She Walked Before Me

Abstract

In “She Walked Before Me,” Ella Johnson interweaves personal narrative, theological reflection, and pilgrimage to explore the enduring influence of Gertrude the Great on her vocation as a Catholic theologian. Recounting her visit to the Helfta monastery in Germany, Johnson reflects on Gertrude’s expansive image of God as both mother and father, her affirmation of the senses as pathways to divine encounter, and her subtle yet bold reclamation of female theological voice within medieval tradition. Johnson situates Gertrude alongside formative women in her own life, especially her grandmother, drawing connections between embodied faith, resilience, and ecclesial service. The essay also names ongoing tensions faced by women theologians in male-dominated academic and ecclesial spaces. Through the sensory richness of place and memory, Johnson portrays Gertrude as spiritual companion and guide, whose theology of embodied pleasure, equality before God, and faithful creativity continues to blaze a path for women walking after her.