Because of Beauvoir does what many say is impossible: it demonstrates how women can flourish, without conflict, while being simultaneously Christian and feminist. Alison Jasper offers a vision of Julia Kristeva's "female genius" as the capacity of women to thrive and cultivate intellect within and across different cultural and theological environments. Using the writings of English women from the 17th through the 21st centuries as living profiles, Jasper draws upon the creative power in the lives of real women to recognize and retrieve a female subjectivity--one that determines how women see and are seen after Simone de Beauvoir.

Alison E. Jasper

Part I

1. Beauvoir and The Second Sex

2. Female Genius and Christianity

3. Kristeva and Female Genius

Part II

4. Jane Leade

5. Hannah More

6. Maude Royden

7. Michële Roberts

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index