It Will Not be Taken Away from Her

The gospel story of Martha and Mary has frequently been read as an exhortation to the spiritual life, 'the better part' chosen by Mary, against the material concerns of Martha. This message, while arguably a misreading, encapsulates an unhelpful dualism which sets up damaging oppositions between female and male, body and spirit.Using this as her starting point, Fran Porter highlights the problematic status of women in the church today. She explores how Christians speak of God, how women's sense of personal identity interacts with gendered social norms and theological values, how assumptions about marriage and motherhood impact on women's lives, how faith communities are organised, and how women relate to the societies in which they live.