Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas
Encyclopedia
Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas is Associate Professor of Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt Divinity School and the Graduate Department of Religion at Vanderbilt University
in Nashville, Tennessee
. Floyd-Thomas is a Womanist
Christian social ethicist whose research interests include Womanist thought, Black Church Studies, liberation theology
and ethics, critical race theory
, critical pedagogy and postcolonial studies. Specifically, her work addresses tripartite oppression and religious responses to these forms of oppression. Race, class and gender are three social categories that contribute to the oppression of black women, and Floyd-Thomas' work addresses how religious commitments, particularly Christian sensibilities, work to either ameliorate these forms of oppression, or perpetuate them.
, most notably the work of theologian James Hal Cone
. Cone, a professor at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
, espoused a theological program that connected the black liberation struggle to the New Testament idea that God has a preferential option for the poor. Thus, God is "on the side of the oppressed."
Placing this idea within the context of the historic struggle for black liberation from the oppression of enslavement, Jim and Jane Crow laws, and continued racism, Cone's work placed a premium on experience as a source for "doing" theology. Yet, the experiences reflected upon by Cone and others were notably absent of black women's voices. To a large extent, Womanist thought developed as the corrective to this within black theology and ethics.
In the early 1980s, Katie Geneva Cannon
, Jacqueline Grant, and Delores Williams were students at Union Theological Seminary, whose teachers included James Cone, Beverly Harrison and others. Just as Cone's black theology was noticeably absent of women's voices and experiences, Harrison's work centered around the perspective of white women. In both cases, the experiences of black women were subsumed into the experiences of either black men or white women. Cannon, Grant and Williams, while appreciating the work of early liberationists like Cone and Harrison, sought a way to frame their own experiences as black women.
They found such a frame in Alice Walker
's In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens: Womanist Prose
(1984). Walker defined "Womanist" in a four-part definition, that set the black female experience in contradistinction to both white women and black men. Using this frame, Womanist theology and ethics was born through the work of Cannon, Williams, and Grant.
Floyd-Thomas' work continues this Womanist scholarship started in theology and ethics.
in 1998. Her primary teacher and adviser was Katie Cannon Katie Geneva Cannon
. Cannon, a former student of Beverly Harrison http://www.utsnyc.edu/Page.aspx?pid=810, continues to mentor and influence Floyd-Thomas' work and pedagogical style.
, is entitled "Liberation Theologies in the United States: A Primer."
Floyd-Thomas also serves as general editor of two book series: Religion and Social Transformation (New York University Press) and ‘Making It Plain’: Approaches in Black Church Studies (Abingdon Press
).
black religion—namely, liberation and human fulfillment in all areas of life. To this end, the BRSG functions "to make the academic work and activity of black religious scholars more relevant, committed and accessible to the larger Black church and community", and "to create opportunities for collaboration between black scholars, churches and community organizations in order to achieve the aforementioned goals of Black religion. This includes working together to address the many crises and quality-of-life challenges facing black communitie
Held every year to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion American Academy of Religion
, the BRSG consultation achieves the goal of its mission through fostering dialogue between black scholars and local black church communities, and through the specific consultations that occur at various black churches throughout the country. BRSG consultations have been held in cities ranging from San Diego to Washington, D.C. Also, the BRSG Consultation is a time where tribute is paid to black religious scholars who have contributed to the field of black religion while maintaining a commitment to black religion in practice outside of the academy. Past BRSG honorees include James Cone, Delores Williams, Peter Paris, Renita Weems and Cornel West and others.
Floyd-Thomas continues to serve as Executive Director of the BRSG. Other executive board members include Dr. Juan Floyd-Thomas, Rev. Dr. Duane Belgrave, Rev. Dr. Christine Wiley and Rev. Dr. Dennis Wiley, both pastors at Covenant Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. Floyd-Thomas is a Womanist
Womanism
The word womanism was adapted from Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker's use of the term in her book In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens: Womanist Prose...
Christian social ethicist whose research interests include Womanist thought, Black Church Studies, liberation theology
Liberation theology
Liberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions...
and ethics, critical race theory
Critical race theory
Critical Race Theory is an academic discipline focused upon the intersection of race, law and power.Although no set of canonical doctrines or methodologies defines CRT, the movement is loosely unified by two common areas of inquiry...
, critical pedagogy and postcolonial studies. Specifically, her work addresses tripartite oppression and religious responses to these forms of oppression. Race, class and gender are three social categories that contribute to the oppression of black women, and Floyd-Thomas' work addresses how religious commitments, particularly Christian sensibilities, work to either ameliorate these forms of oppression, or perpetuate them.
Womanist Thought
In the late 1960s and 1970s, theological education was fundamentally altered through the development of black liberation theologyBlack liberation theology
Black liberation theology, sometimes shortened to black theology, is a relatively new theological perspective found in some Christian churches in the United States. It maintains that African Americans must be liberated from multiple forms of bondage — political, social, economic, and religious...
, most notably the work of theologian James Hal Cone
James Hal Cone
James Hal Cone is an advocate of Black liberation theology, a theology grounded in the experience of African Americans, and related to other Christian liberation theologies. In 1969, his book Black Theology and Black Power provided a new way to articulate the distinctiveness of theology in the...
. Cone, a professor at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets. The seminary was founded in 1836 under the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with nearby Columbia...
, espoused a theological program that connected the black liberation struggle to the New Testament idea that God has a preferential option for the poor. Thus, God is "on the side of the oppressed."
Placing this idea within the context of the historic struggle for black liberation from the oppression of enslavement, Jim and Jane Crow laws, and continued racism, Cone's work placed a premium on experience as a source for "doing" theology. Yet, the experiences reflected upon by Cone and others were notably absent of black women's voices. To a large extent, Womanist thought developed as the corrective to this within black theology and ethics.
In the early 1980s, Katie Geneva Cannon
Katie Geneva Cannon
Katie Geneva Cannon is a Christian theologian associated with womanist theology and liberation theology. She is currently the Annie Scales Rogers Professor for Christian Ethics at Union Presbyterian Seminary. Previously Cannon has served on the faculties of Temple University, Episcopal Divinity...
, Jacqueline Grant, and Delores Williams were students at Union Theological Seminary, whose teachers included James Cone, Beverly Harrison and others. Just as Cone's black theology was noticeably absent of women's voices and experiences, Harrison's work centered around the perspective of white women. In both cases, the experiences of black women were subsumed into the experiences of either black men or white women. Cannon, Grant and Williams, while appreciating the work of early liberationists like Cone and Harrison, sought a way to frame their own experiences as black women.
They found such a frame in Alice Walker
Alice Walker
Alice Malsenior Walker is an American author, poet, and activist. She has written both fiction and essays about race and gender...
's In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens: Womanist Prose
In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens: Womanist Prose
Published in 1983, In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens: Womanist Prose is a collection composed of thirty-six separate pieces written by Alice Walker. The essays, articles, reviews, statements, and speeches were written between 1966 and 1982. Many are based on her understanding of "womanist" theory...
(1984). Walker defined "Womanist" in a four-part definition, that set the black female experience in contradistinction to both white women and black men. Using this frame, Womanist theology and ethics was born through the work of Cannon, Williams, and Grant.
Floyd-Thomas' work continues this Womanist scholarship started in theology and ethics.
Training
Floyd-Thomas received her Ph.D. from Temple UniversityTemple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
in 1998. Her primary teacher and adviser was Katie Cannon Katie Geneva Cannon
Katie Geneva Cannon
Katie Geneva Cannon is a Christian theologian associated with womanist theology and liberation theology. She is currently the Annie Scales Rogers Professor for Christian Ethics at Union Presbyterian Seminary. Previously Cannon has served on the faculties of Temple University, Episcopal Divinity...
. Cannon, a former student of Beverly Harrison http://www.utsnyc.edu/Page.aspx?pid=810, continues to mentor and influence Floyd-Thomas' work and pedagogical style.
Mining The Motherlode: Methods in Womanist Ethics
Of Floyd-Thomas' contributions to Womanist thought, perhaps the most pivotal has been her Mining the Motherlode: Methods in Womanist Ethics. In this text, Floyd-Thomas firmly grounds Womanist ethical methodology in Walker’s definition of the term “Womanist” in order to highlight it as a unique and legitimate ethics within the larger discipline of Christian ethics, and provides an easy to use text for anyone wishing to do Womanist ethics. Paralleling the four-part definition provided by Walker, Floyd-Thomas names four "tenets" of Womanist ethics as "Radical Subjectivity, Traditional Communalism, Redemptive Self-Love and Critical Engagement." These tenets explore the relationship between Womanists' use of Walker's definition, and the various methodologies employed within Womanist ethics.Other Notable Publications
Floyd-Thomas served as primary author/editor for other books. Deeper Shades of Purple: Womanism in Religion and Society collects various essays from many leading Womanist scholars and Womanist allies. Black Church Studies: An Introduction is a textbook that covers a range of disciplines that make up the interdisciplinary field of Black Church Studies. Her most recent publication, co-edited with theologian Anthony B. PinnAnthony B. Pinn
Anthony B. Pinn is an American professor and writer whose work focuses on liberation theology, Black religion, and Black humanism. Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities and Professor of Religious Studies at Rice University. He earned his Ph.D. in the Study of Religion at...
, is entitled "Liberation Theologies in the United States: A Primer."
Floyd-Thomas also serves as general editor of two book series: Religion and Social Transformation (New York University Press) and ‘Making It Plain’: Approaches in Black Church Studies (Abingdon Press
Abingdon Press
Abingdon Press is the book publishing arm of the United Methodist Publishing House which publishes sheet music, ministerial resources, Bible-study aids, and other items, often with a focus on Methodism and Methodists. Abingdon Press was begun in the early 1900s by The Methodist Church, and is...
).
Black Religious Scholars Group
The Black Religious Scholars Group is an organization founded by Floyd-Thomas, her husband Juan Floyd-Thomas, and Duane Belgrave while graduate students. The mission of the organization is to "To promote meaningful dialogue and partnership between black religious scholars, the larger black community and its churches and community organizations in order to promote the goals ofblack religion—namely, liberation and human fulfillment in all areas of life. To this end, the BRSG functions "to make the academic work and activity of black religious scholars more relevant, committed and accessible to the larger Black church and community", and "to create opportunities for collaboration between black scholars, churches and community organizations in order to achieve the aforementioned goals of Black religion. This includes working together to address the many crises and quality-of-life challenges facing black communitie
Held every year to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion American Academy of Religion
American Academy of Religion
The American Academy of Religion is the world's largest association of scholars in the field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association,...
, the BRSG consultation achieves the goal of its mission through fostering dialogue between black scholars and local black church communities, and through the specific consultations that occur at various black churches throughout the country. BRSG consultations have been held in cities ranging from San Diego to Washington, D.C. Also, the BRSG Consultation is a time where tribute is paid to black religious scholars who have contributed to the field of black religion while maintaining a commitment to black religion in practice outside of the academy. Past BRSG honorees include James Cone, Delores Williams, Peter Paris, Renita Weems and Cornel West and others.
Floyd-Thomas continues to serve as Executive Director of the BRSG. Other executive board members include Dr. Juan Floyd-Thomas, Rev. Dr. Duane Belgrave, Rev. Dr. Christine Wiley and Rev. Dr. Dennis Wiley, both pastors at Covenant Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.