Renita J. Weems
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Renita J. Weems (born June 26, 1954) is an ordained minister, a Hebrew Bible scholar, and an author. in 1989 she received a Ph.D. in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible studies 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 ...
making her the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in the field. Her work in womanist biblical interpretation is frequently cited in
feminist theology Feminist theology is a movement found in several religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Neopaganism, Baháʼí Faith, Judaism, Islam and New Thought, to reconsider the traditions, practices, scriptures, and theologies of those reli ...
and womanist theology. She is credited with developing theology and ethics as a field.


Education

Weems earned her undergraduate degree from Wellesley College, and earned her Master's in 1983 and Ph.D. in 1989 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 ...
. She was the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in Old Testament Studies. Weems' doctoral dissertation "Sexual Violence as an Image for Divine Retribution in Prophetic Writings" was a trailblazing effort. Writing in an era when women doctoral students hesitated to take on “women’s issue” topics, and when most male faculty still felt uncertain, if not uncomfortable, advising such topics, Weems chose to study marriage imagery in the Hebrew prophets focusing largely on the books of Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Hosea. Her work offered careful, challenging, and often painful insights into use of this metaphor; moving beyond traditional scholarship, which had all too easily looked only at the “love” side of the marriage metaphor. Drawing on an interdisciplinary methodology of literary criticism, gender criticism, and sociological and ideological analyses Weems was among the first to point to the violence associated with this biblical imagery, violence acceptable within the prophets’ cultural assumptions about marriage, and all too often considered acceptable even in twentieth-century America. Her 1995 volume ''Battered Love: Marriage, Sex, and Violence in the Hebrew Prophets'' brought this important work to a wide audience, with powerful hermeneutical reflection on implications for contemporary understandings of God and of marriage.


Career

Weems is the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible. Weems taught on the faculty the
Divinity School A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...
at
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
in Nashville, TN (1987-2003). She served as the 2003-2005 William and Camille Cosby Professor of Humanities at
Spelman College Spelman College is a private, historically black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman rece ...
in Atlanta, Ga. She was Vice President, Academic Dean, and Professor of Biblical Studies at
American Baptist College American Baptist College (previously American Baptist Theological Seminary) is a private, Baptist college in Nashville, Tennessee, affiliated with the National Baptist Convention, USA. Founded in 1924, its predecessor in black Baptist education ...
in Tennessee, ending her time in 2017. Weems was ordained an elder in the
African Methodist Episcopal Church The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination. It adheres to Wesleyan-Arminian theology and has a connexional polity. The African Methodist Episcopal ...
in 1984.


Honors

Dr. Weems is featured in “Black Stars: African American Religious Leaders” (2008), a collection of biographies of some of the most important Black Religious Leaders over the last 200 hundred years, including such impressive figures as Adam Clayton Powell,
Elijah Muhammad Elijah Muhammad (born Elijah Robert Poole; October 7, 1897 – February 25, 1975) was an African American religious leader, black separatist, and self-proclaimed Messenger of Allah, who led the Nation of Islam (NOI) from 1934 until his deat ...
, Sojourner Truth,
Howard Thurman Howard Washington Thurman (November 18, 1899 – April 10, 1981) was an American author, philosopher, theologian, mystic, educator, and civil rights leader. As a prominent religious figure, he played a leading role in many social justice movements ...
, and Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
Her 1999 book, ''Listening for God: A Minister's Journey Through Silence and Doubt'' (Simon & Schuster), won the Religious Communicators' Council's prestigious 1999 Wilbur Award for "excellence in communicating spiritual values to the secular media." She was the first African-American woman to deliver the
Lyman Beecher Lyman Beecher (October 12, 1775 – January 10, 1863) was a Presbyterian minister, and the father of 13 children, many of whom became noted figures, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry Ward Beecher, Charles Beecher, Edward Beecher, Isabella B ...
Lecture at
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
(2008).


Publications


''Showing Mary : how women can share prayers, wisdom, and the blessings of God''
(1st trade ed.). West Bloomfield, Mich.: Walk Worthy Press. . OCLCbr>61722833

''Just a sister away : understanding the timeless connection between women of today and women in the Bible''
(1st Warner Books ed.). New York: Warner Books. . OCLCbr>60596133

''I asked for intimacy : stories of blessings, betrayals, and birthings''
San Diego, Calif.: LuraMedia. . OCLCbr>28148479

''Battered love : marriage, sex, and violence in the Hebrew prophets''
Minneapolis: Fortress Press. . OCLCbr>33333933
* (Co-authored with
CeCe Winans Priscilla Marie Winans Love, known professionally as CeCe Winans, (born October 8, 1964) is an American gospel singer. She rose to prominence as a member of the duo BeBe & CeCe Winans; before launching an acclaimed solo career. Winans has been ...

''On a positive note : her joyous faith, her life in music, and her everyday blessings''
Weems, Renita J., 1954-. New York: Pocket Books. . OCLCbr>45144960
* "Song of Songs" i
''The new interpreter's Bible. Old Testament survey''
Nashville: Abingdon Press. 2005. . OCLCbr>62330657
* "Jeremiah" ''i
Global Bible commentary
Patte, Daniel., Okure, Teresa. Nashville: Abingdon Press. 2004. . OCLCbr>55955180
''
''What matters most : ten lessons in living passionately from the Song of Solomon''
West Bloomfield, MI: Walk Worthy Press. . OCLCbr>53315250

Listening for God: A Minister's Journey through Silence and Doubt
New York: Simon & Schuster. 1999 OCLCbr>1020247830


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Renita J. Living people African-American biblical scholars African-American theologians African-American Christians American women academics Female biblical scholars Feminist biblical scholars Old Testament scholars Womanist theologians 1954 births 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women