Haruko Nawata Ward is a

religious historian The history of religion refers to the written record of human religious feelings, thoughts, and ideas. This period of religious history begins with the invention of writing about 5,200 years ago (3200 BC). The prehistory of religion involves th ...

currently teaching church history at

Columbia Theological Seminary Columbia Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian seminary in Decatur, Georgia. It is one of ten theological institutions affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). History Columbia Theological Seminary was founded in 1828 in Lexington, Geor ...

. She is known primarily for her work on women religious leaders, history of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

in Asia, history of the Christian

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

, encounter of cultures and religions and

justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

issues throughout the history of the church.

Career

Ward received a BFA from Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music (1976), a MA from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

(1980), a MDiv from

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) is a Baptist theological institute in Wake Forest, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. in Wake Forest, North Carolina. It was created in 1950 to meet a need in ...

(1983), a ThM (1993) and a PhD (2001) from

Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of t ...

. During her time here she served as a Teaching Fellow and an occasional lecturer (1996–2001). She was ordained as a minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and began teaching at

as the assistant professor of Church History (2002-2008) and then associate professor of Church History (2008–2016). She is currently the Professor of Church History at Columbia Theological Seminary.

Thought

Ward, "a self-proclaimed feminist historian," is most widely known for her research on women throughout the history of the Christian church who have been largely ignored, especially in Asia. She states the "social historians have surveyed the activities of lay Kirishitan male leaders, but not paid attention to their female counterparts." In this research Ward seeks to re-emphasize the voice of women throughout history and to reinterpret Christian history through these voices. Additionally, her work also seeks to reveal how the "Christian mission had a significant cultural and social impact on Japan" throughout its history.

Works

*''Women Religious Leaders of Japan’s Christian Century: 1549–1650''. Series Women and Gender in the Early Modern World. Aldershot, England; Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2009.(Nominated for Gordon Book Prize from the Renaissance Society of America in 2009.) *''Christian Theology of Martyrdom and Women Martyrs in Early Modern Japan'' (In Progress).

References

External links

Women Martyrs in Passion and ParadisePrinceton Theological Seminary Ph.D. Alum NewsPacific, Asian and North American Asian Women in Theology and Ministry
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Kyōgoku Maria or (1543 – August 20, 1618) was a Japanese noble lady and religious leader from the Sengoku period to the early Edo period. She was the second daughter of Azai Hisamasa as well as Azai Nagamasa's elder sister and the mother of Kyōgoku T ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Haruko Nawata Columbia Theological Seminary faculty Princeton Theological Seminary alumni Reformation historians Living people Presbyterian Church (USA) teaching elders Feminist historians New York University Graduate School of Arts and Science alumni Year of birth missing (living people)