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Listening to the cries of the voiceless

Heather Block

Voices of the Voiceless: Women, Justice and Human Rights in Guatemala
Michelle Tooley. Waterloo, Ont. and Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1997. 232 pp. $21.50.

As a result of her relationships with Guatemalan women, Michelle Tooley examines the realities of women and the need to uphold justice and human rights in Guatemala. Her hope is that Guatemalan women’s voices will be heard and understood, encouraging a justice encompassing all who suffer.

Tooley, assistant professor of religion and women’s studies at Belmont University, Nashville, Tenn., begins with an overview of Guatemala’s history, examining the impact of colonization and oppression. She then considers the actions of civil rights groups, focusing on women’s roles. Her main focus, however, is a theological reflection on justice, studying the works of Wink, Gutierrez, Lebacqz, Walzer and Hollenback, in light of Guatemala’s experience. Finally, she looks at the relevance of this study for North Americans.

Given the title of the book, I anticipated a recounting of women’s stories, especially of women in leadership and those participating in activist actions. I expected a traditional feminist method of storytelling. While the biographies of a couple of women in leadership are briefly outlined, I was disappointed by the absence of women’s own voices in the book. Consequently, the book felt more like an analysis of justice using Guatemala as a case study than an exploration of women’s reality in Guatemala.

Once adjusted to Tooley’s approach, I was quite intrigued by her examination of justice. Her exploration of powers and authorities helped me to understand these concepts in a current light. Her vision of justice gives the church a way of understanding how we should live. As a result, I found myself examining current realities in my work world through her lenses, and I began to think of the impact my choices have on the lives of those with less.

Tooley states: “As Christian women with a social responsibility to protect the vulnerable and liberate the oppressed, we must listen to the cries of exploited women and act in solidarity with them.”

Heather Block is Executive Director of the Laurel Centre, a Winnipeg counselling agency for women sexually abused as children. Previously, she served as coordinator for Voices For Non-Violence.

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Last modified November 17, 1999.

© 1999 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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