Satoko has offered to lead a study program in feminist theology. In it she would use articles she has written as the assigned reading. The idea was very popular, with eight people already signing up to be included. It was decided that the course would go ahead. The following is a summary of what was agreed.

PLACE

Kichijoji Catholic Church

TIME

After some discussion, it was decided that the meeting would take place instead of the usual FTC meeting. The reason was that people are too stretched for time to be able to attend two meetings, and that the FTC meeting is so badly attended at the moment.

So, the new study meeting will be on the third Saturday of the month from 1.30 pm until 3.30 pm. We will meet in groups of four meetings ( April, May, June, July ( July being a sharing of each attendant’s final essay and a party ) and September, October, November, December ( December being the same as July )).

PAYMENT

There will be two ways to pay. Either you pay for the whole term, getting a reduced price, or pay for one lesson ( a drop in fee) which will be more expensive. After later consultation, it was decided that the drop in fee would be ¥ 2 400 and the full course fee would be ¥ 7,200 ( 4 @ ¥ 1 800 ).

MATERIALS

We will be studying from papers that Satoko has written. These will be sent to each participant two weeks before the start of the course.

DISCOUNTS

We hope that we will be able to provide scholarships for people who would not be able to come due to financial concerns.

A FINAL ESSAY

Each attendant is expected to present a short final essay or a reflection paper at the final meeting.

After graduation, she worked as a resident-theologian at Stony Point Center (New York), and taught as a lecturer at New York Theological Seminary (New York), and at Newark School of Theology (Newark).

Upon returning to Tokyo, Japan, she started teaching at seminaries and universities as adjunct professor which include Japan Biblical Theological Seminary, Central Theological College, Keisen Women’s University, and University of Sacred Heart.

While living in the US, she participated in a shelter-network project as a volunteer worker at a women’s shelter Renewal House (Boston), also at church-based projects of food & shelter for the homeless and the aged (Boston). Upon returning to Japan, co-founded Center for Feminist Theology and Ministry in Japan (Tokyo), and has been serving as a co-director. She also co-founded Feminist Theology Circle (Tokyo).

Satoko approaches theology basically from a critical feminist and postcolonial perspective. In this FTC course she intends to introduce feminist theologies by reading and discussing together some of the English biblical and theological articles she has published. She wants to look at participants deepen their understanding of feminist theological thought through a radical democratic learning practice (which is articulated in Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza’s recent book, Democratizing Biblical Studies: Toward an Emancipatory Educational Space, Louisville: WJK, 2009).

Satoko’s publication include the following:

Translation (from English to Japanese; mention books only)

Chen, In Tan. Violence Against Women Is a Crime: Your Rights and Shelter Information (1989, Boston: Renewal House).

Schüssler Fiorenza, Elisabeth. In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological Reconstruction of Christian Origins (1990, Tokyo: UCCJ Publication).

Schüssler Fiorenza, Elisabeth. Bread Not Stone: The Challenge of Feminist Biblical Interpretation (1992, Tokyo: Shinkyo).

Schüssler Fiorenza, Elisabeth ed. Searching the Scriptures vol.2 (co-translator & co-overseer, 2002, Tokyo: UCCJ Publication).

Schüssler Fiorenza, Elisabeth. The Open House of Wisdom (a collections of lectures in Japan; co-translator & overseer, 2005, Tokyo: Shinkyo).

Books (mention non-Japanese books only)

Women Moving Mountains: Feminist Theology in Japan（co-authoring, 2000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Asian Women’s Resource Centre for Culture and Theology).

Mary and Martha: Women in the World of Jesus (2002, Maryknoll: Orbis; earned “2003 Book Award” from Catholic Press Association in Canada and the US).

Selected Articles (mention non-Japanese articles only)

“Introduction” (Japanese Women Today, 1985, Tokyo: The Women’s Action Group).

“Japanese Language, Culture, and Feminist Liberation Theology” (In God’s Image 10/4. 1991, Seoul: Asian Women’s Resource Center).

“A Pseudoepigraphic Letter of a Woman Leader at Corinth” (In God’s Image 10/4. 1991).

“The Impact of National Histories on the Politics of Identity” (Journal of Asian and Asian American Theology 2/1. 1997).

“Original Christian Messages and Our Christian Identities” (In God’s Image 16/4. 1997).

“The Invention of Traditions: The Case of Shintoism” (In God’s Image 18/4. 1998).

“Reading the Creation Stories from a Feminist Perspective (Center for Feminist Theology and Ministry in Japan English Newsletter #2. 2000).

“Questioning ‘God the Father’: Divine Metaphors in the Biblical Context: the Christian Testament” (Center for Feminist Theology and Ministry in Japan English Newsletter #4. 2001).

“Die Realität der Frau in sich verändernden politischen Situationen und Gender Studies: Der Fall Japan” (Gender in Wissenshaft und Alltag 2002. Kogens ed., Dresden: Kogens & ehs. 251-53).

“Psalm 93: The Gracious and Compassionate (Du Güte und Mitgefühl)” (Psalmen Leben. Bärbel Fünfsinn & Carola Kenel eds., 2002, Hamburg: EB-Verlag. 184-89).

“Christianity and Women in Japan” (Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 30/3-4, 2003, Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture. 315-338)

“Father Image of G*d and Inclusive Language: A Reflection in Japan” (Towards A New Heaven and A New Earth: Essays in Honor of Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza (Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza Festschrift. 2003, New York: Orbis, 199-224).

“Women Clergy In the Past, Present, and Future: Meeting Martha for the First Time: the Johannine Gospel 11:1-12:11” (Center for Feminist Theology and Ministry in Japan English Newsletter #16. 2004).

“‘I Am’ Sayings and Women in Context” (Feminist Companion to the New Testament: the Johannine Literature. 2004, A. J. Levine et al eds., Sheffield: Sheffield, 34-63).

“Response to Dr. J’annine Jobling’s Review on Mary & Martha” (Conversations in Religion and Theology. 2/2, 2004, 117-129).

“Christian Feminist Theology in Japan” (Breaking Silence: Theology from Asian Women. 2006, Meehyun Chung ed., India:ISPCK).

“CCA’s 50^th Celebration Opening Worship Sermon (Acts 9:36-43)” (Japan Christian Activity News, 2007, Tokyo, as well as at HP of CCA).

“Das Schweigen brechen” (Theologie im Gesprach mit Frauen aus Ostasien 2, EMS Dokumentations Brief, 2007).

“Re-Membering Jesus: A Postcolonial Feminist Remembering” (Post-Christian Feminisms: A Critical Approach. 2007, Lisa Isherwood & Kathleen McPhillips eds., Plymouth: Ashgate).

“From Dualistic Thinking toward Inclusive Imagination: SABS Keynote Speech 2” (Mapping and Engaging the Bible in Asian Cultures. 2008 Seoul Conference, 2009, Seoul: Society of Asian Biblical Studies).

“Deine Worte” (Cerechtigkeit and Heilung, Vernetzte Wirklichkeiten, Eine interdisziplinare Festschrift fur Ursula Riedel-Pfafflin, 2008, Adelheid Fiedler & Kristina Wopat eds., Dresden: Winterwork)

“Sexual Diversity and Feminist Perspectives: Dreaming Justice in Sexuality and Life: Re-reading of Romans 1:26-27” (Center for Feminist Theology and Ministry in Japan English Newsletter #34. 2009).

“Esther’s ‘Bad Woman’ and Us (Esther 1:1-22)” (In God’s Image 28/4. 2009).

FTC is hosting a course by Satoko Yamaguchi teaching a titled ‘An Introduction To Feminist Theology’. The course will be taught in blocks of four, April, May, June, July and September, October, November, December. Satoko will use her own articles to guide the participants through the elements of feminist theology. For more information on Satoko and her work, please see the entry dedicated to her.