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Gender and Theology - Coggle Diagram
Gender and Theology
Ruether
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Women are not excluded from being Christlike and this wrongful interpretation of scripture does not mean that women are unable to achieve salvation
When reading scripture, individuals must maintain a hermeneutic of suspicion (interpreting with scepticism to find the hidden meaning) and find the golden thread of liberation and equality
Refutes Aquinas' idea that 'because the male excels the female sex, Christ assumed a man's nature'
Helps avoid wrongful interpretations being used to justify oppressive practices that are not actually in line with the genuine work of God
Through the trinity, God represents both men and women - Father (male), Son (male and female), Holy Spirit (female) - 'I will send a helper to guide you' / 'I will make a helper suitable for you'
Refers to God as Gaia, the Goddess of the earth, arguing that the female elements of God that have been buried by the patriarchy should be rediscovered
Jesus' challenge to the male warrior messiah expectations
'The messiah can only be imagined as a male'
The male, warrior, messiah expectation will 'liberate through battle'
Jesus not only physically represents men, but with his characteristics, he also reflects feminine traits
He was caring and self sacrificing for the sake of others
Catholic Church should theoretically be in line with this idea that Jesus represents women, as seen through Mulieris Dignitatem, where it says that these attributes are feminine
God as the female wisdom principle
When describing God, people do not say that God has 'wisdom', and sees this as an issue as it separates the association of God with femininity
Within scripture, God is referred to as Wisdom, but this is not seen in society
From etymology of the word 'wisdom', we can see that it is a feminine word, with origins linked to the Greek God of wisdom, Sophia
Jesus as the incarnation of wisdom
'Logos' means wisdom (Latin)
Jesus incarnated as God's wisdom
'The word' was originally written as 'logos' by John but was changed to a more updated version, translated over time
'We proclaim Christ crucified ... Christ the power of God and wisdom of God'
Scripture says 'The word became flesh' (John 1:14)
Wisdom - feminine attributes of God / Jesus
Weakness
Despite there being Goddesses, such as Kali, who are seen as powerful, there is still inequality between men and women
Thus, Chan concludes that changing the language used to talk about God will not change treatment of women in society
Society will not become less patriarchal because of changes in language, and uses Hinduism in India as an example
Despite Reuther arguing that changing language when referring to God will create greater equality between males and females and allow them to be Christlike, Chan argues this will not happen
Overcoming
For example, the fact that Jesus was understood as purely male is the primary reason why women cannot be ordained into the Roman Catholic Church
Thus, changing our understanding of the maleness of Christ would liberate women in society
Within Christianity, the language used to understand God directly impact Christian practices, unlike in Hinduism
Mary Daly
Patriarchy and the Church fathers
Furthered by Tertullian who argued that women are the 'devil's gateway', suggesting that through women, sin is possible
Mirrored through Aquinas 'Because the male exceeds the female sex, Christ assumed a man's nature'
Daly would use this concept to argue that Christianity is sexist as it presents women in a negative light by connoting them as temptresses through the use of the fall - Eve tempted Adam
All the Church fathers send the same message of women being inferior and that women are the issue
Woman is the 'misbegotten male'
The myth of Eve - temptress
So, in order to move forward and be liberated, Christianity must be abandoned
Church fathers - historical leaders of the Church who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity
Unholy Trinity
Rape
Men are in positions of power, showing they are important, so develop entitlement to take whatever they want
Eg. Gisele Pelicot - men claimed that had her permission, but actually had her husbandd
Phallocentric power leads to entitlement, leading to rape culture
Men also feed into this through private behaviour - not all commit rape, but may be 'armchair rapists', eg. watching rape based porn, with a mindset that women are pure submission of man
Scripture
Uses this to show how rape of a woman is acceptable and preferred over rape of a man, which is 'outrageous'
Shows inferiority of women compared to males, as they are seen as objects that are owned and used
'Here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now and you can do to them whatever you wish. But as for this man, do not do such an outrageous thing'
Offered his virgin daughter, along with a woman he just men - men control all women, no matter who they are
In scripture, there is support for her idea
Weakness
Using Ruether's hermeneutic of suspicion, we can see that Daly may have presented a straw man fallacy
Misrepresents the argument / scripture to make it easier to defeat
Daly's conclusions are flawed
Passage was from 'The crimes of the Benjamites', when Israel had no king
Leads to flawed understanding that the scripture was not justifying the rape of women, but rather outlining the crimes committed by the people of Israel
Overcoming
Seen through the Virgin Mary, who she calls a 'total rape victim'
Did not consent to having the child, but it was imposed on her by God, which is dangerous to her on a societal level
Not a misrepresentation of Christianity, as it still does support the idea of raping women
Genocide
Othering - systematic dehumanisation of a person / group that contributes to the justification of their oppression
Church contributes to dehumanising of woman as it removes their human characteristics of autonomy
'Submit to their husbands'
Context
Nietzsche argues that 'whenever man had thought it necessary to create a memory of himself, his effort has been attended with torture, blood, and sacrifice'
Means that since patriarchy puts men on top, they will resort to violent means to protect their position in society
Has always existed and always will
Using this, Daly puts forward the Unholy Trinity, consisting of rape, genocide, and war, and argues that these will remain due to the nature of patriarchal society
War
Eg. Just War theory, which allows war to happen in some situations (just cause, last resort)
However, for things like abortions that relate to women, there is a double standard as it is never allowed (sanctity of life)
In some circumstances, Christians like Aquinas defend / justify war
Both involve 'killing' but it is sometimes allowed for men but never foe women
War, despite its horrors, killing of civilians, and damage it causes, is still celebrated as it is associated with masculine characteristics like courage, power, bravery, defeating the enemy
Double standard causes oppression for women
Daly argues that as a result of politics dominated by men, it will inevitably lead to war, as they are fighting for power
Weakness
By allowing this, salvation is possible as Christianity remains
Abortion is only an earthly desire that helps a few people throughout their lifetime (apparent good)
Just War was necessary to prevent Christianity from dying out
So not a double standard to allow war but not abortion
Context of Aquinas' Just War theory was to protect Christianity from dying out as other countries would attack and overtake main religion, and would go to Christian countries (pacifist)
It is not a double standard to allow war but not abortion
Overcoming
Christians do not only justify war in these circumstances (eg. WWII)
Still a double standard for women
View
The symbol of God the father as the patriarch in heaven justifies and spawns the mechanisms for the oppression of women
Women play a role in their own oppression
'If God is male then male is God'
Even for 'sophisticated thinkers', women commit the ultimate sin by being complicit in the patriarchy when they are subservient to men
Argues that women must abandon Christianity for a post Christian spirituality
For example, when many women voted against the ordination of women (1997 in the Church of England)
Originally Roman Catholic but rejected it after, remaining in her belief in God
Liberation can only happen when women stop trying to be good
'Gold standard for radical feminism' - Cunningham
Spirituality through nature: gyn/ecology
Should instead reject the necrophilia and embrace biophilia instead by rejecting Christianity
Thealogy
Calls theology 'thealogy' (women's spirituality)
Wants to linguistically castrate God - remove maleness from words used with God (eg. from nouns to intransitive verb
More than a 'transsexual operation on the patriarchal God'
Involves a psychic and social change
Psychic change
Must be self realisation for women - go away from propaganda found in fairy tales about women
Synod 1993 - women voted against right to be ordained in Church
For example, spinster is seen as an unmarried, old, unwanted woman, but it is actually meant to be a skilled, talented person - need to change this view and how people see the word meanings
Allows us to break away from patriachy and embrace better meanings rather than as an insult
Necessary to experience a genuine spirituality away from patriarchal oppression
Social change
Charismatic community to help heal
Challenges status quo
Provide women with a sacred space to escape patriarchy
Provides ethical guidance
Create a feminist sisterhood that fulfills traditional functions of religion
Christianity supports necrophilia (love of death) as seen through the Unholy Trinity - support the killing of people as soldiers are celebrated for their bravery after war, reinforcing idea of killing
Move from thinking of God as a noun with words like King, Lord, Father, and change to think of God as an intransitive verb - a source of being, a verb that doesn't need a direct object eg. God is being
To do this, people need to change the way they think about God, and do an ontological reassessment of God
People need to 'fall out of Eden' - gain knowledge and remove themselves from patriarchy