Meet Kat April 10, 2007

Name: Kat

Age: 23

Occupation: M.A. student in English Literature at Baylor University, Graduate Assistant at the Digital Media Studio, sometimes barista at B&N. The bills gotta get paid, son!

Ambition: To teach English Literature at the college level.  To be a scholar. To never tire of learning. To be at a place where I don’t have anything to prove, I can simply let my actions speak to my convictions and hopes. I am not there yet.  Also, I’d like to be hot and good at yoga. But I don’t suppose this is what the question wanted to hear.

Denomination: A exploratoy Episcopalian, though I am currently attending a Baptist church (part of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship) because that particular community is socially active, radically accepting, and not afraid of doubt.  I’ll see Lindsay her female pastor and raise her a female associate pastor as well.

Why I am part of this blog community:  I have been finding myself often saying, “I’m not sure what I think, but I know I don’t think that.” Well, I’m ready to find out and articulate what I do think.  There is a tireless slice of my generation who make me ashamed to be a Christian, both because of the way they treat people of other faiths and the way they treat minorities (women only make up part of the demographic receiving the great Evangelical shaft).  Saddest of all, they attribute their actions to suppposed divine dictates.  I don’t think of this blog as a reaction to that. I think of those ideas inspiring this blog, inspiring me, to authenticity, kindness, and purpose.

Do I think baby animals are precious: YES.

Which is more precious, a baby otter or a baby penguin: Impossible to answer. I’m going to stick to questions of religion, philosophy, art and gender, thanks.

Meet Lindsay April 9, 2007

Name: Lindsay

Age: Almost 24

Occupation: Master’s student in Church-State Studies at Baylor University; Graduate Assistant for the Institute for Faith and Learning

Ambition: To be an advocate for women’s rights. To help end violence against women globally, but especially in Africa. To make a difference. To be rad.

Denomination: Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. And yes, I have a female pastor.

Why I am part of this blog community: I have read one too many blogs written by women who favor unconditional submission over equality. I have read one too many blogs written under the auspices of Christianity that exist only to preach hate and intolerance, instead of dealing with real issues such as social justice and human rights. I have read one too many blogs that made my blood boil, and yet I did not respond. No longer. This is my response.

Do I love shoes and chocolate?: That’s like asking me if I think Journey sings the greatest love ballads of all time. Of course I do!

In the Handbasket April 6, 2007

It’s probably already obvious to you, the reader, that this isn’t going to be your typical “I’m a submissive Christian woman who thinks John Piper is Jesus incarnate” blog. But we’re not your typical women, Christian or otherwise.

All of us are on our way to earning our Master’s or PhD’s in various subjects. All of us proudly claim the term “liberal,” though most of our upbringings were staunchly conservative. All of us are fiercely egalitarian feminists. Most of all, all of us are Christians.

To some of you, the combination of these traits may seem unlikely and perhaps impossible. But for us, all of this is an extension of our faith. More than that, these traits are imperative to our faith.

With blogs such as Solo Femininity floating around in cyberspace promoting what they think is “biblical womanhood,” we decided we needed to respond somehow. So we set up this blog because we are a voice that seems to be grossly underrepresented in the blog world, and pretty much the world in general.

We’ll introduce ourselves as we go along and post on topics as they come across our paths. We hope this blog will give you something to think about and encourage conversations that you may not have thought to have otherwise.

Welcome to our handbasket. Enjoy the ride.