ABSTRACT

This chapter examines the theological explorations, which accompanied the surge in Christian women's consciousness and activity. It explains that the principal aim of Christian women's theology was to provide theological justification for the rehabilitation of Eve within the Christian churches, by correcting patriarchal distortions of the foundational gospel message. The chapter begins by clarifying British use of the term 'feminist theology' in relation to the Christian women's consciousness and activity, and to the Christian women's theology. It examines both the minority of writings, which go beyond the predominant rehabilitative project, and the majority of writings, which contribute to it. The chapter closes with detailed attention to the outstanding contributions of two women, whose committed participation in the Christian women's movement of the 1970s and 1980s included original theological writing, namely Janet Morley and Angela West. For many Christian women, the term feminist theology was remote from their central concern with the position of women in the churches.