Carole Rader Fontaine, PhD, 76, pioneering feminist biblical scholar, human rights activist, artist, and poet, whose work left its mark on the study of Hebrew Scriptures, passed away peacefully on May 29, 2026, after an extended illness.
Born on April 11, 1950 in Lima, Ohio, Carole was raised below the poverty line in Miami, FL, among poor whites, black families, Cuban refugees, and trafficked Haitian girls, which continued to inform her life and scholarship. The life-changing gift of her own library card became her cool, calm refuge from neighborhood gunfire and her gateway to the world as she literally read her way through the Dewey decimal system. She graduated from Florida State University and earned additional degrees at Yale Divinity School and Duke University, studying with notable teachers and mentors that included Brevard Childs, Roland Murphy, O. Carm., Claus Westermann, and William Childs Robinson, Jr.
A scholar of sharp intelligence, keen curiosity, and a staggering breadth of knowledge, she was known for her groundbreaking contributions to feminist biblical interpretation and Wisdom literature and was the author of six books and hundreds of articles, additionally coauthoring many volumes in her field of expertise. Firm in her refusal to interpret ancient texts apart from the lived experiences of real people, her life’s work bridged ancient texts and contemporary struggles for justice, especially for women and girls.
Her work as an artist extended her scholarship into visual and poetic forms, bringing biblical texts alive and into the modern “marketplace of ideas,” both in and out of the classroom, and her sense of humor and clever wit often showed itself in her cartoon drawings and accessible writing style.
As the John Taylor Professor of Biblical Theology and History at Andover Newton Theological School, Carole shaped generations of students and scholars. She also served on editorial boards for the Journal of Biblical Literature, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, and as Religion Editor for the World Book Encyclopedia. Her expertise reached broad audiences through appearances on the A&E network, the BBC, and the History and Discovery
Channels.
Carole was passionate about justice from an early age, growing up in a segregated South, and she got to know the staff in the Assistant Principal’s office for her refusal to salute the flag after Martin Luther King’s assassination, and only reciting the Pledge by substituting “with liberty and Justice for some of us”.
She spent the latter part of her life working on behalf of the Women’s United Nations Report Network, documenting abuses against women in Muslim-majority societies, writing reports for UN Women, and speaking throughout the United States as well as internationally in Paris, London, Toronto, and Berlin.
Carole summarized her life’s vision in a final poem:
Traveling into the silence of God,
How loud the cries of the world become.
’Til “Come to Me!” and “Go to them!”
Together merge, to be heard as One.
She is predeceased (January 2023) by her husband of 50 years, Craig W. Fontaine, PhD. She leaves behind beloved feline companions Taffy and Cooper, close companions and friends: Paula, Jennifer, Rick, Emma, Diane, and Ginny, among others, as well as colleagues and partners in human rights work. We are thankful for the wonderful, loving care Carole received at NewBridge on the Charles in Dedham, MA.
You can learn more about Carole’s work on Wikipedia and the CaroleFontaine.net website, which will be online by fall 2026.
A celebration of life is planned for a future date.