A New Gospel for Women tells the story of Katharine Bushnell (1855-1946), author of God's Word to Women, one of the most innovative and comprehensive feminist theologies ever written. An internationally-known social reformer and women's rights activist, Bushnell rose to prominence through her highly publicized campaigns against prostitution and the trafficking of women in America, in colonial India, and throughout East Asia. In each of these cases, the intrepid reformer struggled to come to terms with the fact that it was Christian men who were guilty of committing acts of appalling cruelty against women. Ultimately, Bushnell concluded that Christianity itself -- or rather, the patriarchal distortion of true Christianity -- must be to blame. A work of history, biography, and historical theology, Kristin Kolbes DuMez's book provides a vivid account of Bushnell's life. It maps a concise introduction to her fascinating theology, revealing, for example, Bushnell's belief that gender bias tainted both the King James and the Revised Versions of the English Bible. As DuMez demonstrates, Bushnell insisted that God created women to be strong and independent, that Adam, not Eve, bore responsibility for the Fall, and that it was through Christ, "the great emancipator of women," that women would achieve spiritual and social redemption. The book restores Bushnell to her rightful place in history. It also illuminates the dynamic and often thorny relationship between faith and feminism in modern America by mapping Bushnell's story and her subsequent disappearance from the historical record. Most pointedly, A New Gospel for Women reveals the challenges confronting Christian feminists today who wish to construct a sexual ethic that is both Christian and feminist, one rooted not in the Victorian era, but rather one suited to the modern world.

About the Author
Kristin Kobes DuMez is an Associate Professor of History at Calvin College.

Reviews
A New Gospel for Women contributes significantly to the history of women in missions, social justice, and biblical scholarship. By assessing Bushnell's achievements in context, Kobes Du Mez empowers readers to better understand their own challenges and opportunities as activists, scholars, and as those (like Bushnell) working to dismantle patriarchy as a biblical ideal. * Mimi Haddad, CBE International *
...a fascinating biography ... and an excellent social history of late 19th- and early 20th century American Christian feminism ... a fine book. * Jane Shaw, Times Higher Education *
a fascinating study ... This is both an important work of scholarship and an engrossing and accessible book for those interested in the many provocative issues it covers. * C. C. Stayer, CHOICE *
This is the book many of us have been waiting for, a top-notch biography of the inimitable Kate Bushnell. DuMez provides a thoroughly compelling portrait of a woman both ahead of and behind her times, whose accomplishments-and subsequent obscurity-tell us much about the long and vexed relationship between conservative religion and modern feminism. * Margaret Bendroth, Executive Director, Congregational Library *
In this dazzling hybrid of history, biography, and theology, Kristin DuMez rekindles our interest in a path-breaking woman - Katharine Bushnell - whose sprawling work on behalf of Christian feminism spanned decades, traversed boundaries, shattered categories, and covered the globe. With judiciousness and a lively pen, DuMez makes it perfectly clear why this crusading reformer, written off or forgotten as a product of an antiquated Victorian past, must be re-centered in our histories and current renderings of modern Christianity and of modern America itself. * Darren Dochuk, author of From Bible Belt to Sunbelt: Plain-folk Religion, Grassroots Politics, and the Rise of Evangelical Conservatism *
Katharine Bushnell was a pioneering physician, missionary, expert in Greek and Hebrew, critic of the sexual double standard, and advocate for women's rights-all within late-Victorian culture. Kristin Kobes DuMez's historical contribution demonstrates why Bushnell deserves to be remembered as a noteworthy reformer. The book also challenges modern feminists who question Christianity and modern Christians who question feminism to ponder what each might learn from Bushnell's extraordinary career. * Mark Noll, author of Protestantism: A Very Short Introduction *



Book Information
ISBN 9780190205645
Author Kristin Kobes DuMez
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 517g
Dimensions(mm) 155mm * 236mm * 33mm