Goddess Activism

An ethnographic study of activism in Ukraine and Turkey from a feminist theological perspective. This book is intended to be enjoyed by radically creative, courageous, and clever artistic-types. Through interviews and stories, I trace the rise of neo-fascism in our times and ultimately suggest fighting back with playful, artful, theatrical, and mystical responses.Chapter One, Ukraine and the Birth of Femen, jumps into the history of the movement called Femen, from their roots in Ukraine, to their activist diaspora internationally. Chapter Two is called Beyonce Feminism, Femen, and Sextremism. I was surprised to discover that side-by-side with the misogynists, some bloggers thought of Femen as disgusting white colonizing pretty girls performing for the male gaze. This chapter tackles some of the recent shifts and developments in feminist movements. Chapter Three, The Goddess and Activism, is an analysis of Goddess iconography in Femen actions through the lens of feminist theology. I tie the movement to the work of brilliant feminists like Starhawk, Mary Daly, Aysha Hidayatullah, Maryam Namazie, and others.Chapter Four examines the Gezi Park Protests and the Gulen Movement in Turkey. Recent events in Turkey have been under-reported and widely misunderstood, in ways similar to Ukraine and Femen. Chapter Five is my analysis of this ethnographic work through theory I find particularly relevant, most notably Naomi Goldenberg's Theory of Vestigial States.