Religion for Her
Showcasing Women's Interpretation of Scripture
Women have been interacting with sacred texts for millennia through music, dance, reading, writing, and visual arts.
Who we are
Welcome!
We are Bible scholars committed to lifting up and paying attention to women's roles as creators and curators of cultural artifacts of awe, including songs, prayers, wisdom sayings, practices, and stories found in scripture.
Our approach
We value
Collaborative Conversation
Much of biblical interpretation is founded upon hierarchical systems, reinforced by the stratification of society. This means that primary voices of interpretation often emphasize singular or top-down authority. We are interested in collaborative readings, interpretations that are more like a conversation of people circled up around the text than one person saying “the text says_____ and you should _______,” while everyone else passively listens.
Embodied Engagement
Instead of a hyper-rational approach to the Bible that assumes a single interpretation is objective and therefore the only correct one, we equip people to engage with each other and the text holistically, integrating body, mind, heart, and soul. Engaging with sacred texts has been a whole-person activity for most of human history, complete with sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and movement; and such engagement was primarily done collectively, each person part of the larger “body.”
Women’s Lived Experience
Because of primarily male representation in the circles of power that composed, collected, edited, and interpreted scripture, women’s names, experiences, and perspectives have been eclipsed. As a corrective to this reality, we lift up readings and interpretations of scripture that center women’s lived experiences. Scripture is replete with female metaphors for God and there is much to be learned about divine-human relationship through women’s experiences.
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What we do
Custom Educational Consulting
- Partnering with educational institutions and programs
Jennifer Pantoja
Jennifer Metten Pantoja (PhD, UCLA) is an academic consultant who specializes in curriculum development and instructional design.
Melissa Ramos
Melissa Ramos (PhD, UCLA) is a biblical studies professor, ordained pastor, writer, and artist, who is interested in ritual and ancient texts.
Jody Washburn
Jody Washburn (PhD, UCLA) is a professor, musician, and nature enthusiast, who is passionate about facilitating group storytelling spaces.
Upcoming online conference
Trauma and the Bible
Reading Scripture with Greater Care
What happens when we take trauma seriously in the way we read, interpret, and engage the Bible?
Saturday, January 30, 2027
8:30 AM–3:30 PM PT (11:30 AM–6:30 PM ET) · Live online via Zoom
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