Women of faith and the Northern Ireland troubles: from community to high politics

The article examines the multifarious roles assumed by religious women during the Northern Ireland conflict, euphemistically termed the 'Troubles'. It argues that in working for a positive peace, a more just and equitable society as well as an end to the violence, religious women gradually assumed roles that were inherently political. Indeed, in numerous instances and in various guises they can be described as political activists. Moreover, that activism was discernible at grassroots level among working class communities up to the highest echelons of power as religious women cooperated, shared resources and engaged in substantial interaction and cross-fertilisation of ideas, expertise, experiences and resources. They engaged freely with secular actors, from community leaders to paramilitaries and combatant prisoners, from local politicians to national and international statesmen, as well as various secular and religious groups and organisations. Through exploring faith in action, faith as part of the problem, faith as a potential solution, they worked toward building a strong civic society that could secure peace and challenge patriarchy and all forms of coercion-based exercises of power. Subscribing to a notion of service to others as service to God, many religious women, however unintentionally, assumed innately political ministries.