Emerging Women

Welcome to Emerging Women

We are a gathering of women (and men) from around the world who come together to explore faith. Many of us are interested in the Emerging Church movement and desire a safe place to engage in conversation about it. Emerging Women strives to be such a safe place. Most of us know one another through virtual communities like this blog, but we try to gather from time to time for conferences and spiritual refreshment.

This blog is meant to be a place for open conversation. It is a place for us to share our joys and sorrows, our triumphs and frustrations, our questions and our knowledge, and our hopes and struggles. We come from a variety of backgrounds from within and without the Christian faith tradition. We want to acknowledge that while we might not always agree, we can always learn from each other and celebrate the beautiful variety of the body of Christ.

To help orient and introduce people to the blog here is a list of common questions and the basic blog rules.

Is this blog only for women?
No. Men and women are welcome to participate in the discussions and events. But this is a place where women can safely use their voice and are the dominant voice. Men who are interested in learning from women and appreciating our voice are invited to be a part of the community here. This isn’t a place to discuss the value of a woman’s voice or to criticize women for exploring faith questions, but to thoughtfully engage and value that voice.

Do I have to be emerging/emergent to participate?
No. There are many different streams in the emerging church and none of us approach it exactly the same way. You do not have to accept everything “emerging” or even fully understand what emerging is in order to participate in Emerging Women. We do consider the emerging conversation a valid conversation and so it will be at the heart of many discussions, but it isn’t something anyone must adhere to. Questions, doubt, and exploration in regard to the emerging church are welcome. There are members who fully embrace new emerging theology and practices and others who are just beginning to hear the terms. We are all on the journey and wherever we are at is okay.

Can a ________ (conservative, liberal, Baptist, Episcopalian, lesbian, stay-at-home mom, atheist…) participate on the blog?
Yes. All are welcome. We might strongly disagree with each other at times, but no voice is excluded just because it is “different.” We strive for respectful dialogue at all times and many of us have been richly blessed by learning from others from different backgrounds. That said, not everyone is comfortable in an atmosphere of agreeing to disagree or when they are in the minority. We want to be open with each other and our hope is that if you are feeling uncomfortable you would let us know so we can discuss and work through that together.

What are the rules for commenting?
We encourage everyone to comment, but request that you provide your name and email (not displayed to others). We do not censor language. Some will be offended if certain words are used, but we allow each person to express themselves as they see fit. Sexual topics are open for discussion as well. Explicit porn will be censored, but thoughtful discussions are welcome. No topic is off limits, but be aware that many different types of people are part of this community, so respect is always expected. The preference is to engage thoughtfully with negative comments and not delete them. That may lead to some interesting discussions, but we generally self-regulate well. That said explicitly hateful, racist, or sexist language will not be tolerated. Open discussions on such topics are welcome, but displays of evil are not.

What’s with the “Birth of Venus” imagery?
From early on, this blog has used various forms of Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” as our imagery. The symbolism portrayed of Venus emerging from the shell, resonates with many of the women here. As we explore theology and engage in conversations about our faith we are emerging into new lives. The image also serves as a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment of the goddess discussions that often accompany women discovering their spiritual voice.

So sit back and stay awhile as you join the conversation and get to know the community here!