Gender Studies
Ulrike E . AugaInternational Handbook of Practical Theology
UlrikeE .A uga Gender Studies 1I ntroduction Feminist research experienced some delays in its development regarding the concept of gender: anotion onlyabsorbed by feminist theologyatthe start of the 1990s. This was followed by an important changei nt heory construction. The presuppositions underpinning gender research are mostlypoststructuralist,and work with the methodologyofdeconstruction. Gender theory is in aconstant state of self-development, with ripple effectso nt he diverse landscape of Gender Studies and theology. These effects have not yetb een sufficientlyr eflectedt heologically. However,a n expression of these developments has been seen in the increasingu se of the term gender-conscious theology,w hich breaks away somewhat from the narrower focus of women'sp erspectivesb ut centralizesg ender justice as ag oal within the church, and theologym ore broadly. The inclusion of gender questions within scientific theologya sw ell as within the work of the churchh as remained controversial. In the ecumenical context in particular, the debate has been contentious. In disputes with papal pronouncements, the issues of the ordination of women or the churches' position on LGBTIQ* more generallyare particularlyatstake. There are fundamentalist backlashes in all religions and Christian denominations but also progressive developments and e. g., manyofthe Protestant theologies and churches are increasingly making greater efforts to become more inclusive. My owna pproach stems from af eminist,p ostcolonial, post-secular position within Protestant Theologyi nG ermanyw hereIteach as ap rofessor and whereI am an ordained ministeri nt he Protestant church in Berlin. Iw as ac ofoundero fand work as acting president of-the International Association of the StudyofR eligion and Gender.This is an important organization thatfinds itself at the intersection of research in religion and in Gender Studies, inside as well as beyond the discipline of theology. This article addresses some of the main developments in gendertheory and their effects on the studyo fr eligion and theology. It also explores historical milestones and the nuances of the word 'woman' as well as looking at feminism(s)i nt heir relation to religion. Feminist Liberation Theologies of the twentieth-twenty-first century are alsoa cknowledged. Then, gender theory is introduced, distinguishing the terms sex and gender.Kimberlé Crenshaw'sconcept of intersectionality is also elaborated upon. Then, the chapter turns to poststructuralist approachesinthe analysis of gender and sexuality,exploring notions such as sexuality, biopolitics and epistemologyf rom MichelF oucault'so euvre. His work remains foundational for Gender,S exuality,Queer and TransgenderStudies, including for Judith Butler who developed the concept of gendera sadiscursive,p erformative category of knowledge production OpenAccess. ©2 022U lrike E. Auga, published by De Gruyter. This work is licensed under the Creative CommonsA ttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
