My Red Couch

""From church pews to library carrels, from the tear gas of political demonstrations to the wails of an infant, and from writer's pen to elevated pulpit, these women speak to a new generation of feminist Christians. They invite a conversation with sister-travelers seeking to be faithful to themselves, to each other, to their communities, to their religious inheritance, to their feminist commitments, and to their best, most creative work."" --from the Foreword by Rita Nakashima Brock ""Do you feel alone in your search to be a feminist and a Christian? Does it often feel impossible to reconcile these two seemingly disparate ideologies? Do you ever have feelings of doubt or disillusionment about your faith tradition? And what does it mean to be a feminist anyway?"" --from the Introduction In My Red Couch, 24 third-wave feminist women and one man, ages 18-36, tell their stories of seeking to reconcile their faith and their feminism. This book of narrative essays and practical discussion suggestions is for all those who seek an authentic path of Christian faith and social justice defined by contemporary feminism. The book is divided into four parts with five or six essays in each part: 1) In Search of Integrity; 2) In Search of Community; 3) In Search of Creativity; and 4) In Search of Tensegrity. The resource is ideal for both individual and group settings. Contributors are: Sadie Ackerman, Elizabeth J. Andrew, Claire Bischoff, Laurie Brock, Mary Lousie Bozza, Carol Brorsen, Adam J. Copeland, Rachel Gaffron, Megan Gavin, Katie Haegele, April Heaney, Janet Holbrook, Sara Irwin, HyeRan Kim-Cragg, Mary Ann McKibben Dana, Monica Ann Maestras, Ann Crews Melton, Christiana Z. Peppard, Kelsey Rice, Ellie Roscher, Heather Scheiwe, Heather Grace Shortlidge, Monique Simpson, and Megan J. Thorvilson. Claire E. Bischoff is a graduate of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and received her MA in Christian education from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is pursuing a PhD at Emory University. Rachel Gaffron is a writer and visual artist living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is pursuing an MA at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.