We are delighted to share that the brilliant Sr. Simone Campbell, Executive Director of NETWORK and founder of Nuns on the Bus has endorsed Faithfully Feminist!  Here is what she has to say about the upcoming volume in the I Speak for Myself Series:

One after another these Faithful Feminists from Abrahamic traditions tell of their journey through bias and discrimination to clarity and peace. The struggle can come within religious traditions or in secular settings, but all lead to a fuller understanding of fidelity in a complex world. In their telling many of their stories mirror and nourish my own. I am grateful for their bold willingness to share their insights and stimulate my reflection giving rise to the certainty that we are all sisters in this quest. Thank you!

In addition to being a religious leader, attorney, and poet, Sr. Simone Campbell is recognized for her background in public policy and commitment to systemic change.  As Executive Director of NETWORK in DC, she lobbies on issues of immigration reform, healthcare, economic justice, and peace-building.

Sr. Simone is widely recognized for her work on Nuns on the Bus.  She has led three tours across the country to oppose the “Ryan Budget,” call for economic justice, and comprehensive immigration reform.  In addition, she wrote the famous nuns’ letter supporting healthcare reform and has been acknowledged as being instrumental in the passing of the Affordable Care Act.

Sr. Simone’s work has garnered global attention and she has been featured on 60 Minutes, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, Tavis Smiley, and more. In 2012 she was invited to speak at The Democratic National Convention.

The recipient of multiple awards including the “Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award” and the “Defender of Democracy Award” from the international Parliamentarians for Global Action, Sr. Simone continues to be recognized for her ongoing commitment to social justice.  She recently published her book A Nun on the Bus documenting her journey and is featured in the upcoming documentary film Radical Grace produced by Susan Sarandon and directed by Rebecca Parrish.  You can connect with Sr. Simone on Twitter @sr_simone.

Faithfully Feminist is now available for pre-order.

We are thrilled to share that Jewish Feminist and Emmy Nominated Actress Mayim Bialik has endorsed Faithfully Feminist!  Here is what she has to say about the upcoming volume in the I Speak for Myself Series:

“What a brave and powerful examination of observance and empowerment; of living within boundaries and embracing the possibilities they reveal. The importance of appreciating the challenges and simultaneous beauty of living inside of a system of observance cannot be overemphasized. This compilation does all of that and more.” 

Mayim Bialik is widely known for her role on the hit sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” for which she has been nominated 3 times for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.  Bialik is perhaps most well-known for her lead role in the 1990s sitcom “Blossom,” in addition to several other TV and movie appearances, including her portrayal of the young Better Midler in “Beaches.” Bialik’s role in “The Big Bang Theory” as a neuroscientist is based off her real-life role with a Ph.D. in neuroscience.

In addition to her TV personality and career as a scientist, Bialik is a mother, modern Orthodox Jew, vegan chef, and a high-profile public speaker and advocate of attachment parenting. In 2012 Bialik published her book on attachment parenting, Beyond the Sling, and she is a current blogger in Kveller.com, a Jewish parenting site. Her second book, Mayim’s Vegan Cookbook, is a well researched and terrific vegan resource.

As a feminist, Bialik speaks up about injustice against women, sexist comments, advocates for breast-feeding and bedsharing, and for women to be fully in control of their bodies. Bialik expresses her Jewish feminism in particular in a film she narrated on the subject of agunot – women’s whose husbands refuse to grant them divorce called “Women Unchained.” In an interview about her feelings on the project, Bialik said,  “Especially as a woman who was not raised religious and who is identified as a feminist, I think it’s important to show that there are absolutely aspects of traditional Judaism that are theoretically problematic, but not insurmountable.”

Faithfully Feminist is now available for pre-order.

We are thrilled to reveal the beautiful cover for our anthology, Faithfully Feminist: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Feminists on Why We Stay.

Faithfully Feminist brings together the voices of 45 Jewish, Christian, and Muslim women who respond with passion and courage to critics who tell us that we can’t be both feminists and women of faith. As we state in the introduction to the book, the overriding perception seems to be that it is only a feminist act to leave our faith traditions.

We contend that it is also a feminist act to stay.

With a moving Foreword jointly written by brilliant feminist theologians Judith Plaskow, Rosemary Radford Reuther, and Amina Wadud, Faithfully Feminist is a uniquely interfaith testament to the power and perseverance of the feminist believer:

“In the words of the savvy editors of Faithfully Feminist, “to live a feminist and religious life is an art… it requires being graceful and bold, cunning and creative.” This is precisely what this strong collection of writing is all about.ʺ

 –Laura Levitt, Professor of Religion, Jewish Studies and Gender at Temple University

ʺWhat brings one to faith and keeps one ‘faithful,’ especially in religious communities that remain densely patriarchal? As the narratives in this anthology attest, these are such ineffably personal questions that no woman can answer them for another.  Perhaps that is just as well since it allows us to learn from each others’ struggles how to be present to the divine in our own distinctive ways.ʺ

 – Asma Barlas, Professor of Politics at Ithaca College and author ofʺBelieving Womenʺ in Islam: Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations of the Qur’an.

“Sparks fly as Muslim, Jewish, and Christian women invite us into their stories of standing up for their equality and full humanity while deepen their faith…Stunningly eloquent, powerfully honest, a must read!”

 – Kate Ott, Drew University, Feminism in Religion Forum

We are especially grateful to Maria Ebrahimji and Zahra Suratwala, editors of the I Speak For Myself series, and Steve Scholl at White Cloud Press for their incredible support for and belief in this project.

As editors, we agree that Faithfully Feminist is one of the most rewarding projects we have ever worked on. We can’t wait to share it with you in August.

–Gina, Amy, and Jennifer

In the male-dominated world of comic books where female characters are depicted with large breasts and skimpy skin-tight clothing, it’s interesting to examine whether or not Dust, a Muslim female member of Marvel Comic’s X-Men since 2002, and other Muslim super-heroines, escape the sexual objectification and sexism that women often suffer in comic books.

A convoy of jeeps packed with turban-clad and bearded Taliban militia roar through the rocky streets of a small Afghan town. The engines slowly die down as the militiamen hop off their vehicles and prepare to unleash havoc and raid homes.

Continue Reading on AltMuslimah.

Continue reading on Feminist Studies in Religion.