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Gender and Theology - Coggle Diagram

- - - - The unholy trinity of rape, genocide and war are the result of a patriarchal world. Daly claimed Christianity has legitimated male dominance which reinforces patriarchy. If an oppressive hierarchy like patriarchy exists, the result is an unholy trinity of rape, genocide and war. Christianity is therefore complicit in that, and not only indirectly. Daly points to Numbers, where Moses is involved in a campaign of war and tells the commanders of his army to kill all the men, children and women who had slept with a man, keeping only the virgin females for themselves
        
        Daly is saying that this unholy trinity is what really defines Christianity – not its holy trinity
  - - - It looks like liberal Christianity is the redeemed version of Christianity that Daly had argued was impossible
        
        It looks like Daly is wrong to think a feminist form of Christianity is impossible
- - - - Ruther argues that Jesus therefore embodied female virtues/wisdom of self-sacrifice and non-violence (traits traditionally associated with femininity) – Jesus can therefore be seen as a gender-inclusive figure
        
        Jesus did not fulfil the patriarchal view of a messiah/leader
        
        If the founder of Christianity is gender-inclusive then that is a basis for reforming and redeeming the religion
  - - - Daly claims that it doesn’t matter if Jesus was pro-feminist or gender-inclusive
        
        It doesn’t matter if Jesus’ actions and teachings can be interpreted in that positive way – the issue with Jesus is that he is a man – having a male spiritual leader of a religion is simply too legitimating of the patriarchal association between maleness and power
        
        Jesus may have died for everyone’s sins – but the idea which comes from this is that women need a male saviour
        
        Regardless of whether Jesus died for everyone’s sins or not, having a male as the leader of the religion is too suggestive of the patriarchal view that men should lead and have power
- - - - Ruether says Jesus was “pro-feminist” in his actions and teachings. He saved a woman from being stoned for adultery (countering the patriarchal punishment of the time) & healed a woman who had been menstrually bleeding for 12 years (also going against the patriarchal view that menstruating women were unclean)
        
        Ruether’s point is that the Bible has some pro-feminist passages and some sexist patriarchal passages – so they can’t both be the genuine word of God
        
        So, the sexist parts of the bible must have been written by humans influenced by the patriarchal culture of the time. So, we should get rid of the sexist parts of the Bible
  - - - ‘My kingdom is not of this world’ – Jesus’ focus is the kingdom of heaven, not earthly kingdoms
        
        Also: Jesus was asked whether the Jews should pay an unjust tax which had been forced on them by the romans. Jesus answered by pointing out that the coins had Caesar’s face on them – saying ‘Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God what is God’s’
        
        Jesus was saying to pay the tax, which suggests that he did not see political injustice as God’s concern. Jesus seems to see a disconnect between politics and religious matters
        
        So, Jesus can’t be viewed as a liberator who aimed to change society
- - - - So, when the Church say they like Mary and therefore can’t be sexist – this is a bit like a slave owner saying they can’t be racist because they like their obedient slaves