Frances Wood Tells All and Still Has Her Joy

Frances E. Wood is a scholar and educator; her work reflects a profound commitment to justice and the transformative power of ideas. A feminist and womanist thinker with both depth and breadth of knowledge, she brings together intellectual rigor, lived experience, and spiritual insight in ways that shape institutions, communities, and individual lives. Frances has taught at the University of Washington, Agnes Scott College, Spelman College, and Emory University, where she has inspired students through her dynamic engagement with theology, ethics, gender, and social justice. She holds a B.A. in Comparative Religion and an M.A. in International Studies. She has been an active participant in the American Academy of Religion's Womanist Consultation and was a fellow of the Association for Religion and Intellectual Life (now known as the Association for Public Religion and Intellectual Life).  She is the author of "Take My Yoke Upon You: The Role of the Church in the Oppression of Black Women", in the collection A Troubling in My Soul: Womanist Perspectives on Evil & Suffering, edited by Emilie M. Towns; a work that reflects her sustained interrogation of faith, power, and the lived experiences of Black women. Her scholarly work has engaged the thought of Audre Lorde and includes contributions on Catholicism and Anti-Catholicism in the Encyclopedia of Religion. Her professional experience spans higher education, nonprofit leadership, and public service, including roles as the first Minority Concerns Director of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle and Program Director for the Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence, collaborating with such organizations as Men Stopping Violence, the National Council of Churches Commission on Families, and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In addition, she has held managerial positions with the Social Security Administration and the Georgia State University. Across these roles, she has developed personnel policies, implemented institutional procedures, and led initiatives that respond to both individual and systemic concerns. Her work reflects a deep commitment to prevention, accountability, and healing within both secular and faith-based communities.