Institute for Thealogy & Deasophy

Director and founder Angela Hope with the assistance of Dr. Kate MacDowell created the research center Institute for Thealogy and Deasophy because she saw a critical need for ongoing feminist reflection upon and understanding the many spiritual proto-feminist/feminist traditions' ideas, questions, beliefs, and values. This institute is dedicated to furthering knowledge of thealogy and deasophy associated with the various Goddess and other spiritual feminist traditions in all their varieties, modalities, and manifestations.

While primarily focused in the thealogical and deasophical aspects of Goddess (Contemporary Pagan) feminism, the Institute is also inclusive and open to understanding and furthering scholarship with respect to the ways in which some Christian feminists, Muslim feminists, Jewish feminists and other Spiritual Feminists associate with the Divine Feminine rather than the dominant patriarchal and masculinist renderings of the Divine indicative in the Abrahamic faith traditions. Aside from contemporary spiritualities and religious traditions, the Institute promotes feminist reflection and scholarship associated with prehistoric and historic Goddess traditions as they relate to the discourses of thealogy and deasophy. While seeking to enhance broader understanding of the disciplines of feminist thealogy and deasophy, the Institute welcomes all scholarly and practical feminist reflection related to the meaning of Goddess(es) and Sacred Feminine from within and outside of communities of belief and praxis.

Providing venues for thealogical and deasophical exploration, the Institute for Thealogy & Deasophy (I4TD) advances accessible discursive construction, creativity, and imaginative manifestations through online forums, social networking, scholarly collaboration, conferences, online seminary series, and scholarly publications in the mediums of books and in our online journal Goddess Thealogy: An International Journal for the Study of Feminism and Religion. The institute provides a rich, empowering, and supportive centralized social networking forum for scholars and practitioners alike, interested in the thealogical and deasophical aspects of the Goddess traditions of both the past and present in all sectors of the world, to come together and engage in dialogue. The many voices that contribute to the discussion and the subsequent diverse range of perspectives are celebrated as our primary scope is to cultivate an online scholastic environment where everyone can both learn from others and teach others, and where no one perspective or thea-ideology prevails over others. All knowledge crafting is welcome no matter the academic background or socio-economic background of the scholar/practitioner as this Institute does not tolerate discrimination or Othering of anyone based on religion, spiritual tradition, race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, education-level, ability, or epistemological orientation.

The Institute for Thealogy and Deasophy seeks to create an ongoing dialogue within the feminist spirituality tradition, rather than to dictate doctrine or ascribe universal thea-based ideologies to the movement. The Institute's function is to provide the space for creating dialogues that serve to articulate and enrich both the discourses of thealogy and deasophy and the broader feminist spiritual community. It also creates the space for Goddess/Spiritual Feminists to name their own thealogies and deasophies, while facilitating constant discussions within the larger community. The hope is to stimulate new ways of doing thealogy, to help map the course of thealogy and deasophy, and to incite and support future thealogical scholarship and discussion.