God speaks to us, too
Subtitle: Southern Baptist women on church, home, and society
By: Susan M. Shaw.
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Published: 2008
Place of publication: Lexington, Ky
Language: eng
Number of pages: 300
ISBN-13: 9780813124766
Subjects: Baptist women; Baptists -- Doctrines
Description: "In God Speaks to Us, Too: Southern Baptist Women on Church, Home, and Society, Shaw presents her own experiences, as well as those of over 150 other current and former Southern Baptist women, in order to examine the role, identity, and culture of women in the largest Protestant denomination in the country." "The Southern Baptist Convention was established in the United States in 1845 after a schism between Northern and Southern brethren over the question of slavery. Shaw sketches the history of the Southern Baptist faith from its formation, through its dramatic expansion following World War II, to the Controversy and its aftermath." "The Controversy began as a successful attempt by fundamentalists within the denomination to pack the leadership and membership of the Southern Baptist Convention (the denomination's guiding body) with conservative and fundamentalist believers. Although no official strictures prohibit a Southern Baptist woman from occupying the primary leadership role within her congregation - or her own family - rhetoric emanating from the Southern Baptist Convention during the Controversy strongly discouraged such roles for its women, and church leadership remains overwhelmingly male as a result." "Despite the vast differences between the denomination's radical beginnings and its current position among the most conservative American denominations, freedom of conscience is still prized. Shaw identifies "soul competency," or the notion of a free soul that is responsible for its own decisions, as the principle by which many Southern Baptist women reconcile their personal attitudes with conservative doctrine. These women are often perceived from without as submissive secondary citizens, but they are actually powerful actors within their families and churches."

"God Speaks to Us, Too reveals that Southern Baptist women understand themselves as agents of their own lives, even though they locate their faith within the framework of a highly patriarchal institution. Shaw presents these women through their own words, and concludes that they believe strongly in their ability to discern the voice of God for themselves."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [277]-290) and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction: Raised right; title: the making of Southern Baptist identity; title: Just as I am : Southern Baptist women's experiences of salvation and baptism; title: The B-I-B-L-E : Southern Baptist women and the Bible; title: Casseroles and covered dishes : Southern Baptist women, hospitality, and friendship; title: Red and yellow, Black and White : the dynamics of race in the lives of Southern Baptist women; title: We've a story to tell : Southern Baptist women and ministry; title: Gracious submission : Southern Baptist women and the family; title: I am woman : Southern Baptist women and feminism; title: Competent before God : Southern Baptist women and soul competency; title: Cast of characters.