Maria Gwyn McDowell

Theology | Ethics | Liberation | Jesus

Academia

Academic (mostly) articles and publications.

Academic (mostly) articles and publications.


Essay

Fragile Repentances

‘For I Am Wonderfully Made’: Texts on Eastern Orthodoxy and LGBT Inclusion
2016, pp. 236-243

An invited essay on being LGBTQ and Orthodox.


Essay

Life-Bearing Love: A Too Risky Vision

Toward the Holy and Great Council: Theological Reflections
New York: Department of Inter-Orthodox Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations, 2016, pp. 34-44

An essay in a series sponsored by the Orthodox Theological Society in America’s Special Project on the Holy and Great Council.


Essay

Response to the Pre-Conciliar Document on Marriage and Its Impediments

Toward the Holy and Great Council: Theological Reflections
New York: Department of Inter-Orthodox Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations, 2016, pp. 34-44

An essay in a series sponsored by the Orthodox Theological Society in America’s Special Project on the Holy and Great Council.


Essay

Marriage, Family, and Scripture

Toward the Holy and Great Council: Theological Reflections
New York: Department of Inter-Orthodox Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations, 2016, pp. 34-44

An essay in a series sponsored by the Orthodox Theological Society in America’s Special Project on the Holy and Great Council.


Essay

Defending Human Dignity: A Response to the Pre-Conciliar Document ‘The Mission of the Orthodox Church in Today’s World,’

Toward the Holy and Great Council: Theological Reflections
New York: Department of Inter-Orthodox Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations, 2016, pp. 34-44

An essay in a series sponsored by the Orthodox Theological Society in America’s Special Project on the Holy and Great Council.


Essay

The Home that Joy Built

The Church has Left the Building: Faith, Parish, and Ministry in the Twenty-First Century
Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2016, pp. 34-44

An autobiographical essay on growing up a woman with a call to the ordained ministry in a church that does not ordain women.


Edited Volume

The Church has Left the Building:
Faith, Parish, and Ministry in the Twenty-First Century


Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2016

The origin of the phrase 'the church has left the building' lies with Elvis. In order to clear halls of his riotous fans after concerts, it was announced that 'Elvis has left the building.'' Here, the expression highlights intense change within the church. Not only does the church change for its own existence, it also does so for the life of the world. The church cannot avoid the many past and future changes of our constantly transforming society, demographic changes long in process. What you have before you is a gathering of first-hand reflections--stories really--from a diverse group of Christians, lay as well as ordained. While each has a distinctive experience of the church in our time, all of them have something to say about the many changes in our society and how these are affecting our faith, the parish, and pastoral work.


Article

Seeing Gender: Orthodox Liturgy, Orthodox Personhood

Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, 33(2) 33(2)
Fall/Winter 2013, pp. 73-92

Eastern Orthodox theology affirms the liturgy as an anticipatory icon of God's reign that establishes a pattern of relationships by which Christians are called to live in and for the world. Recognition of the unique capabilities of women by the community and their welcome participation within the community encourages the joy which underlies the transformation of a people who live for the life of the world.


Article

The Iconicity of Priesthood: Male Bodies or Embodied Virtue?

Studies in Christian Ethics, 26(3) 26(3)
August 2013, pp. 364-377

An argument for the full participation of women based on late-ancient theologies of the priesthood which frame its functions, virtues and metaphorical relationships around its chief task: encouraging a common life of deification as embodied virtue.


Review

Toward the endless day: the life of Elisabeth Behr-Sigel

Anglican Theological Review92(4)
Fall 2010, pp. 863-864

Review of Olga Lossky's biography of the 'Doyenne of Western Orthodoxy,' Elisabeth Behr Sigel (1907-2005).


Essay

Embodied Virtue: Male and Female Priests

Women in the Orthodox Church: past roles future paradigms: papers of the Sophia Institute Academic Conference, New York, Dec 4th 2008
New York: Theotokos Press, 2009, pp. 158-167

Liturgically situated icons envision salvation in embodied transfigured persons who are unique, irreducible and free. Through them, and through the life of the one fully human person towards whom they point, Christ, we become free, unique and irreducible. In short, a properly iconodule theology of participation expresses an Orthodox ethic of becoming fully human as uniquely embodied irreducible persons. The driving question is: does our iconic liturgical practice fully encourage this process in men and women? As long as we continue to implement an exclusively male iconic priesthood, the answer is no. A theological ethic of embodied participation as images of Christ is a compelling reason to ordain women to the priesthood in the Orthodox Church.