A Womanist Reading of Matthew 15:21-28

Today, I want to honor Mitzi Smith, a professor of New Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, and highlight her essay, "A Womanist Reading of the Canaanite Woman (Matt 15:21–28): Dehumanization, and the Politics of Respectability and Inclusion," featured in my edited volume, At the Intersection of Hermeneutics and Homiletics. Smith explores the Canaanite woman's faith from a womanist perspective, challenging the ideologies of inclusion and respectability applied to the marginalized. She powerfully argues that true faith is never a weapon used to subdue others.