Breaking the Silence

The contributors range from laywomen with master of divinity degrees to vowed religious from many communities. Their biographies are included at the end of the book and reveal a rich, collective background in spirituality and theology as well as activism.

As Dominican Sister Barbara E. Reid begins in her foreword, “Among all the various ministries, there is none more crucial than the ministry of the Word.” That women’s voices have been so long silenced when it comes to this ministry is a travesty, which the editors seek to remedy.

They are joined by board members of FutureChurch, who began the “Unheard Homilies” project in 2001 as a way to share valuable insights into scriptures from those who live the tenets Jesus taught in more tangible ways than those who are ordained.

None of the homilies are more than six pages in length, yet the power of the stories that are related hit home, touch the heart, and fire the soul.