Carolyn McDade Profile
Category: Unitarian Universalism - General
Hello friends, I’m back from a short hiatus, and, as often happens when one takes a break, my mind has started racing with ideas for new posts, which I’ll be writing and sharing over the next few days. In the meantime, I want to make a quick mention of the Fall 2007 UU World’s profile of Carolyn McDade, which I picked up this morning.
McDade is the author of Unitarian Universalist hymns “Spirit of Life,” “We’ll Build a Land,” and “Come Sing a Song with Me.” This article provides a window into the history of these hymns, including what experiences inspired them and how they have been used in congregational life. As I read it, I realized how much I have to learn about Unitarian Universalist history, even that which has taken place in the last fifty years.
August 27th, 2007 22:38
“I realized how much I have to learn about Unitarian Universalist history, even that which has taken place in the last fifty years.”
Gad, this sentence makes me feel old (I am a young old; I’m 66), and it also dismays me. I don’t even know where to start.
So many younger women don’t know about the Women & Religion resolution passed in 1977 to end the sexism in the UU denomination, nor about all the incredible feminist spirituality work and ritual that went on in the 1980s into the 1990s and that still goes on but much less visibly unfortunately.
UUWF was an activist organization supplying resources, programming and support to local chapters all over the country. They’ve changed their focus.
Women and Religion has been trying to fill the gap. I suggest you look at their website http://www.uuwr.org.
In my own big metropolitan UU church there is no organized feminist presence anymore. When I mention feminism, feminist spirituality, women’s issues, some women’s eyes glaze over, don’t regard women’s issues as social justice issues, don’t even know what they are.
This whole problem causes me great pain, anger, sadness and a sense of aloneness.
These are only my very brief inadequate quick thoughts about an incredible rich moving loving time in UUism.
Pythia
August 28th, 2007 10:08
Pythia, Thank you for emphasizing the importance of Unitarian Universalist women’s history, and how this history is unknown to many UU women of my generation.
I’m glad you recommended UUWR. I became involved in the UUWR last summer, when I attended their core group meeting at General Assembly. I then served on the revision committee for the new Cakes for the
Queen of Heaven curriculum this past year. This engagement with UUWR helped me begin to understand the work that feminist UU women have
done to nurture women’s spirituality and increase our power within the denomination.
When I remarked that the McDade article made me consider what I did not know about recent UU history, I meant that not as a celebration of gaps in my knowledge, but as a reminder to readers (and to myself) that a rich history exists and should be sought out. Your comment has made me consider how I can make that reminder more explicit in upcoming posts, and what resources to point readers to, including those that illuminate the Unitarian Universalist women’s movement.
One final thing I want to share is that I have met many young adult UU women who are feminist and are highly attuned to issues of power and opportunity.
However, it does seem to me that there is a major disconnect between the vocabulary, frameworks, and methods used by some feminist UU leaders of the preceding generation, and those used by feminist UU women who are young adults today.
This gap is compounded by the fact that there are few places in the denomination for a truly intergenerational discussion among women. When there is a chance for such a conversation, it
opens up the possibility for greater awareness of the connection between our history and our present efforts.
August 31st, 2007 23:41
[…] Pythia’s comment on the Carolyn McDade post has brought to my attention the need to post about UU history resources. […]