Powers and Submissions – Spirituality, Philosophy and Gender: Challenges in Contemporary Theology

Gender theory has in recent years given an increasingly nuanced account of the worldly 'powers' that serve to stifle human flourishing. However, feminist theology ha been loath to acknowledge that form of surrender to divine 'power' which can alone sustain authentic human freedom, and chasten the abusive will to power in both women and men. Powers and Submissions tackles their question of how these narratives of divine and human 'powers' should be disentangled. Coakley examines this issue through the lens of spiritual practice, philosophical enquiry and doctrinal analysis, arguing that contemplative practice must be sustaining matrix of any truly liberative human empowerment.

Powers and Submissions will be of interest to those working and studying in the fields of feminist theory, philosophy of religion, systematic theology and spirituality.