Womanist theology emerged from the voices of Black women who refused to be silenced within the church or the academy. Rooted in lived experience, it explores how race, gender, and faith intersect, insisting that theology must speak to the realities of Black women’s lives. These theologians bring new depth to what it means to follow Christ in a world marked by inequality.
Kelly Brown Douglas is an Episcopal priest, theologian, and activist who speaks out for justice on issues of race, gender, and sexuality. She studied at Union Theological Seminary, where she later became Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School. Her books include The Black Christ (1994) and Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God (2015), which reflect on racism and violence in America. Douglas shows how faith can be a force for change and that the gospel calls Christians to stand with the oppressed. She is a leading public voice on how theology speaks to today’s struggles.
Dr. Marshall (Marcia) Clark, is President of the Society for Pentecostal Studies and lecturer at Vanguard University and teaches as a visiting lecturer for the London School of Theology. Dr. Clark grew up in a migrant church in England, her PhD research was on female spirituality within Pentecostalism, and the significant roles women have played as ‘disruptors’ in religious history. Her current research aims to foster critical reflection on Pentecostal/charismatic worship among pastors, aiming to create a resource that equips leaders to guide congregations into richer, theologically grounded, Spirit-informed worship experiences.
Jacquelyn Grant is one of the founders of womanist theology, which puts the experiences of Black women at the centre of faith. She studied at Harvard and went on to teach in Atlanta, bringing together scholarship and ministry. Her book White Women’s Christ and Black Women’s Jesus (1989) point out that while many theologies talk about Christ, Black women relate most deeply to Jesus—someone who understands suffering and offers companionship in daily struggles. Grant’s work asks that the church and theology hear the voices of Black women.
Womanist theologians remind us that the personal is theological. By bringing the stories of Black women to the heart of faith, they expand our understanding of God’s justice and love. Their work challenges the church to listen more deeply—to honour experience as sacred, and to see the divine in the everyday struggles for dignity and freedom.
