Grace Jantzen

Grace Jantzen was an internationally-renowned feminist philosopher of religion whose work has transformed the way we think about the interactions between religion, culture and gender in Western culture. Jantzen's aim was to 'redeem the present' via a critique and reconstruction of staple concepts of the Western imaginary. This unique book brings together many of Grace Jantzen's colleagues and former students in a wide-ranging exploration of her enduring influence, ranging across philosophy of religion, to literature, psychoanalysis, theology, ethics and politics. Part I assesses the ramifications of Jantzen's affirmation that Western culture must 'choose life' in preference to a prevailing symbolic of violence and death. Part II explores some of the key voices which contributed to Jantzen's understanding of a culture of flourishing and natality: Quaker thought and practice, medieval mysticism and feminist spirituality. Further essays apply elements of Jantzen's work to the politics of disability, development and environmentalism, extending her range of influence into new and innovative areas.

Research interests include: Religion, culture and gender; the relationship between social theory and Christian social thought, especially 'public' theology; the nature of theological method in Practical and Contextual Theology; ethical, philosophical and theological implications of new technologies. Publications include: Life-Cycles: Women and Pastoral Care (SPCK, 1993, co-edited with Margaret Halsey), Making the Difference: Gender, Personhood and Theology (Fortress, 1995), Transforming Practice (1996, 2nd Edition, Wipf and Stock 2002), Representations of the Post/human (Rutgers University Press, 2002) and Words Made Flesh: writings in pastoral and practical theology (SCM, 2009). With Heather Walton and Frances Ward, Theological Reflection: Methods (SCM Press, 2005) and Theological Reflection: Sources (2007).

Contents: Redeeming the present, Elaine Graham; Part 1 'The Gift of Life': Grace Jantzen and the work of love; preamble, Morny Joy; The urgent wish... to be more life-giving, Pamela Sue Anderson; Why I still read John Donne: an appraisal of Grace Jantzen's Becoming Divine, Frances Ward; 'In the name of life!' Psychoanalysis and Grace Jantzen's critique of philosophy, Jeremy Carrette. Part 2 'In the Name of Life': 'Choose life!' Quaker metaphor and modernity, Pam Lunn, Betty Hagglund, Edwina Newman and Ben Pink Dandelion; Searching a feminine mystical way for the 21st century, Ursula King; On Jantzen and theology: a conversation with William Desmond, Clare Greer; Life, death and discernment: Ignatian perspectives, Kate Stogdon. Part 3 'Choose Life!': The metaphysics of the body, Graham Ward; Passion for life: power for building justice and peace, Mary Elizabeth Moore; Natality and Flourishing in the contexts of disability and impairment, Mary Grey; The postnatural as anti-human? Resurrection, natality and creatureliness, Peter Manley Scott; The implications of a politics of natality for transitional feminist advocacy: transforming the human rights moral imaginary, Nanci Hogan; Bibliography; Indexes.