maryknoll School of Theology, New York, 1995
- Doctor of Theology, honoris causa, Catholic Theological UnionCatholic Theological UnionThe Catholic Theological Union, located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, is one of the largest schools of theology in the world and trains men and women for lay and clerical ministry within the Roman Catholic Church...
, Chicago, Illinois, 1996 - Doctor of Sacred Theology, honoris causa, Siena CollegeSiena CollegeSiena College is an independent Roman Catholic liberal arts college in Loudonville, in the town of Colonie, New York, United States. Siena is a four-year, coeducational, independent college in the Franciscan tradition, founded by the Franciscan Friars in 1937. It has 3,000 full-time students and...
, Loudonville, New York, 1998 - Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, Le Moyne CollegeLe Moyne CollegeLe Moyne College, named after Simon Le Moyne, is a private, Jesuit college enrolling over 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1946, Le Moyne is the first Jesuit college to be founded as a co-educational institution...
, Syracuse, New York, 1999 - Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, St. Joseph's College, Brooklyn, New York, 2001
- Doctor of Pedagogy, honoris causa, Manhattan CollegeManhattan CollegeManhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
, Riverdale, New York, 2002 - Doctor of Theology, honoris causa, Jesuit School of Theology at BerkeleyJesuit School of Theology at BerkeleyThe Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University is a Jesuit Seminary that is a school of Santa Clara University and one of the member colleges of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California...
, California, 2003 - Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, College of New Rochelle, New York, 2004
- Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, Villanova UniversityVillanova UniversityVillanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
, Pennsylvania, 2005 - Doctor of Human Letters, honoris causa, Saint Joseph College, West Hartford, Connecticut, 2006
- Doctor of the University, honoris causa, Saint Paul UniversitySaint Paul UniversitySaint Paul University is a Catholic Pontifical university federated with the University of Ottawa. It is located on Main Street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and has been entrusted for more than a century to the Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
, Ottawa, Ontario, 2008 - Doctor of Sacred Letters, honoris causa, University of St. Michael's CollegeUniversity of St. Michael's CollegeThe University of St. Michael's College is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1852 by the Congregation of St. Basil of Annonay, France. While mainly an undergraduate college for liberal arts and sciences, St. Michael's retains its Roman Catholic affiliation through its postgraduate...
, Toronto, Ontario, 2010