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Thesis/Dissertation Information
- Degree Disciplines:
- Theology
Notes
- Abstract:
- Part of the daily struggle in the African American community revolves around oppression and obscurity that many Black women regularly experience. Even though she has proven herself the backbone of her community, she experiences more suffering than anyone else. It is a fact that Black women are the most educated group in America, yet they are the last to advance in the public sphere. As a Black woman and educator, I have experienced the pain and suffering that most Black women today suffer. No matter how educated, experienced or talented she is; there is concrete evidence that in the workplace she is last hired and first to be fired, and in the church, she is silenced and oppressed. Black women have contributed much to the advancement of society, yet it has been overwhelmingly convenient to forget about her and silence her in the leadership of her community. Nevertheless, research proves that no one can live without her. The ministerial concerns addressed in this Thesis-Project are the following: a.) the issues that have contributed to silencing Black women in the Black Church as equal partners in the pulpit and at the sacred table; b.) the retrieval of qualities characteristic of Black women’s experience that foster communal ways of living and thinking that are spiritual and are used to the welfare of the community they behold; c.) strategies for action where Black women can find their collective voice in meaningful dialogue, and wherein will be empowered by the Black Church. My intuition was that it is possible for Black Womanist Theologians and the leaders of the Black Church to reach a consensus in knowing that Black women are the ones who have kept the Black church alive in so many ways and that it is impossible for Black women to continue to be silenced and relegated to the sidelines, and not have an essential voice in leadership. The theological perspective that grounds my thesis-project is moral theology through Womanist reflection. My theological approach identifies and elucidates the principles that determine the quality of human behavior in light of Christian revelation found in Black women’s ministry and Christological reflection. I follow the Whiteheads’ framework of attending, asserting, and pastoral response in conjunction with Stacey Floyd-Thomas’ analytical methodology in Womanist reflection. The basic structure identifies the Whiteheads’ model of reflection as a correlate to the Womanist’s struggle to find their voice in the Christian tradition, experience, and cultural context. I employ qualitative research to collect data through surveys and interviews of 25 women who are members of the Florida East Coast Baptist Church Association. I identify the primary concerns, problems, and challenges that exist in the organization and analyze them with regards to women being silenced and excluded. I propose to continue the conversation by working with my television ministry that uses that communication tool as a medium for highlighting open forums for women to be actively engaged in a wider audience for dialogue in ministry so as to be “hushed” no more.
- Thesis:
- Thesis (D.Min.)--Barry University, 2018.
- Bibliography:
- Includes bibliographical references (leaves 126-130)
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- Barry University
- Holding Location:
- Barry University Archives and Special Collections
- Rights Management:
- Copyright Gwendolyn West. Permission granted to Barry University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
- Resource Identifier:
- BT83.9.W47 2018_WestGwendolyn ( BU-Local )
- Classification:
- BT83.9.W47 2018 ( lcc )
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