Gendered Paradigms in Theologies of Survival

This is a book about women in survival communities and the ways that survival and theology are used to shut down women's voices. Mariam Youssef examines the ways in which the condition of survival puts religious women in a bind by embedding paradigms into theology that, more often than not, reinforce women's subordination as a condition of survival. Women in survival communities are not only grappling with the existential threat that comes with their survival identities but also struggling to make their voices heard within their own communities where their needs are frequently put on the back burner. Survival communities often find themselves responding to their trauma in ways that prescribe strict patriarchal norms, promoting notions of gender binary and compulsory heterosexuality.

In this insightful volume, Mariam Youssef deftly examines three different survival communities and the outcome their religious strategies have had on their own women. One of the many beauties of this book is the author's ability to recognize the trauma of the group, the desire of the women to support the community, and yet provide an intelligent critique with a pathway for future strategies. It is a great example of how comparative research should function.--Tammi J. Schneider, professor of religion, Claremont Graduate University

Mariam Youssef teaches in the Women’s and Gender studies departments at Cerritos College and CSULB.