 |
| Arlene Anderson was born March 6, 1929, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1946 she embarked on a long and fruitful academic life by gaining a BA in English literature at Marquette University in 1950, then going on to do her Masters in English and Comparative literature at University of Wisconsin Madison 1950-1957 (ABD); MA 1952. In 1957, while a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin, Arlene married fellow student Leonard Swidler. It was to be a happy union, a partnership of like minds. Arlene continued teaching at UWM as well as Valparaiso University. In 1957 she and Leonard went to Germany where she taught at University of Maryland in Munich. While there she had collaborated with Leonard’s research on the “Una Sancta Movement,” the only ecumenical effort then to include Catholics. After returning in 1960, while both were on the faculty of Duquesne University, Arlene conceived of the revolutionary idea of an American scholarly periodical devoted to ecumenism with Catholic participation there being no comparable publication at this time. Arlene enthused Leonard and then recruited Elwyn A. Smith, Professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and together founded the JOURNAL OF ECUMENICAL STUDIES, first published by Father Henry Koren, CSSP, Director of Duquesne University Press. According to Leonard it was at this time that Arlene began consciously to think, act, research and finally write as a budding feminist, especially in the area of religion. ‘She published Christian feminist articles long before Mary Daly or Rosemary Ruether did.’ Arlene’s first “feminist” article was “The Male Church” in Commonweal, June 24, 1966. In May, 1971 the Swidlers founded an ecumenical bi-monthly newsletter of the Philadelphia Task Force on Women in Religion entitled GENESIS III, later joined on the editorial staff, among several others, by their daughter Carmel Swidler. The newsletter expanded considerably, and to its last issue, May, 1975, Arlene was the its primary editor. During the 1970’s, apart from many books and articles, Arlene was in great demand as a lecturer. She was popular as she was not confrontational, her style was to facilitate dialogue and critical thinking and raise consciousness on important issues. Leonard Swidler, commenting on Arlene’s work on Word magazine, the official journal of the National Council of Catholic Women, which she edited ‘Andie knew how far and fast she could lead the Catholic women toward a sense of mature responsibility. She said tough things, but was able to slide them into a velvet glove so that they were not rejected. She was interested in raising the consciousness of women, and men, and moving them in the direction of greater self-awareness and responsibility – not scoring points. She was as radical and penetrating in her analysis and thought as any of the feminists in those days, like our then friend Mary Daly, but wanted her public utterances to effect positive changes in people’s, especially women’s, lives.’ Arlene succumbed after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease on 24th May 2008 and is survived by her husband, two daughters, Carmel (born 1958) and Eva (born 1962) and granddaughter Willow. She will be remembered for her work fighting discrimination towards women in the Church as well as her passionate support of many other human rights causes. Sources:https://www.sepawoc.org/WOC%20NEWSLETTER%203-08.pdf
Arlene and Leonard SwidlerA friend and work colleague, Ingrid Shafer
NIGHT WALK |