Faithful female financiers: A womanist way of leading change through financial means

Abstract

This article examines the narratives of faithful female financiers of the Bible—the Shunammite woman, Joanna, and Lydia—to commend womanist leadership practices as a framework for leading change. Their example is demonstrative of the womanist leader who leverages faith as a grounding means and engages her lived experience as one who is marginalized and oppressed to expand her contextual perspective. Such experiences help gird her with strategies to subvert efforts to marginalize her voice and suppress her impact. So girded, the womanist leader is empowered to direct her change efforts as sacred praxis for the betterment of others. This example is recognized in these Biblical exemplars. These women additionally leveraged the power of wealth which further solidified the permanence of their praxis.