Women Doing Theology

WDT in Canada is the culmination of a dream. It is an event that happens every two or three years and is designed to engage the practices and powers of women in Canada who challenge, develop and support theological thought and spirituality and community. It came out of a need to find places to bring women’s varied experiences together where we can listen to each other, reflect on our stories together and articulate a framework for our theologies. It has become a gathering where women bring faith traditions and spiritualities together and create something altogether new, something that might be called inter-spirituality.

Remembering and ReVisioning Faith – Winnipeg 2002

Remembering and ReVisioning Faith was the first WDT gathering and took place in Winnipeg in 2002. It brought together academics and artists, storytellers and social activists, clergy, chaplains and students – a variety of women from different regions of Canada, ethnic backgrounds and faiths. A space was created where we were encouraged to share our experiences of God and our understanding of how faith and life intersect. Through the storytelling session, we listened to others’ experiences of faith. In our “houses” – small discussion groups – we remembered our own stories and reflected on our faith journeys. Through a wonderfully diverse array of workshops, we were challenged to develop new ways of ‘doing’ theology. The Spirit of Pentecost suffused this gathering; warmed by fire, encouraged by song and artistic expression, and enlightened by new knowledge and understanding of the diversity of gifts that make up our communities of faith.

Making Waves 3:1

Weaving our theologies together by GAIL ALLAN (PDF: 106k)

Creating Justice and Recognizing Differences / Créons la justice, Reconnaissons les differences – Montreal 2005

Creating Justice and Recognizing Differences / Créons la justice, Reconnaissons les differences was the second WDT gathering held in Montreal in June 2005. It was planned by a dynamic and creative group of women who took on the challenge of designing a gathering for women in Quebec and the rest of Canada where different spiritualities, different social/political contexts, different races, different cultures and languages would have a meeting place. No small challenge!

The planning team itself embodied many differences. The members were mainly from Quebec, along with one from Nova Scotia and two from Ontario, and most were bilingual in French and English. Some were from institutional settings – university, religious, government – and some were community activists. We came from various spiritual/faith traditions and represented some racial diversity though were predominantly White. The group struggled with all these differences and with identifying issues we could name in common. There was a collective commitment to planning an event where we could find new ways to be together in our differences and to create justice. Making Waves Vol 5:3 describes the journey that was Creating Justice, Recognizing Differences. We tried to put into practice a vision that is still unfolding. It is one step along the road. As we walk together, we make a new path.

Making Waves 5:3

Shall we gather at the river? by MARJORIE BEAUCAGE (PDF: 138K)

Creating racial justice and recognizing differences: A collective and urgent task by DENISE COUTURE (PDF: 248K)

Créer la justice raciale et reconnaître les différences : Une tâche collective et urgente de ce temps par DENISE COUTURE (PDF: 138K)

The journey continues…

Plans are beginning to hold another gathering in the area of Ottawa/Hull. This will enable us to continue to build relations between women in Quebec and women in Canada – a priority coming out of the Montreal gathering. Stay tuned for updates as plans take shape and a date is confirmed.

Some documents linked from this page are presented in PDF, which can be read using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.