Academic Dean of Westcott House Karen O’Donnell joins us from Cambridge for an intro to feminist theology. Dr. O’Donnell describes what feminist theology and trauma theology are, talks about her own journey into these fields, and considers where we go from here. Brandon, Hannah, and Karen (of course) also talk prayer and hope.

Karen O’Donnell is Academic Dean and Lecturer in Worship & Human Community at Westcott House in Cambridge, UK. Dr. O’Donnell teaches Introduction to Christian Worship, Patterns in Christian Worship, Christian Worship and Human Community, and the MPhil Exercise in Religion and Gender at Cambridge.  After a career as a secondary school teacher, Karen undertook postgraduate study. Her doctoral thesis focused on trauma and the Eucharist in relationship to bodies. She has written a book titled Broken Bodies: The Eucharist, Mary and the Body in Trauma Theology​. Before coming to Cambridge, Karen led the MA programme in Christian Spirituality at Sarum College. Recently, Karen launched an online community called the Feminist Theology Gathering.

Episode links:

• Karen O’Donnell on X/Twitter

• Broken Bodies: The Eucharist, Mary and the Body in Trauma Theology by Karen O’Donnell from SCM Press

• The Dark Womb: Re-Conceiving Theology through Reproductive Loss by Karen O’Donnell from SCM Press

• Bearing Witness: Intersectional Perspectives on Trauma Theology edited by Karen O’Donnell and Katie Cross from SCM Press

• Feminist Trauma Theologies: Body, Scripture & Church in Critical Perspective edited by Karen O’Donnell and Katie Cross from SCM Press

• Feminist Theology Gathering email sign up