 "Photo: Jasmine Linabary/The Whitworthian")
In this article: Female theology faculty speak | In the classroom | Student perspective | Approaching gender in the classroom | Feminist theology
A few years ago, Karin Heller, associate professor of theology, felt the need to speak out.
“We’ve had a really hard season. We lost a female professor, the female associate chaplain also left, and there was a female philosophy professor who also left,” Heller said. “For whatever reasons, at the same time all these women left, four males were hired. Those are facts. I think they are explanatory by themselves. This is why at a certain moment two years ago I spoke out. All professors in the department have to be aware of this lack of balance regarding genders.”
She said she told the theology department that all colleagues should be more supportive of women and women scholars. It seems to have improved some since.
“I think yes, there has been an effort made to individually be much more aware of gender issues and include female faculty in all areas and committees and also on a personal level,” Heller said.
Now Heller is not the only woman in the department. Karen Petersen Finch, instructor of theology, is in her first year as a full-time faculty member at Whitworth. Petersen Finch taught Great Themes in Paul's Letters as an adjunct at Whitworth prior to being hired full time.
“When I took the job, many people warned me, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised,” Petersen Finch said. “I think Karin made it easier for me and I hope to make it easier for the next woman.”
Petersen Finch said she has seen an increase in camaraderie in the department even from the beginning of the year.
“From my male colleagues, I’ve felt great respect and support, but I’m new so I may still have honeymoon eyes,” Petersen Finch said.
Heller said she has an added issue being the only Catholic.
"Being Catholic, it’s also another issue. I’m representing a minority in my department. This difficulty adds to the one that I’m also a woman. This combination does not make life easy every day,” Heller said. “I think people in America cannot always imagine everything I had to deal with because I’m European, French, Catholic and female."
Heller said it can also sometimes be intimidating or hurtful for men because she has three doctorates.
“I’m not at all proud. I just did my job,” Heller said.
Petersen Finch said there seems to be a sense that the department is glad to have another woman.
“The department needs Karin and I and I think they are realizing that,” Petersen Finch said.
Petersen Finch said she feels like she can be herself at Whitworth.
“I want to have a sharp brain and a feminine manner. I have no intention of changing either. Some people will respond well and some won’t. And that’s OK,” Petersen Finch said.
Petersen Finch said the best way to describe the approach of the two female professors in the department is "Biblical egalitarian." They argue for a partnership.
"We are two female professors now in the department and neither of us is a feminist, in the sense that we want to take power in the department,” Heller said. “All professors in the theology department have their differences, but we insist on an intelligent partnership.”
In the classroom
As a female professor, Heller said she has experienced what she describes as "contempt."
Heller said these negative experiences have been few and have mostly occurred in her Man and Woman in the Image of God course offered each fall. This was her sixth year teaching the course, which is part of the women's and gender studies minor.
“The attacks were never conducted upfront, but particular students skipped the class very often or left in the middle of the class without explanation and then accused me that I did not give them the information for the test,” Heller said. “I never had problems like these with female students in this class. I clearly felt that there was something going on underneath and related to the fact that I was a woman.”
Heller said she has some resistance every time she teaches the class from a very small group.
“There was only one time where it went too far,” she said.
Heller said she’s had students come to class to take a quiz and then leave to watch a soccer game rather than staying for the lecture. She said she went to Academic Affairs.
“I really found the behavior contempt of the professor,” Heller said.
Heller said she has found females to be more open to reflect in an academic setting on gender issues than males.
“The great majority of male students is comfortable with addressing these questions in an open discussion, but not all males are,” Heller said. “Those who still struggle with these issues struggle with the class. So far I did not encounter female students struggling with this class on account of gender.”
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