BREATHING LIFE INTO A DREAM
A Conference
Christian feminism has been rooted at the University of Saskatchewan for over three decades. In 1975, a courageous group of women based on campus organized a conference titled "Women in the Church." To recieve funding for the conference from the "International Year of Women" Committee, they had to convince the 1975 funders that "women in Christianity" was a worthy topic for a grant! The conference attracted 200 participants from all over Western Canada and it was the impetus for later developments such as Friends of Sophia.
An Endowment
In 1991, a few women wanted to make a generous donation to the Saint Thomas More College "For All Seasons" campaign, but they wanted the money earmarked for the study of Women and Christianity. It was arranged that the money donated by them would be used specifically for this purpose. The endowment is held in trust and the interest earned on the investment is used to carry on the dream of the orginal group and the women who follow in their footsteps.
The Vision
Five women - Margaret Dutli, Kathy Storrie, Carol Schick, Charlotte Caron and Irene Poelzer - from four different denominations - Anglican, Lutheran, Roman Catholic and United Church - began meeting early in 1992 to talk about their common dream. They envisioned a centre for the study of women and Christianity. The centre would provide educational opportunities and act as a meeting place to share experience and to celebrate liturgically. Over the years the vision changed and they began to see the centre as alive in the people, rather than in one physical place.
A Name
"Sophia" is the Greek name for Wisdom. In the biblical Proverbs that celebrate her, Divine Wisdom is represented as a woman. As the feminine dimension of God's power, Wisdom is seen as accompanying God from the beginning. She is there at creation, a joyful architect and maker, God's delight, rejoicing in the inhabited world, who continues to find delight in being with the daughters and sons of the human race. (Pro 8:22-31) Through her we become friends with God (Pro 7:14). Sophia's qualities of creativity, joy, good counsel,. love of justice, sound judgement and delight are especially valued as is friendship; thus the name chosen for the organization was Friends of Sophia.
A Plan
The activities of the organization today remain much the same as those the founders enacted. Usually there are two workshops a year, educational in nature, which set the stage for an lecture series in January to be given by a nationally or internationally known feminist speaker. Other gatherings, such as liturgies and shared meals have helped to form a community of interested people.
Ongoing Funding
Our current program is funded by membership fees, donations and the interest earned on the Women In Christianity endowment.
Quotes from Early Guest Speakers
It is good to be in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and it is fitting that we inaugurate this series of lectures on women and religion with one of the foundational figures in the biblical tradition. Unfortunately, her story [Miriam's] has been buried there for centuries. Phyllis Trible, 1st January Event,1993
By creative power...I mean the power to initiate, the power to bring something new to birth in the world... Creative power is a small power, but sure. [It is ultimately a matter of faith. If we believe such power is real, it will become more realized in this world. What would it mean to know that in our bones and to act on this faith with every fibre of our being? Mary Jo Leddy, 1994
We, all of us, must go to the powers that be in our society and in our church. We must go not as victims to speak for victims. We go not as the powerless to plead for the powerless. We go as persons for the sake of human beings who are friends, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of God. We must say... change the structures in order to serve the radical equality of all of us as human beings. Mary Jo Leddy, 1994
Re-imagine affluence and poverty as two sides of the same coin. For churches to be in solidarity with women in poverty (there or here) is to challenge some of our North American trade patterns that put us in the lifeboat and all others at sea. Lois Wilson, 1995
