Extravagant affections : a feminist sacramental theology / Susan A. Ross

"In Extravagant Affections, Susan A. Ross draws on interviews, on the mainstream of sacramental theology, and on contemporary feminist theory to ascertain what she calls a feminist sacramental theology." "Ross maintains that although women are still excluded from most official sacramental leadership, they are nevertheless engaged in sacramental ministry at many levels. Using feminist theories of the family, literary-psychoanalytic theory and feminist ethics, Ross explores the role of embodiment, the use of spousal imagery, the nature of the symbol, the relation of sacraments and ethics, and the significance of the sacraments of worship."--BOOK JACKET The author argues that women's "extravagant affections" for the ordinary and extraordinary in life - which include an openness to ambiguity, an honouring of the diversity of experience and a concern for justice - provide a new and exciting way of understanding the sacrements.