Women and Religious Subjectivity
This week’s topic had a more contemporary turn – compared to last week where Jennifer Knust was discussing already existing stories, this week we studied Heather Walton who creates her own. Heather Walton is an incredible female theologian who wrote Not Eden, a spiritual autobiography. I believe that it is incredibly important to create new stories or share one’s own experiences rather than rewrite the old ones to be able to portray women as autonomous beings. While considering intersectionality – it is not just about the representation of women, but also women of colour, and their different societal status – it becomes clear that new stories are more crucial in making a difference in representation than rewriting and re-interpreting the old ones. By this, I do not mean that we should disregard ancient practice, as it is an important source that can help people grow, but we should not forcefully modify them to represent something we can only speculate about. In this sense, Not Eden is incredibly significant because Walton draws on her own idea of spirituality, mainly in the form of her garden that is supposed to be her Eden, but it is not quite something that resembles the Biblical stories. It is her own experience that is more relatable in the contemporary sense.[1] The garden itself is a personal experience of her life that is shaped by her perception of the contemporary world, which many people and especially women can relate to which can help them on their spiritual journey. It shows an alternative path from traditional teaching which, I believe, is the reason for its significance. Personally, this reading had a great impact on me, as it allowed me to see how spirituality can be individual. It is specifically important because I understand why it can be difficult for women to be connected to patriarchal religions like Christianity, but Walton proves that experiencing spirituality can differ from that and can be so unique it can fir every person.
[1] Walton, Heather. Not Eden : Spiritual Life Writing for This World. London: Scm Press, 2015.