ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on issues of feminist method and methodology – on how feminist researchers go about doing their research. It explores explicitly how feminist researchers employ qualitative methodology and methods to study the faith lives of women and girls. The book traces different stages of the research process: the initial, sometimes hesitant, idea for a research project; the honing of a proposal; the choices in research design and the creation of an overarching methodology; and the conduct of the research, data analysis and writing up. It makes a significant contribution to feminist practical and pastoral theology, to the social scientific study of religion, to feminist research methodology more generally, and specifically to feminist-inspired qualitative research on religion.
