Patrons of Catherine of Siena College

Dr. Angela Berlis

Dr. Berlis is currently Head of the Department of Old Catholicism and General Church History at University of Bern. Previously she was Extraordinary Professor of Ancient Catholic Church Structures at the University of Utrecht and Research Fellow at the University of Tilburg. In 2007 she served as President of the European Society for Theological Research of Women. She also serves as Chair of the Interuniversity Theology Network of Women (IWFT Vrouwennetwerk Theologie) in the Netherlands. Dr. Angela Berlis was the first woman priest in the Union of the Old Catholic Church. She is an Old-Catholic theologian and is also Principal of the Old-Catholic Seminary Utrectht. She is working on a research project at the Theology Faculty Tilburg (Netherlands) on the abolition of compulsory celibacy in the Old-Catholic Church (Union of trecht).

 

Recent publications:

• Women Churches: Networking and Reflection in the European Context, editor with others.
• Holy Texts: Authority and Language (Yearbook of the European Society of Women in Theological Research), editor with others.
• “Mieux que six évêques et douze professeurs… . Amalie von Lasaulx (1815-1871) et la naissance du vieuxcatholicisme allemand”, in: Archivio per la storia delle donne, Adriana Valerio (ed.), D’Auria: Napoli 2004, pp. 227-237
• “ Ignaz von Döllinger - Christine von Hoiningen-Huene. Briefwechsel 1881-1890”, edited by Angela Berlis & Hubert Huppertz, in: Internationale Kirchliche Zeitschrift 95 (2005,) 95-105.

 

Dr. Sharon Bong

• Ph.D. (Religious Studies, University of Lancaster, UK)

• M.A. (Women and Religion, University of Lancaster, UK)

• M.A. (English Literature, University of Malaya, Malaysia)

• B.A. (Hons) (English Literature, University of Malaya, Malaysia)
  - Senior Lecturer in Gender Studies and Creative Writing

  Dr. Bong is Senior Lecturer in Gender Studies and Creative Writing at Monash University. Her multidisciplinary academic background stems from a shift from dead poets to living communities in moving away from literary studies to Women’s Studies and Religious Studies over a decade ago. This leap of faith was in part, precipitated by her involvement in women’s non-governmental organizations at international, regional and national levels that compelled her to seek a greater resonance between theoretical aspirations and practical needs in building bridges between academia and society at large.

  In her first book (Bong 2006) she showcases how Malaysian-based feminists (25 women and two men) negotiate the tension between the rhetoric and practice of rights as contained in human rights conventions and their lived realities within multiethnic, multicultural and multi-religious contexts. In her present research project on sexuality and religion through narratives of persons in same-sex partnerships in a Southeast Asian context, she aims to re-imagine not only the meaning of ‘marriage’ in religion but also religion in ‘marriage’.

  Her next research project involves a multidisciplinary study of feminism and pedagogy where I consider the impact of Gender Studies units of Monash University on the lived experiences of students with regard to the deconstruction of gender roles, sexualities and subjectivities.

  She is an expert in qualitative researching using Grounded Theory Methodology and ATLAS.ti, a Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software that has made analyzing qualitative data an enriching process and she zealously shares this passion with her students.

  Her career path involves lecturing for the Gender Studies Programme at University of Malaya on Women, Culture and Religion; working as a Programme Officer (publications) with ARROW, the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women, a regional-based NGO that focuses on reproductive health and sexuality rights; and being a specialist writer (features) with the New Straits Times.

  In terms of community service, she was invited to act as the National Expert on CEDAW that involved researching and writing the Third Report of the government of Malaysia on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). At a regional level, she served as the Coordinator of the Ecclesia of Women in Asia, a forum for Catholic Asian women theologians. And she is the First Vice–President of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Malaysia. In recognition of these services, she received the Pro Vice-Chancellor’s Community Service Award 2007 of Monash University.

  Academic publications:

  Book

  Bong, Sharon A (2006). The Tension Between Women’s Rights and Religions: The Case of Malaysia. New York: the Edwin Mellen Press

  Edited Book

  Bong, Sharon A and Joseph, Pushpa (eds.) (2008) Re-imagining Marriage and Family in Asia: Asian Christian Women’s Perspectives. Petaling Jaya, Malaysia: Strategic information and Research Development Centre (SIRD).

  Book chapters

  Bong, Sharon A (2009) ‘The Sexuality-Spirituality Project’. In, Handling Qualitative Data, 2nd edition, Companion Website, Edited by Lyn Richards.

  Available at: http://www.uk.sagepub.com/richards/homeP8.htm.

  Bong, Sharon A (2008) 'Going Beyond the Universal-versus-Relativist Rights Discourse and Practice: The Case of Malaysia'. In Violence and Gender in the Globalised World: The Intimate and the Extimate. Edited by Sanja Bahun-Radunovic and V. G. Julie Rajan. Aldershot, Hampshire: Ashgate: 25-40.

  Bong, Sharon A (2007) ‘Queer Revisions of Christianity’. In Body and Sexuality: Theological-Pastoral Perspectives of Women in Asia. Edited by Agnes Brazal and Andrea Lizares Si. Manila, Philippines: Ateneo de Manila University Press: 234-249

  Bong, Sharon A (2006) ‘Postcolonialism’. In Blackwell Companion to the Bible and Culture. Edited by John Sawyer. Blackwell: Oxford: 497-514

  Bong, Sharon A (2004) ‘An Asian Postcolonial and Feminist Methodology: Ethics as a Recognition of Limits’. In Gender, Religion and Diversity: Cross-Cultural Perspectives. Edited by Ursula King and Tina Beattie. London and New York: Continuum: 238-249.

  Bong, Sharon A (2004) ‘Bodies that Suffer, Resist and Heal (‘Körper, die leiden, sich wehren und heilen’)’. In Believing with Body and Soul (Frauen Glauben: Mit Leib und Seele). Aachen: Institute of Missiology [Desk of Women’s Studies in Religion and Feminist Theologies]: 14-15.

  Bong, Sharon A (2003) ‘Suffering, Resisting, Healing: An Asian View of the Body’. In Feminism and Theology. Edited by Janet Martin Soskice and Diana Lipton. Oxford: Oxford University Press: 356-364.

  Journal Articles

  Bong, Sharon A (2009) ‘Not “For the Sake of Peace”: Towards an Epistemology of the Sacred Body’. In Asian Christian Review 3 (1): 50-68.

  Bong, Sharon A (2007) ‘Debunking Myths in CAQDAS Use and Coding in Qualitative Data Analysis: Experiences with and Reflections on Grounded Theory Methdology’. In Historical Social Research. Edited by Günter Mey and Katja Mruck. Cologne: Center for Historical Social Research: 258-275.

  Bong, Sharon A (2002) ‘Suffering, Resisting, Healing: An Asian View of the Body’. In Concilium [International Journal of Theology and Religious Studies]. Edited by Regina Ammicht-Quinn and Elsa Tamez. London: SCM Press. Vol. 2: 122-129.

  Bong, Sharon A (2002) ‘Debunking Myths in Qualitative Data Analysis [44 paragraphs]. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung/ Forum: Qualitative Social Research [Online journal], 3 (2). Available at: http://qualitative-research.net/fqs/fqs-eng.htm

  Social Commentaries

  Bong, Sharon A (2007) ‘Positions That Matter’ in http://www.kakiseni.com/articles/features/MTAzMw.html (30 January)

  Bong, Sharon A (2007) ‘Re-imagining Marriage and Family Life’ in Catholic Asian News, March, 36 (3): 15-17.

  Bong, Sharon A (2007) ‘Re-imagining Women, Marriage and Family Life in Asia’ in Herald: The Catholic Weekly, February 18, 2007, 14 (7): 28.

  Bong, Sharon A (2004) ‘The Spirit of the Cheong Fatt Tze’ in Resource, 12 (2): 95-99.

  Bong, Sharon A (2004) ‘To Develop or Not to Develop: That is the Question?’ in Resource, 11 (4): 85-90.

  Bong, Sharon A (2004) ‘Restoration and Conservation of No. 8 Heeren Street’ in Resource, 11 (3): 65-68.

Bong, Sharon A (2004) ‘Moving Forward By Remembering Our Past: Conserving Malaysia’s Built Heritage’ in Resource, 11 (1): 61-67.

 

Dr. Mary Grey

Celebrated feminist Dr. Mary Grey's career includes Professorships at the Universities of Nijmegen, Southampton and the University of Wales, Lampeter. Her current postion is as Research Professor at St Mary's University College, Twickenham, London. While her research has focused primarily on Feminist Liberation Theology and Spiritualities, it has also encompassed Ecofeminist theology, Ecological theology and Spirituality, Indian Liberation theology, Jewish-Christian dialogue, Systematic theology from a Feminist perspective and the relationship between Social Justice and theology. Her recent book, To Rwanda and Back was born from a recent journey to that country. The book details how Grey's experience led to a re-examination of her understanding of justice and reconciliation. It weaves into an interconnected whole ideas from many different religious and ethnic traditions - Hindu, Sufi, Islamic, Korean, Jewish, Yoruba - and many different theological traditions - liberation and feminist theology and eco-theology. Her work in Liberation Theology is underpinned by a long involvement in the desert state of Rajasthan, as co-founder of the charity, Wells for India. Most recently she has become associated with a new Centre at St Mary's University College, InSpire, a Centre for Initiatives in Spirituality and Reconciliation. (See: www.smuc.ac.uk/inspire) Her current book The Advent of Peace: a Gospel Journey to Christmas (SPCK) illustrates this focus on reconcilation.

Other books include:

• In Search of the Sacred: Sacraments and Parish Renewal (1983);
• Christian Feminist Spirituality of Redemption as Mutuality- in- Relation (1987);
• Redeeming the Dream: Feminism, Redemption and Christian Tradition (1989);
• From Barriers to Community: the Challenge of the Gospel for a Divided Society (1991);
• The Wisdom of Fools? Seeking Revelation for Today (1993);
• Prophecy and Mysticism: The Heart of the Post-modern Church (1997);
• Beyond the Dark Night- a Way forward for the Church? (1997);
• The Outrageous Pursuit of Hope - Prophetic Dreams for the 21^st Century (2000 );
• Feminist Images of the Divine (2001);
• Sacred Longings: Ecofeminist theology and Globalisation (2003 );
• The Unheard Scream- the Struggles of Dalit Women in India (2004).

See her Curriculum Vitae here.

Dr. Martinus T. Handoko

• MA in Education  1983 (Sanata Dharma University Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
• M.Sc in Guidance and Counseling  1993 (De La Salle University Manila, the Philippines)
• Ph.D in Counseling Psychology  1997 (De La Salle University Manila)

Rector of the Catholic University of Semarang, Indonesia; Lecturer, Graduate Studies of the State University of Semarang; Member of Government Education Board for the Province of Central Jawa; Vice President of the Association of Private Tertiary Education of Central Jawa.

His books include:

• “Motivasi: Daya Penggerak Tingkah Laku” Motivation: the energy of human behavior), Yogyakarta 5 editions;
• “Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini” (Early Childhood Education), Jakarta 1987;
• “Pendidikan Menuju Proses Dehumanisasi? (Education: Toward the Process of Dehumanisation?), Yogyakarta 2002;
• “The Effectiveness of Values Clarification, Moralizing, and Person Centered Approach for Underachieving Senior Secondary School Students”, Manila 1997;
• and many more.

For a Curriculum Vitae and publication list, see here.

Dr. Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza

World renowned feminist scholar Dr. Schüssler Fiorenza is Krister Stendahl Professor of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School. She is co-founder and editor of the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion and a co-editor of Concilium International Journal for Theology. She was first woman elected as President of the Society of Biblical Literature and has served on the editorial boards of major biblical journals and societies. In 2001, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is internationally celebrated for her pioneering work in biblical interpretation and feminist theology. Her teaching and research focus on questions of biblical and theological epistemology, hermeneutics, rhetoric, and the politics of interpretation, as well as on issues of theological education, radical equality, and democracy. Her most recent book, Democratizing Biblical Studies Toward an Emancipatory Educational Space, will be published by Westminster John Knox Press.

Her published work includes:

• In Memory of Her (translated into 14 languages)
• Bread Not Stone
• But She Said
• Discipleship of Equals
• Revelation: Vision of a Just World
• The Power of Naming
• Jesus: Miriam’s Child
• Sharing Her Word
• Jesus and the Politics of Interpretation
• Wisdom Ways: Introducing Feminist Biblical Interpretation
• Grenzen überschreiten: Der theoretische Anspruch feministischer Theologie (2004).

Sr. Teresa Kane

Certificate in Hospital Administration, Columbia University

BA, Manhattanville College

MA, Sarah Lawrence College

MPA (Master Public Administration), New York University.

Teresa Kane was born in 1935. In 1955 she entered the Sisters of Mercy. Teresa specialised in Administration and Behavioural Science.

While Teresa began to teach in Mercy College, New York, she was also appointed to the Provincial Council of the Sisters of Mercy (1966). She was involved in the building up of the CMSW, the Conference of Major Superiors of Women Religious which later became the LCWR, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.

From 1979 – 1980 Sr Teresa Kane held the office of President of the LCWR. It was in that capacity that she publicly addressed Pope John Paul II on October 7, 1979, in Washington. In her speech she appealed to the Pope to review the Church’s policy of excluding women from the ordained ministries in the Church. It made her famous world wide. For an excerpt of her speech, click here.

Sr. Teresa Kane has also been President of her own religious congregation, the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy. She still is Associate Professor of
Behavioral Science at Mercy College New York. In 2004 she received the Outstanding Leadership Award of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious of the United States of America.