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Women, Power, and the Bible in Early Anabaptist History

Willgren, David LU (2017) In Scandinavian Journal for Leadership & Theology 4. p.1-25
Abstract
The article argues that the way Anabaptist history and theology is commonly narrated needs to be reshaped. A fundamental question is asked: Did women have positions of power in the early Anabaptist movement? Two points are considered: 1) How is power understood? and 2) On what premises can the history of Anabaptist women be written? These two points are put in relation to portraits of three women – Margret Hottinger, Helene von Freyberg, and Elisabeth Dirks – who represent three fundamental ways in which women related to power and authority in the early years of the movement. The article concludes that the way the stories of early Anabaptist women have usually been told are often both highly tendentious and failing to assess the authority... (More)
The article argues that the way Anabaptist history and theology is commonly narrated needs to be reshaped. A fundamental question is asked: Did women have positions of power in the early Anabaptist movement? Two points are considered: 1) How is power understood? and 2) On what premises can the history of Anabaptist women be written? These two points are put in relation to portraits of three women – Margret Hottinger, Helene von Freyberg, and Elisabeth Dirks – who represent three fundamental ways in which women related to power and authority in the early years of the movement. The article concludes that the way the stories of early Anabaptist women have usually been told are often both highly tendentious and failing to assess the authority of women on the basis of an Anabaptist theology of power. At the same time, the early movement employed a flat biblical hermeneutic that lead to a failure to process the subversive use of power and authority and the theological potential of the Anabaptist critique of the sword in relation to their own families and communities. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Scandinavian Journal for Leadership & Theology
volume
4
pages
1 - 25
ISSN
1894-7875
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
3d52e84f-2097-4ce8-8eda-0a1417aa72d7
alternative location
https://www.academia.edu/35937666/Women_Power_and_the_Bible_in_Early_Anabaptist_History
date added to LUP
2018-02-19 18:01:51
date last changed
2021-03-22 18:45:49
@article{3d52e84f-2097-4ce8-8eda-0a1417aa72d7,
  abstract     = {{The article argues that the way Anabaptist history and theology is commonly narrated needs to be reshaped. A fundamental question is asked: Did women have positions of power in the early Anabaptist movement? Two points are considered: 1) How is power understood? and 2) On what premises can the history of Anabaptist women be written? These two points are put in relation to portraits of three women – Margret Hottinger, Helene von Freyberg, and Elisabeth Dirks – who represent three fundamental ways in which women related to power and authority in the early years of the movement. The article concludes that the way the stories of early Anabaptist women have usually been told are often both highly tendentious and failing to assess the authority of women on the basis of an Anabaptist theology of power. At the same time, the early movement employed a flat biblical hermeneutic that lead to a failure to process the subversive use of power and authority and the theological potential of the Anabaptist critique of the sword in relation to their own families and communities.}},
  author       = {{Willgren, David}},
  issn         = {{1894-7875}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  pages        = {{1--25}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal for Leadership & Theology}},
  title        = {{Women, Power, and the Bible in Early Anabaptist History}},
  url          = {{https://www.academia.edu/35937666/Women_Power_and_the_Bible_in_Early_Anabaptist_History}},
  volume       = {{4}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}