On my morning blog trawl I just discovered that two significant theologians had died in the last in the last couple of weeks, Edward Schillebeeckx (who must qualify as the theologian with the most mis-spelled name, I always have to look it up) and Mary Daly.

When I was at college I took a course entitled 'women and theology' which was a broad introduction to feminist theology, something of which I was rather wary having been in churches that saw such things as, at best, rather iffy.  Engaging with a whole range of women theologians and writers, some who call(-ed) themselves feminist, some who didn't or who were dead long before the term was invented, was a real privilege and I thoroughly enjoyed the course.  People whose work we were 'made' to read included, along with others I cannot recall the exact names of,  Julian of Norwich, Dorothy L Sayers, Alice Walker, Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza (another one I can't spell!) Rosemary Radford Ruether and, inevitably, Mary Daly.  And I have to admit it was Mary Daly whose work moved me most - whilst I found myself disagreeing with so much she said I loved the energy and vitality of her writing and her passion for her cause.  I remember saying in a class that I found it at once repelling and compelling, repulsive and compulsive.  Maybe, many years later, if I re-read it I would feel differently, maybe I wouldn't.  What I do know is that by engaging with something way outside my (then) comfort zone I learned from this woman whose thinking was indeed profound and powerful.

I did read some things by Schillebeeckx but alas I cannot recall what; it obviously impacted me less than did Ms Daly.

In the passing of these two scholars the world has lost two gifted and respected theologians.  Quite what St Peter makes/made of Mary Daly is something beyond our ken, but I'm fairly confident it is/was interesting!!

I thank God for these people whose honesty and integrity shaped their theological writing and in some way shaped my own thinking.  Since both were, at least once upon a time, RC it seems fitting to end with an RC blessing:

Eternal rest grant to them, oh Lord

Let perpetual light sine uipon them

May they rest in peace.

Amen.