Womanist theology and Mormonism, with Janan Graham-Russell [MIPodcast #65]

Maxwell Institute Podcast

Christianity, Education, Religion & Spirituality

4.7 • 809 Ratings

🗓️ 15 August 2017

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When you think about your religious beliefs, your theology, how much consideration have you given to your race? How has the color of your skin affected your understanding of God, of Jesus Christ, or of your religious community? Maybe you’ve never thought much about it. If you’re a black Latter-day Saint in America, you virtually can’t escape these kinds of questions. Many black American Latter-day Saints know that questions about the color of their skin and their faith are deeply intertwined. Add the component of gender and the questions multiply. Janan Graham-Russell visited the Maxwell Institute this summer to talk about womanist theology—thinking about God from the perspective of black women. In this episode, she discusses race, identity, and theology. About the Guest Janan Graham-Russell is a writer and graduate of the Howard University School of Divinity. Her research focuses on womanist theology in Mormonism, and identity formation in racial communities. Her work has been featured in two books: Mormon Feminism: Essential Writings, and A Book of Mormons, as well as The Atlantic. She will continue her research this fall within the PhD program in The Study of Religion department at Harvard University. This week Janan joined us here at the Maxwell Institute for a discussion on race, identity, and theology.

The post Womanist theology and Mormonism, with Janan Graham-Russell [MIPodcast #65] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Transcript

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0:00.0	It's the Maxwell Institute podcast.
0:14.5	I'm Blair Hodges.
0:16.0	When you think about your religious beliefs, your theology, how much consideration have you given to your race? How has the color of your skin affected your understanding of God, of Jesus Christ, or your religious community?
0:26.6	Maybe you've never thought much about it. If you're a black Latter-day Saint in America, you virtually can't escape these kinds of questions.
0:32.6	Many black American Latter-day Saints know that questions about the color of their skin and their faith are deeply intertwined and have a long history. Add the component of gender and the questions
0:42.5	only multiply. Janon Graham Russell visited the Neill A. Maxwell Institute here at Brigham Young
0:47.2	University this summer to talk about a type of theology called womanist theology, thinking about
0:52.3	God from the perspective of black women.
0:54.9	Janon is a writer and a graduate of the Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, D.C.
0:59.7	Her research focuses on womanist theology in Mormonism and identity formation in racial communities.
1:05.8	Her writing has been featured in two books, Mormon feminism, essential writings, and a book
1:10.6	of Mormons, as well as in the Atlantic.
1:13.4	Janon's continuing her research now at Harvard University, and in this episode, she discusses race, identity, and theology.
1:20.8	Questions and comments about this and other episodes of the Maxwell Institute podcast can be sent to MIPodcast at BYU.edu, and please take a moment to rate and review the show in iTunes.
1:32.9	Janon Graham Russell, welcome to the Maxwell Institute. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here.
1:38.0	Let's start off by talking a little bit about identity. There's an author named Gabrielle Garcia-Marquez,
1:42.9	who wrote a book called Love in the Time of Colora.
1:45.4	And there's a quote from that that I wanted to ask you about.
1:48.0	It says, human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers gave birth to them.
1:53.6	Life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves.
1:58.0	Does that quote resonate with you at all?
2:00.5	It really does. Growing up, I always
	...

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