Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church

What would it look like if women built a lectionary focusing on women’s stories? What does it look like to tell the good news through the stories of women who are often on the margins of scripture and often set up to represent bad news? How would a lectionary centering women’s stories, chosen with womanist and feminist commitments in mind, frame the presentation of the scriptures for proclamation and teaching? The scriptures are androcentric, male-focused, as is the lectionary that is dependent upon them. As a result, many congregants know only the biblical men's stories told in the Sunday lectionary read in their churches. A more expansive, more inclusive lectionary will remedy that by introducing readers and hearers of scripture to “women's stories” in the scriptures. A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church, when completed, will be a three-year lectionary accompanied by a stand-alone single year lectionary, Year W, that covers all four gospels.

“Gafney's paradigm-shifting scholarship will influence biblical preaching and teaching for generations to come." —National Catholic Reporter". . . some of the best of recent biblical scholarship . . . "—Anglican Theological Review". . . this resource will raise biblical literacy and illuminate figures and plotlines long left in the shadows."—The Christian Century“Gafney has intentionally set out to elevate the voices and presence of girls and women within the biblical text.”—Christian Feminism Today “Gafney’s thoughtful commentaries and provocative translations will breathe new life into your preaching and stretch your congregation’s theological imagination . . .” —The Rev. Kate Spelman, Episcopal Preaching Foundation “ . . . a beautifully written and profoundly challenging volume.” —The College of Preachers

WILDA C. GAFNEY (WIL) is a Hebrew biblical scholar and Episcopal priest, a former Army chaplain, and congregational pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. She is a graduate of Duke University (PhD) and Howard University (M Div). In addition to her biblical scholarship, she has written for Sojourners,Huffington Post,Feasting on the Word, and Working Preacher. She is also an editor and essayist and author of several other books and teaches at Brite Divinity School. She lives in Fort Worth, Texas.