Objectives of the Golding Centre for Women's History, Theology & Spirituality

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To provide a sound academic basis for the Catholic Church's response to the desire and need of women in the Australian Catholic Church to recover their history, theology and spirituality, as expressed by them in the Bishops' Report on the Participation of women in the Catholic Church in Australia,Woman and Man: One in Christ Jesus .

To establish a firm foundation to ground and stimulate the growth of the network of Catholic women historians and associates that has grown up in Australia in the last twenty years. These women, represented by the Centre Team, will work with interested staff within the Australian Catholic University to develop the Centre.


To bring together academics, especially women academics from the relevant disciplines within ACU, to stimulate research and to support this research with an informed knowledge of Christian history and women's history, which necessarily involves the history of the wider community.


To provide a central focus for academics engaged in women's history, theology and spirituality within Australia and overseas to access the relevant expertise and resources of ACU in their areas of interest.


To provide the means for sharing the fruits of scholarly activities of the Centre with the wider community, especially the wider Church community.


To support ACU in encouraging research in women's history, theology and spirituality among postgraduate students and helping provide appropriate supervision for them.


To provide women with role models from previous generations and ages who will both challenge and console them as they respond to the complexities of contemporary life both within the Church and the wider community.


Where appropriate to make an informed contribution to the discourse on general Australian affairs in the wider community.


To develop a data base of women within the Church who have expertise in the areas of history, theology and spirituality and can be called upon for appropriate input and comment when needed by the Church or the wider community.

All the foregoing are embraced in the aim of the Centre to work for women's full participation in society by upholding the highest values of our Judaeo-Christian tradition: faith seeking understanding with intellectual integrity, hope, compassion, justice, peace - through openness to the other and to respectful dialogue - and above all, love. Love is integral to this enterprise just as knowledge and mutual respect are integral to love. In the last analysis such love is significantly aided by true scholarship.