Those Preaching Women

Why a book collecting the sermons of women who come from a variety of cultural backgrounds? One reason is expressed in the words of Anne- Marie Jeffrey, a preacher originally from the West Indies, "I owe many thanks to my small group...they and other great women preachers got this sermon started and gave me a new confidence in my preaching" (p. 114). Women raised in a patriarchal culture need encouragement and role models to inspire them to preach. They have experienced discrimination ranging from outright denial of their gift of preaching to neglect and/or antagonism. This book is part of the work of addressing that neglect and antagonism.

However, not only do women need to read these sermons; men also benefit from hearing the gospel preached by women. For men to hear the good news expounded by someone who is fundamentally unlike them is an exercise in humility, leading to the insight that God is not limited to males leading the church. If any, men or women, are wondering whether God calls women to preach, then this book is a non-threatening way to entertain that possibility. My guess is that the readers who are ambivalent about women preachers will quickly be convinced that God is indeed communicating the gospel through women.

Are these sermons distinctive in some way? Does it make a difference if the person behind the pulpit is a man or a woman, of European or Asian or African or Latina or Native American descent? The answer is yes and no. No, in that the good news of the Christian faith is proclaimed loud and clear. No, in that mainstream commentaries on the Old and New Testament are consulted, Hebrew and Greek words are explained, the historical context of chapters is explored. Like good preachers everywhere, these women exegete the biblical text in their sermons.

But also, yes. Yes, it does make a difference in that certain themes, such as God's call for justice in the here and now, the inclusiveness of the gospel, the high value of diversity within the Body of Christ, and the empowering gift of the Holy Spirit, are emphasized. Yes, in that the examples used, the theologians cited, the applications derived are often taken from communities on the margins. For example, the sermon by Daisy Machado, a Cuban immigrant, draws from Latin American theologian Jon Sobrino and womanist theologian Delores Williams. One application of the good news takes note of the fact that the AIDS pandemic affects a disproportionate number of African Americans. The comments of Don Imus and the respectful conduct of the women athletes are contrasted in one sermon. In another, Spike Lee's documentary When the Levees Broke is explored. We get a glimpse of what reality and the life of faith looks like from different angles.

The sermon topics include a wide spectrum of biblical passages and seasons in the liturgical year. There were Advent sermons, Lenten sermons, a funeral sermon, and sermons preached at women's workshops and retreats. Many sermons drew from narratives about women in the Bible, including the rape of Tamar, the neglect of Leah, the No of Vashti, the widow who contributes her single coin, Mary the mother of Jesus, the Canaanite woman, Mary Magdalene, and Martha. Other sermons expounded on passages that do not explicitly concern women: psalms, proverbs, oracles from the prophets, paragraphs from the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, and the epistles of Paul. Of the 33 sermons included, 13 are from the Old Testament, and the remainder are from the New Testament.

This diverse group of preachers has delivered sermons that enrich us and our understanding of the faith. We know that the gospel is good news for all, and this collection makes it clearer what the good news sounds like when preached by Protestant women of differing cultural backgrounds.