Ecumenical Task Force on Women and Religion

The National Organization for Women's Ecumenical Task Force on Women and Religion was created by feminist theologian Elizabeth Farians.[1] The group played an important role in the creation of a Catholic feminist movement in the 1960s and early 1970s and worked for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.[2]

Creation of the task force[edit]

The National Organization for Women was created in 1966, the same year the Ecumenical Task Force on Women and Religion was founded.[2] It was founded by notable Catholic feminist, Dr. Elizabeth Farians. Regarding women in the church, Farians was famous for saying, "It's all right if they come with a cake with their hands, but if they come with an idea in their heads."[3] In the late 1970s, Georgia Fuller served as the head of the task force.[4]

In the early years of NOW, the role of religion was emphasized as many activists identified as faith based feminists.[5] Scholars such as Karen Bojar have emphasized the religion was foundational to the founding of NOW since it was so important to Americans in general.[6] The task force consisteted not only of Catholics, but Protestants and Jewish women as well.[7]

Support for the Equal Rights Amendment[edit]

Many of the members of the task force, including Farians, supported the Equal Rights Amendment.[citation needed]

Political history of the task force[edit]

The organization lasted from 1966 to the 1970s.[1] Many local chapters were created including one in Detroit in 1970 and another in Pensacola, Florida.[8][9]

The archives of the task force are housed as the Schlesinger Library at Harvard College.[10]

Support for women deacons[edit]

Increasing leadership opportunities for women in religious communities was an important goal for the task force. The group endorsed the right for women to serve as deacons in 1971.[11] This decision came as a result of the recommendation of 11 theologians.[11]

Easter bonnet protest[edit]

One of the most well documented actions of the task force was 1969 protest against a church requirement that women wear hats during service.[12] During what Elizabeth Farians referred to as the "national unveiling", women took off their head coverings at a church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[12]

Members[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Gray, Farnum (March 16, 1974). "2 Female Theologians Blast Catholic Church". The Atlanta Constitution.
  2. ^ a b "Collection: Papers of NOW officer Elizabeth Farians, 1965-1973 | HOLLIS for". hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  3. ^ Fiske, Edward B. (May 24, 1970). "Equality is Sought for Church Women". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  4. ^ Johnson, Sonia (1981). From housewife to heretic. Garden City, N.Y. p. 290. ISBN 0-385-17493-4. OCLC 7553190.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ Braude, Ann (2001). Radical Spirits: Spiritualism and Women's Rights in Nineteenth-century America. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-21502-4.
  6. ^ Bojar, Karen (2021-11-24). Feminist Organizing Across the Generations. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-47282-0.
  7. ^ "Catholic Bishops Eye More Influential Role for Women". The Austin American. October 2, 1971.
  8. ^ "National Organization for Women". 350fem.blogs.brynmawr.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  9. ^ a b "NOW Topic: Women in Religion". Pensacola News Journal. February 27, 1974.
  10. ^ "NOW Ecumenical Task Force on Women and Religion, 1966-1967; includes correspondence with Betty Friedan. | HOLLIS for". hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  11. ^ a b "Women Deacons Endorsed by NOW". The Catholic Advocate. March 11, 1971.
  12. ^ a b Maxwell, Angie; Shields, Todd (2017-12-05). The Legacy of Second-Wave Feminism in American Politics. Springer. ISBN 978-3-319-62117-3.
  13. ^ "Two Day Women's Forum at St. Michael's College". The Burlington Free Press. April 23, 1974.
  14. ^ "Summer Schedule Set by NOW Group Here". Progressive Bulletin. Pomona, California. July 11, 1973.
  15. ^ "Women and the Language of Religion – Religion Online". Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  16. ^ "Educational Consultant to be Urbana Speaker". Springfield News-Sun. April 20, 1975.
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