Jacquelyn Grant

Alongside Katie Cannon, Delores S. Williams, and Kelly Brown Douglas, Grant is considered one of the four founders of womanist theology.

Grant was the recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ministry Award in 1986 and has been nominated as the Woman of the Year in Religion by the Iota Phi Lambda sorority.

Grant has been professionally involved with a range of international and national organizations, including the World Council of Churches, the National Council of Churches, the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians, the American Academy of Religion, and the Society for the Study of Black Religion.

[3] Theologian Jacquelyn Grant's scholarship "distinguishes between the remote and heavenly Christ worshipped in mainline white churches and the immanent and intimate Jesus whom black women recognize as their friend".

[8] Grant illuminates how many black women share a commitment in using their faith to avoid construction of stereotypes.

Grant also examines how black women are the vast majority of active participants in their churches and that their work tends to be undervalued.

"[9] Grant, alongside Katie Cannon and Delores Williams, represents the first generation of womanist theologians.

Grant and Cone both influenced scholar Delores S. Williams, who produced a commonly-referenced definition of womanist theology: Womanist theology is a prophetic voice concerned about the well-being of the entire African American community, male and female, adults and children.

Womanist theology attempts to help black women see, affirm, and have confidence in the importance of their experience and faith for determining the character of the Christian religion in the African American community.

By exploring the relationship between black women and Jesus as a "divine co-sufferer", Grant's contribution to womanist theology provides meaningful examples and a theoretical framework to fuel conversation and research on an assortment of topics dealing with black women's experiences.