Letty M. Russell
Letty M. Russell | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 20, 1929 Westfield, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | July 12, 2007 Guilford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Spouse | Shannon Clarkson |
| Ecclesiastical career | |
| Religion | Christianity (Presbyterian) |
| Church | Presbyterian Church U.S.A. |
| Ordained | 1958 in the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America |
Congregations served | Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church, NY |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | theology |
| Sub-discipline | feminist theology |
| Institutions | Yale Divinity School |
| Main interests | ecumenism, feminist theology |
| Notable works | Feminist Interpretation of the Bible (1985), Church in the Round: Feminist Interpretation of the Church (1993) |
Letty Mandeville Russell (September 20, 1929 – July 12, 2007) was a feminist theologian, professor, and prolific author. She was a member of the first class of women admitted to Harvard Divinity School, and one of the first women ordained in the United Presbyterian Church. After earning a doctorate in theology at Union Theological Seminary, she joined the faculty at Yale Divinity School, where she taught for 28 years.
Russell was a pioneer in the field of feminist theology. She authored, co-authored or edited over 17 books, including: Feminist Interpretation of the Bible (1985), Inheriting our Mothers' Garden: Feminist Theology in Third World Perspective (1988), Church in the Round: Feminist Interpretation of the Church (1993), and Dictionary of Feminist Theologies (1996). She has been described as a "prominent matriarch of contemporary feminist bible criticism." She was also active in the ecumenical movement, and worked closely with the National Council of Churches, the World Council of Churches, and the YWCA.