Janette Patricia GrayRSM (1952–2016) was an Australian Sister of Mercy who was the first non-Jesuit academic Principal of Jesuit Theological College, Parkville, Melbourne.[1] A fund established in Gray's honour promotes the education and leadership of women in theology and is called the Janette Gray RSM Fund.[2]
Born 1 February 1952 in Adelaide, South Australia, Gray studied at Macquarie University (Sydney) receiving a BA and Dip.Ed before becoming a sister of Mercy in 1997.[3] She took first vows at the Convent of Mercy (Angas St, Adelaide) in 1977 and final vows in St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Adelaide in 1984.[4] Gray completed a MTheol at the Melbourne College of Divinity and went on to do a PhD in Theology at the University of Cambridge, UK.[3]
Gray's teaching subject areas included Christology, women in the church, faith and culture and the theology of the human person.[2] She was a Senior Lecturer in Theology at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Western Australia 1999-2003, Faculty of Jesuit Theological College, Parkville, Melbourne 2004-2014, Lecturer & Supervisor at the United Faculty of Theology (UFT), Pilgrim College and Yarra Theological Union (YTU) (latterly University of Divinity, Melbourne).[citation needed] For years Gray was a book review editor for Pacifica, recognised as the leading ecumenical journal in Australasia.[5] She was also a member of the National Council of Churches in Australia’s (NCCA) Faith and Unity Commission 2013-2016. At the time of her death, Sr Janette Gray was completing a book on a French Dominican who had proved very influential in preparing for the Second Vatican Council: Theology for Global People: Marie-Dominique Chenu. This dissertation, which was edited by Kathleen Williams, was published posthumously in 2019.[6]
Gray's first book, Neither Escaping Nor Exploiting Sex: Women's Celibacy (1995),[7] emerged from her Masters in Theology for the Melbourne College of Divinity. Her supervisors and examiners called for its publication.[3] In the book she explored how celibate women live their sexuality and how their personal challenges yield valuable ideas about human relationships and ecological awareness. The book symbolised a lifelong, passionate concern to educate herself and others.[7][8]
During her time at Cambridge, Gray, Ann Gilroy, and Kathleen O’Grady resurrected a speaker series called: Women’s Voices in Religion. This series was originally begun in 1990-91 organised by Teresa Elwes resulting in an edited collection published in 1992.[9] In turn, they published an edited collection “Bodies, Lives, Voices: Gender in Theology” and the series continued under Carrie Pemberton 1997-98.[10]
Gray, J. (2019). M-D Chenu's Christian anthropology: nature and grace in society and church. Hindmarsh. ISBN978-1-925872-65-1. OCLC 1101278152 [6]
Gray, J. (1995) Neither escaping nor exploiting sex: women's celibacy. Slough St Pauls. (5 Citations) ISBN1875570586
Bodies, lives, voices: gender in theology. Ann L. Gilroy, Janette Gray, Kathleen A. O'Grady. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic. 1998. ISBN1-85075-854-9.
Gray, J. (2016) "Campaigning to Ban Landmines: A Theologian Reflection, p.122-127. Chapter in A path is made by walking it: reflections on the Australian network to ban landmines, 1991-2006. Patricia Pak-Poy, ICBL Australian Network to Ban Landmines. East Kew, Vic.: David Lovell Publishing in conjunction with ICBL Australian Network to Ban Landmines.
