Letty Mandeville Russell, a longtime member of the Yale Divinity School (YDS) faculty who was considered one of the world’s foremost feminist theologians, died on July 12 at her home in Guilford, Connecticut. She was 77.

Russell was a leader for many years in the ecumenical  movement and had remained active in ecumenical  circles until her death, working for the World Council of Churches and the World YWCA.

She was one of the first women ordained in the United Presbyterian Church and served the East Harlem Protestant Parish in New York City 1952-1968, including 10 years as pastor of the Presbyterian Church of the Ascension. She served on the YDS faculty 1974-2001. In retirement, she continued to teach some courses at the school.

In an introduction to a festschrift published in Russell’s honor in 1999, fellow Divinity School theologians Margaret Farley and Serene Jones called Russell’s influence on contemporary theology “monumental” and wrote of her “uncanny ability to articulate a vision of the church that is radical in its feminist-liberationist critique but that nonetheless remains anchored in the historic traditions and communities of the Christian church.”

Russell inspired the creation of the YDS international travel seminar program, now known as “The Letty Russell Travel Seminar,” under which YDS students traveled to countries around the globe for direct encounters with the realities of religion on the world stage, frequently in impoverished countries.

“Letty Russell was a beloved member of the YDS community who inspired generations of students with her passion for the Gospel’s message of liberating justice and her practice of warm hospitality,” says YDS Dean Harold Attridge. “Through her prolific scholarship and her active engagement with major issues in the life of the global Christian community, she made dramatic contributions not only to feminist theology but also to the overall revitalization of the church in our day.”

Russell was a member of the YDS Women’s Initiative on Gender, Faith and Responses to HIV/AIDS in Africa and co-coordinator of the International Feminist Doctor of Ministry Program at San Francisco Theological Seminary. She wrote or edited over 17 books, including “Church in the Round: Feminist Interpretation of the Church” and “Dictionary of Feminist Theologies.”

Letty Mandeville Russell was born in Westfield, New Jersey, in 1929. She graduated with a B.A. in biblical history and philosophy in 1951 from Wellesley College, and she was among the first women to receive an S.T.B. from Harvard Divinity School, in theology and ethics, in 1958. She earned an S.T.M. from Union Theological Seminary in New York in Christian education and theology in 1967 and two years later received a Th.D. in mission theology and ecumenics from Union.

Her first position was as a public school teacher in Middletown, Connecticut, in 1951-1952. Later, while serving the East Harlem Protestant Parish, she focused her ministry on encouraging her congregation of mostly black and Hispanic people to become leaders in the parish and community. Her experiences in Harlem led her to develop Bible studies that encouraged people of color to explore ways in which the bible gives them voice and liberation.

Russell served on numerous units of the World Council of Churches, including the Faith and Order Commission; the National Council of Churches; and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Her honors include the latter’s Women of Faith Award; distinguished alumnae awards from Union Theological Seminary and Harvard Divinity School; and Wellesley College’s first Emmavail Luce Severinghaus Award for Work in Religion.

Russell was predeceased by her sister, Jean Barry of New Jersey, and former husband, Hans Hoekendijk. She is survived by her partner, Shannon Clarkson; her sister, Elizabeth Collins of Salem, Oregon; seven nieces and nephews; 14 great nieces and nephews; and a great-great niece. A memorial service will be held at YDS in the fall. Memorial contributions can be sent to the Sarah Chakko Theological Endowment Fund, U.S. Conference of the World Council of Churches, 475 Riverside Dr., Suite 1371, New York, NY 10115; the Global Women in Theology Fund at San Francisco Theological Seminary, c/o Pat Perry, 105 Seminary Rd., San Anselmo, CA 94960; and the Letty Russell Travel Seminar Fund, Office of External Relations, Yale Divinity School, 409 Prospect St., New Haven, CT 06511.

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