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la5's review
4.0
Very interesting book for our times. First off, Katharine Bushnell is a rather remarkable individual: doctor, theologian, master of multiple ancient & modern languages ... I was really impressed to learn about her missionary work as well as her theological interpretations (some of which did seem to be informed by the answer she wanted to find as opposed to the words on the page -- but then, she didn't have the benefit of knowing that some of Paul's letters (and even one troublesome passage) were forgeries inserted by later Christian scholars who needed to get women out of church leadership).
This book feels so relevant now because the rise/fall of Bushnell's influence presents a lesson for all activists. It is fascinating to see how the cultural shifts resulted in the sidelining of Bushnell and how feminists, by narrowing the definition of feminism to exclude activists like Bushnell, actually may have limited their movement. The last chapter presents an interesting perspective on how excluding feminists who didn't hew tightly to their views of reproductive/sexual freedom may have actually hurt the feminist movement in the long term. I wish the progressive liberals who have created an orthodoxy out of race/gender speech policing would pay attention to the way movements lose force and cultural relevancy -- and ultimately, their ability to persuade people and change society for the better.
This book feels so relevant now because the rise/fall of Bushnell's influence presents a lesson for all activists. It is fascinating to see how the cultural shifts resulted in the sidelining of Bushnell and how feminists, by narrowing the definition of feminism to exclude activists like Bushnell, actually may have limited their movement. The last chapter presents an interesting perspective on how excluding feminists who didn't hew tightly to their views of reproductive/sexual freedom may have actually hurt the feminist movement in the long term. I wish the progressive liberals who have created an orthodoxy out of race/gender speech policing would pay attention to the way movements lose force and cultural relevancy -- and ultimately, their ability to persuade people and change society for the better.
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