Hello, my name is Mr. Robertson, and I am delighted to welcome you to another RE lesson.

In this unit, we are exploring this incredible question, Christianity, how have the experiences of the global south shaped it? And in this unit, we are looking at the idea of what happens when Christianity interacts with cultures in Africa, and South, and North America.

Today's lesson is all about Delores S.

Williams and Womanist Theology.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to explain how Delores S.

Williams' worldview influenced her development of womanist theology.

We have three keywords in this lesson today.

The first is resilience, and that's the ability to endure hardship and keep moving forward.

Our second word is survival.

Survival in this context means persevering through systemic oppression, despite the challenges of racism, sexism, and discrimination.

And finally, our third word is womanist theology, and womanist theology is a theology which highlights Black women's struggles, strength and faith, and addresses both race and gender.

All these words are gonna be used as we go through the lesson, and I'm pretty confident you're gonna be able to use them while by the end of the lesson.

So this lesson on Delores S.

Williams is going to look at two things.

Firstly, we're gonna focus on Delores S.

Williams worldview.

So this lesson, we are using a theological way of knowing.

And Aisha just gonna explain what we mean by theology in religious education.

Aisha says, "Theologians are interested in stories, texts, and traditions.

We can better understand people's worldviews by examining how these stories, texts, and traditions have been interpreted in the past and how they are interpreted today." So what does that mean for this lesson? Well, in this lesson, we are gonna study Delores S.

Williams as a case study, and we're gonna explore how her life has shaped her theology of Christianity.

I'm gonna start by looking at a term.

This term is African American.

I'm sure it's a word you've heard many times before, but what's the etymology of this word? Where does it come from? So it's made up of two parts.

The African element reflects the ancestral roots and cultural heritage from Africa, and the American signifies their nationality and lived experiences.

So this word, African American, is a word used to connect Black people to the United States to their heritage and identity.

It was popularised in the late 20th century and it affirms pride and belonging.

Many prefer the non-hyphenated form as we've written here, or simply Black.

Delores Williams used this term to highlight Black women's unique struggles and faith.

So she defined herself as an African American, and we're gonna be using that terminology today.

So she was born, Delores Seneva Williams on the 17th of November, 1934 in Louisville, Kentucky, which is one of the southern states of the US.

You can see a map of it with a closeup of the state of Kentucky.

Here's a illustration of Delores Williams, and she made this comment.

She said, "Theologians ought to give readers insight into their own life stories.

This helps the audience understand what has shaped their theology, what experiences have influenced their faith, what lessons they've learned, and what continues to inspire their writing and reflection." And in lots of ways, Delores S.

Williams and womanist theology links into ideas which we've seen in Mercy Oduyoye and Black African women's theology.

This is the idea that we can help understand someone's worldview and someone's life story, and that enables us to understand their theology better.

And because I think that's a really important thing to do, we're going to look at the life of Delores Williams and then out of that, hopefully we're gonna be able to understand her theology and her ideas better.

So let's begin.

Delores Seneva Williams was born on the 17th of November in Louisville, Kentucky in 1934.

And at that time, the Jim Crow Laws legalised racial segregation.

And these remained in place until 1966.

You can see a photograph here, and this is a photograph from the era of segregation in the United States, and you can see a sign of for a coloured waiting room.

So at this time in America, public transport, other things like schools, in these states were totally segregated.

And African Americans and white people were not allowed to sit or mix in the same places.

The Jim Crow Laws enforced racial segregation in schools, public spaces and transport with African Americans having access to separate, often inferior facilities.

From an early age, she was known as a quiet and observant child.

Her mother often said Delores was born watching.

She didn't speak much, but when she did, it was important and she wasn't afraid to ask questions.

Many of the theologians we study are curious people who ask questions 'cause that is one of the really important things about doing theology.

Delores was raised in a Seventh-day Adventist household, which is a Protestant denomination.

Delores found church to be a place of safety, shielding her from the harsh realities of the Jim Crow South.

It provided a refuge where Black women found community, dignity, and a voice in a world which often dismissed them.

Even as a child, she noticed how Black women in the community navigated both racism and sexism with strength and resilience using faith and unity to confront injustice.

I wonder how the Jim Crow Laws may have limited Delores Williams' opportunities as a child? Think what it must have been like for her growing up in this society with huge segregation.

What opportunities would she not have had which other people, other children may have had? And I wonder how the church helped Delores Williams develop strength and resilience despite segregation.

Why do you think a church and a community may have helped develop that strength? You might think about the fact that many of these churches were Black African, American churches they were places of safety where people could get together, they could put aside the outside world of segregation.

They had a safe space to talk and discuss and think and affirm their identity.

In 1950, Delores finished school at Central High in Louisville.

After quitting her job at the battery factory after just two days, she returned to collect her pay.

Her boss was surprised and said, "I knew you wouldn't stay long, but most people don't come back for their wages after two days." Without hesitation, Delores replied, "I worked for it, didn't I? Now give me my money." Her confidence came from her mother's advice.

Always be independent, take care of yourself, and earn your own money so you can have a say in your own life.

That's an amazing story, isn't it? And it gives us a bit of an insight into the kind of person that Delores Williams must have been when you think she was only 16 years old.

I wonder how that story shows her courage.

How does she need courage to do what she did? I think she shows courage because she first of all has the courage to give up her job, and she may have not known where a job was going to come next, but then she goes back to her boss and demands the money saying that she worked for it.

Jacob's reflecting on this, he says, "This story shows Delores S.

Williams' courage because despite Jim Crow Laws, she confidently demanded fair pay at just 16.

Inspired and empowered by her mother and the strong Black women in her church, she refused to accept injustice, demonstrating courage and self-respect." I think that's a great story, and you are coming to an age where Delores will be and I hope you feel that you can find that courage to confront injustice as well.

Let's carry on with her story.

We're gonna find out about some more of the challenges that she faced in her life.

So she began her career as a reporter for an African American newspaper in Louisville.

And in 1958, she married Robert Williams, a Presbyterian minister, that's another Protestant denomination, and she became actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement marching for justice across various states.

While raising four children, she pursued her education earning a bachelor's degree in 1965 and later a master's degree from Columbia University, which is one of the best universities in the United States.

In 1987, her life changed suddenly, when her husband passed away, leaving her a single mom.

Despite this loss, she continued her academic journey earning a PhD in theology In 1991.

In 1993, she published "Sisters in the Wilderness," her groundbreaking book that reshaped the way people viewed faith.

Her work became a cornerstone of womanist theology, and we're gonna be thinking a bit more about Womanist theology in the latter part of the lesson.

She went on to become an associate professor at Union Theological Seminary, which is one of the top seminaries in the US.

And in 1996, made history as the first African American woman to hold a named chair.

A named chair is a prestigious academic title that signifies exceptional achievement beyond a professorship.

In 2018, Union Theological Seminary honoured her legacy.

So quite an extraordinary life, really, I think.

Let's think about some of the particular aspects of her life that we've heard about there.

So she struggled in the early part of her life under the racism of the Jim Crow Laws, as we we've heard about.

But actually, she made success in her campaigning for civil rights in her marches and her activism.

She had to balance her studies with being a mother to four children, but unbelievably at the same time, she earned her degree despite not having an education which other people would've had, and she went on to become a professor and a leading womanist theologian.

She had to deal with a sudden loss for husband, but despite that, she managed to raise four children as a single mom.

She was working as so many women are, especially in things like theology in a very male dominated field.

But despite that, she became the first Black woman to become a named chair at Union Theological Seminary.

So a really inspiring story, I think, and it shows the extraordinary resilience she must have had to achieve so much in the face of so much adversity.

Let's just check our understanding so far.

Which of the following was not a major challenge Delores Williams faced in her life? A, she became a single parent after the sudden loss of her husband.

B, she experienced systemic racism under Jim Crow Laws.

C, she was denied the opportunity to publish her work.

D, she balanced studying while raising four children.

Theologians, I want you to pause the video and have a think.

Yes, you knew it didn't you? It's C.

She wasn't denied the opportunity to publish her work.

It's just she had to balance that publishing around the extraordinary things that were going on in her life.

Let's think about what was not one of her major achievements.

A, becoming the first African American woman to hold a named chair at Union Theological Seminary.

B, winning a Nobel Prize for her contributions to the theology.

C, earning a PhD in theology in a male dominated field.

D, publishing "Sisters in the Wilderness," a groundbreaking theological work.

Theologians pauses the video.

Have a think.

Absolutely, it's B.

She did not win a Nobel Prize.

Can't win a Nobel Prize for theology.

I think that's a great shame, but that's where we are.

But she did win lots of other prizes.

So let's hear something from Delores Williams herself.

This is a reflection that she made looking back over her life.

She said, "Faith has helped me see the everyday miracles in life.

Like how ordinary Black women rise above the challenges they face.

They keep the family and church together, work hard and ensure their children can dream big.

Even when things are tough, they keep hope alive.

Over generations, this resilience has been Black women's contribution of faith, love, and hope to the family, church, and community." That's a very powerful reflection, isn't it? I wonder within that, what ways you see that Williams was inspired by the experiences of Black women? Again, you might want to pause the video and talk to the person next to you about this.

When I look at this, I think what really strikes me is I love the phrase everyday miracles.

I love the way that she talks about how many Black women have to keep their family together.

They're responsible, their community.

In a world where they faced racism, they still managed to have to face all of those challenges and raise children and keep things going.

Let's think about our first task, then we're gonna be reflecting on Delores Williams' worldview.

Using Delores Williams' life, identify some examples that illustrate how she demonstrated the following.

How did Delores Williams overcome obstacles in her personal or professional life? In what ways did she work hard to ensure her children had the opportunity to dream big and succeed? How did Delores Williams keep hope alive during difficult moments in her life and career? I'd like you to pause the video, have a think about these questions, think back over the events of her amazing life and see if you can find some examples that demonstrate the following.

Theologians, good luck.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you've come up with.

Wow, I could see some real thinking there.

I've got some examples here.

You may have some examples of your own.

So you might've talked about she faced loss after her husband's death, but she sowed resilience, earning a PhD and making history as the first African American woman to hold a named chair at Union Theological Seminary.

You might have mentioned that she became a single mom, but despite that, she continued her own education and she raised four children, and that helped show them the value of perseverance and hard work.

And thirdly, even though she had a lot of personal loss and she had to put up with segregation, she kept her hope alive through her campaigning and commitment to justice.

She used her writing and teaching to empower Black women through her development, womanist theology, and inspiring others to fight for change.

Fantastic.

If you manage to write some of those things, well done.

In this second part of the lesson, we're going to be looking in more detail at Womanist Theology, what it is? And some of the key teachings of it.

So the term womanist comes from Black communities.

Where womanish described strong, mature girls.

So this is a term that came from within the African American community and was a particular contribution to this idea of theology.

In 1983, Alice Walker, who is a really famous US author, coined the term womanist to highlight Black women's experiences.

She explained Womanist is to feminist as purple is to a lavender.

So by that she's saying that they're linked, but they're distinctive ideas.

Womanism includes feminism, but it's deeper and more complete, addressing not only gender, but also the impact of racism, sexism, and classism.

So this is an important idea to understand womanist theology comes from within Black communities, and it takes on the ideas of feminism, the importance of challenging male domination, but also brings alongside it the experience of Black women of racism, and in many places classism as well.

Walker's work influenced later womanist theologians.

So Laura and Lucas are gonna discuss Alice Walker's analogy.

If you remember, she talked about womanism to feminism, a lavender to purple.

Lucas says, "Womanism is deeper than feminism because it doesn't just focus on gender, but also looks at race, class and culture." Laura says, "Womanism expands on feminism by focusing on the struggles Black women face racism, sexism, and economic issues, making it more complete." I hope that help unpack this idea for you about what is womanism and what is feminism.

So the idea that it's deeper and it's broader as well.

Womanist theology started in the US growing from Black liberation theology, which focused on racial justice.

Developed by Delores Williams and others, Womanist theology addresses the unique struggles Black women face with both racism and sexism.

Although it began with African American women, its ideas have influenced Black women worldwide and other marginalised groups.

Let's just check our understanding here.

True or false question for you.

Womanist theology addresses the unique struggles Black people face with racism.

Is that true or false? Think back to what Laura and Lucas were just saying, and we were hearing about Delores Williams. Pause the video theologians, have a think.

Good.

It's false.

Well, I don't know if you got that right, but why? Because women is theology looks particularly at Black women, and it looks at racism and sexism, not just racism.

It's a broader term than that.

Okay, we're gonna unpack some key parts of women's theology now.

We're gonna use this diagram to help us understand it in a bit more depth.

So Womanist theology centres on Black women's experiences in faith, which are often overlooked in theology.

Traditionally theology has been a very male, it's been a very white European endeavour, and so womanist theology is seeking to challenge some of the ideas and underlying presuppositions of theology by bringing Black women's experiences and lives into it.

Women's theology focuses on survival, healing, and dignity, not just suffering.

So it's not a negative theology in any way.

It's an incredibly positive theology is trying to show the issues that Black women face, but also look forward with hope to a time where this suffering can be healed and people can survive and prosper.

Womanist theology challenges all forms of oppression for the whole Black community.

So it's not just about women, it's starts with women's experiences and it's written by women theologians, but it's seeking to help and uplift the whole Black community.

And finally, it recognises Black women's role in shaping Christianity.

That's something we've been to talk about a bit more, that Christianity isn't something that's just come from afar and Black women have just agreed and taken it on but actually Black women have a role in shaping it, and their experiences, and their ideas, and their spirituality can shape and develop Christianity.

So to help us understand this a bit more, we're going to look at a really powerful story, which is central to Delores Williams theology.

And it's the story of Hagar and Ishmael.

And you can see an illustration of them there.

Now, you will probably know that the story of Abraham's Sarah and Hagar is significant for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It's a really important story that informs the harsh and practises of the harsh.

Ishmael is seen as an ancestor for Muslims. But in African American womanist theology, it takes on a very special meaning.

Delores Williams pointed out how African American culture has a long history of identifying with Hagar.

So Hagar is a person found in the Bible and in the Torah, and she was an enslaved African woman who became a partner, a concubine of Abraham.

And in many ways, she's not a massive figure for match western theology but African American culture has identified very strongly with her and particularly women looking at her experience and from her experience understanding Black women's experience and resilience.

So we're gonna hear a womanist retelling of the story of Hagar, and we're going to hear it.

And what we're seeing here is a centering, a moving of Hagar from the margins of the biblical story to the very centre of the story.

So Hagar was an enslaved Egyptian woman belonging to Sarai.

Sarai and Abraham were powerful, but they had no children.

In those times, a woman's work was often judged by whether she could bear children, and Sarai felt a deep sorrow.

Desperate for an heir, she decided that if she couldn't have a baby, her enslaved servant Hagar would do it for her.

She ordered Abraham to sleep with Hagar so she could bear him a child.

Hagar had no choice.

Though legal at the time, this act forced her into a role she never agreed to.

Her body was used for someone else's plan.

After conceiving, Hagar's status shifted.

She was no longer just a servant, but the mother of Abraham's future child.

Tensions grew and Sarai treated her harshly so that Hagar fled into the desert.

Running away was dangerous.

As an enslaved woman, she risked severe punishment, even death if caught.

The desert itself was just as deadly.

Without food, water, or protection, survival seemed impossible.

But despite these risks, Hagar became the first person in the Bible to free herself from oppression, even though it threatened Abraham's family line.

Alone and desperate, she encountered God in a visible form.

He called her by her name, something no one else in the story had done and asked where she was going.

God told her to return to Sarai's household, but gave her a powerful promise.

I shall make your descendants too numerous to count.

He instructed her to name her son Ishmael, meaning God hears.

In this moment, Hagar became the only person in the Bible to name God, calling him Elroy, the God who sees me.

She also stepped into an unusual role, receiving a promise of numerous descendants, something usually only granted to men.

This gave her hope for Ishmael's survival and a lasting future for her people.

Strengthened by this encounter, she returned showing faith, and radical obedience.

Years later, after reaffirming his covenant, God renamed Abraham as Abraham, and Sarai as Sarah.

Not long after Sarah gave birth to Isaac, but now with Isaac as the chosen heir, Sarah demanded that Hagar and Ishmael be cast out.

Abraham was reluctant, but God assured him the descendants of Ishmael too would become a great nation.

Hagar and Ishmael was sent into the desert with almost nothing.

Without food or water Ishmael became weak and Hagar feared he would die.

She broke down in tears, unable to watch her son suffer.

But God heard Ishmael's cries and spoke to Hagar from heaven, repeating his promise.

Suddenly she saw a well of water, a symbol of survival and hope.

With renewed strength, Hagar and Ishmael endured despite being cast out, he grew up in the wilderness, became a skilled archer, and later married an Egyptian woman.

The Genesis story ends with a powerful statement.

God was with the boy as he grew up.

Let's think back a little bit about this story.

True or false question first.

Williams introduced a new retelling of the Hagar story, helping African American women identify with Hagar for the first time.

Is that true or false, theologians? Pause the video and have a think.

It's false.

Why is it false? Because actually, African American culture has a long history of identifying with Hagar, and she had already become a symbol of hope and resilience to them.

So Williams challenged the Black theological focus on liberation as escape from enslavement, highlighting, "Like many Black women, Hagar had to survive alone raising a child in hardship with only God by her side.

God did not remove her suffering, but his liberating presence sustained her with strength, vision, and endurance." If you remember in the story, she felt that even though she was in the wilderness, God called her by her name, he saw her and he was with her.

"God saw Hagar's pain and provided lifesaving water in the desert, giving her the tools to survive." So she wasn't dependent on anyone else.

God provided for her, which enabled her to be a strong woman and continue to care for Ishmael.

"Liberation isn't always about escape.

It's the power to endure, adapt, and build a future." So actually what Williams is saying is.

In the story, Hagar had to escape but at other times in the story, she stayed where she was even though it was really difficult, Sarai or Sarah clearly resented her, but she still had to stay where she was and do the best that she could.

Sam and Andeep are discussing the importance of William's book, "Sisters in the Wilderness," which has that retelling of Hagar's story in it.

Sam says, "Her book was impactful because she used Hagar's story to show how Black women's struggles connect to faith.

Hagar's survival in the wilderness became a symbol of strength and resilience." Andeep says, "She showed that rather than suffering being essential for faith, justice, survival and community are more important.

Faith is not about enduring pain, but finding strength." That's really, really important because womanist theologians might look at some Christian theology and see a big emphasis on the suffering of Jesus and the fact that people have to be martyred and live a really difficult life, and they would say, no.

That isn't actually what Christianity is teaching us.

It's actually teaching us that we need to survive, we need to look for justice, that it's when we're together, we're stronger.

This is Lauren.

She's a Black American Christian woman, and she wrote an article about the impact of womanist theology on her own faith.

She said, "My introduction to Womanist theology changed how I see myself.

I realised I've been missing a key element of my faith, God's power to sustain and heal.

As Black women, were told to work harder, stay silent and hide our pain.

But womanist theology taught me I'm worthy of healing, joy, and simply existing as I am.

The Holy Spirit is within me, unapologetically." So interestingly, Lauren is saying here that her previous experience of theology was teaching her that she just had to get on with life.

She had to stay silent, but women's theology turned that around and said, "No, I'm seen.

God knows I'm here and I can experience joy and I'm important for who I am in the same way that Hagar was seen by God." Okay, practise task for this section.

I want us to explain how Delores Williams womanist theology highlights the impact of Black women's experiences on Christianity.

I've given you some sentence stems here.

Womanist theology focuses on.

Remember we talked about how it's from simple feminism.

What does Womanist theology focus on? What is it trying to do? Hagar's story is significant to many African American women because.

What is it about the figure of Hagar that makes her an important figure for African American women? Hagar endured great suffering while.

She had a tricky life, Hagar, but all the time, what was she doing? How did she show her response to that suffering? And finally, womanist theology challenges Christianity to.

What does it particularly about Womanist theology? What does it challenge other ideas of Christianity? What does it want Christianity to do more of? Theologians, really looking forward to hearing your answers.

Pause the video and see you soon.

Awesome really deep thinking, so I've got some ideas for you here.

You might have said, "Womamist theology focuses on survival, community, and justice, recognising the ways in which Black women have shaped Christianity." You might have said, "Hagar's story is significant to many African American women because it highlights resilience, survival, and God's presence during hardship.

Hagar endured great suffering while raising a child alone, rely on God for strength, similar to many enslaved Black women, and the experiences of many African American women.

And womamist theology challenges Christianity to honour the lived experiences of Black women and advocate for a more inclusive understanding of faith, one that acknowledges strength and the role of faith, rather than focusing on suffering." Let's summarise what we have learned today.

So we've learned that Delores Williams overcame segregation, personal loss, and societal challenges to become a pioneering womanist theologian.

Her book, "Sisters in the Wilderness" shifted the focus of Christian faith from suffering to survival community and justice.

Williams critiqued traditional theology for overlooking the unique struggles of Black women.

Her womanist theology empowers Black women highlighting their resilience and faith.

By reinterpreting the story of Hagar, Williams called on Christianity to acknowledge and honour the lived experiences of Black women, creating a more inclusive and just understanding of faith.

Hope you've enjoyed learning about another extraordinary woman in Delores S.

Williams, and I really look forward to seeing you in an RE lesson soon.

Thank you very much.