3 gender and theology

Question 1

when were women given the vote

Answer 1

1918

Question 2

Deuteronomy 22:28

Answer 2

if a man rapes a virgin woman “he shall pay her father fifty shekels of silver”
= unmarried women are the property of their father

Question 3

Frances Beer book and idea

Answer 3

Women and Mystical Experience

women’s perceived links with evil, begins with eve as the “devil’s gateway”

Question 4

martin luther on women and book

Answer 4

On the Estate of Marriage
“women should remain at home, sit still and bring us children”

Question 5

Catholic church on why women cant be ordained +book

Answer 5

1976 Declaration on the Admission of Women to the Ministerial Priesthood

• all the apostles were men + JESUS
• heretical christian groups have tried it and it hasnt worked satisfactorily.

Question 6

Daly book

Answer 6

Beyond God the Father

Question 7

Daly on male god and male domination general

Answer 7

if God is a he then it is the nature of things according to divine plan and orders of creation that the universe is male dominated.
questions why woman is born of man (a male god). and the blame to which women recieve for sin, when males give salvation.
the youngest boy can be an acolyte but a woman with a PhD in theology cannot serve mass = women get menial tasks

when "”God is male, male is God”“

Question 8

Daly on Original Sin

Answer 8

likens it to an attempt for humanity to cope with the tragedy and unfairness of the human condition.

and how women “amount to a collective repudiation of scapegoat syndrome”

Question 9

Daly on the unholy trinity - rape

Answer 9

phallocentic rape culture is one based on power. both literal and metaphorical (is a symbol of all the violent oppression which builds to a society that includes racism, man-made poverty etc)

there are also armchair rapists - indirectly men take pleasure in abuse of women eg porn. consolidates their sense of power over women

society’s rape culture leads to a normalisation of violence, which evolves to include more extreme aspects as well as entrenching violence against women

Question 10

daly on unholy trinity - war

Answer 10

war symbolises the worst of Apollonian values which has been praised by the church eg Just War theory. it is the result of male-dominated politics

language behind is important eg collateral damage and just killings VS unjust killings in abortion. hypocritical when both use a consequentialist morality

all part of phallic mentality

Question 11

Daly on action on the church x2 quote)

Answer 11

rejects that women should restore Xtianity through feminist liturgy as this patriarchal thread is so engrained within society that it’d be futile.
“feminist liturgy is a contradiction in terms… it is an attempt to put new wine into old skins of forms that kill women’s self-affirmations.”

Question 12

daly quote on baptism x2 and explanation

Answer 12

“they lifted from women the onerous power of childbirth, christening it ‘baptism’”

“the Looking Glass priests raise these functions to the supernatural level which they alone had competence”

=> priests are taking over womens’ roles and elevating the male role in childbirth

Question 13

Daly on the Sacred Men’s Club

Answer 13

ridicules priests about their female looking dress code

Question 14

Daly on priests book

Answer 14

The Looking Glass Society

Question 15

Daly Quintessence

Answer 15

the highest essence, the spirit that permeates all nature, giving life and vitality to the whole universe. can be rediscovered in nature.

turn away from the maleness of god and fixed nature of saccred places

Question 16

Daly on post-christian society

Answer 16

radical feminism will triumph => post-christian society which will create a cosmic tapesty of power, justice and love.

Question 17

Daly Transvaluation

Answer 17

we need to perform a transvaluation (radical shift in consciousness and use of language) in order to give women the means to articulate their vision of a new world free from patriarchy

foreground ““false naming”” designed to disempower women - hag, crone, nag and witch, damsel

Question 18

Daly on the patriarchal world in two forms

Answer 18

The foreground - world dominated by Appolonian values. false world and calls males and women who revolve around males "”snools”“

background - existence is the world of women and close to the reality of be-ing. background is free from living in the shadow of men

Question 19

simon chan critique of daly on god is male and male is god

Answer 19

• God the Father is a relational concept of special fatherhood and paternalism, it is overanalysed. Daly glosses over the Xtian idea of fatherhood and God being the creator of all
• using male language for god does not create masculine qualities for god.
  Isiah 54:5 refers to god as the husband that acts with deep compassion.

Question 20

fiorenza critique of Daly

Answer 20

an alternative reading of biblical texts would be more useful than a complete re-imagning of them
- the bible supports womens’ struggles against patriarchal norms eg Jesus breaks sexist customs

Question 21

other criticisms of Daly

Answer 21

1. exclusive
   alienating many women who do not conform to her views (true friendship can only be lesbian and lesbianism should not imitate male characteristics) her vision of the new elect is white, western and lesbian
2. narrow
   dismissive of those who find spiritual liberation in religions outside of christianity. she places them in the foreground as snools and labells them “totally demonic”
3. irrational
   her demonisation of men as the cause of rape culture is not the view of most feminists. she alienates men now too.
4. incoherent
   ideas are obscure and alienating, bizarre use of language, separatist approach to men.

Question 22

Rosemary Radford Ruether support for Daly

Answer 22

• by treating her language symbolically there are insights to be gained about the nature of human relationships and society

-recalls Cassandra’s speech might be “deciphered and heard” instead of not being taken seriously

Question 23

Daly from Nietzche on values and apollonian veil

Answer 23

two aspects of human nature
- Apollonian, passive self
- Dionysian, energetic and the creative self (only for some women)

• Apollonian veil, when humans falsely create ideas that they think are true which alienate them from their true selves. women need to remove these false ideas

Question 24

Daly on Becoming and Be-ing

Answer 24

being human is an on-going process and there is no telos end point because there is no objective creator god

only women can understand the process of be-ing (creative so dionysian)

be-ing as the spiritual process of living completely replaces any idea of an objective god

Question 25

christian figures x4 that are patriarchal

Answer 25

1. tertullian - women are the "devil's gateway" and responsible for the fall (frances beer) 2. Aquinas all women are misbegotten males 3. Augustine women were not made in the image of God 4. Luther females are made for the SOLE purpose of child bearing

Question 26

Daly on the unholy trinity - genocide

Answer 26

rape culture represents an alienated society where one group destroys another. catholic church also commits genocide when it forces women to have unwanted children as the result of rape, as well as support of war.

Question 27

daly solution minus the eco part

Answer 27

castrate god - remove his maleness. new langiage adopted which talks about the goddess and divine feminine god should be seen as a verb be-ing not a noun being. not a fixed thing but a process of change and transformation

Question 28

Daly on spiralling

Answer 28

women shedding their old identities in order to transform - called **spiralling**. cyclical and multi-faceted allows you to connect to the "divine feminine"

Question 29

daly three main terms to be reclaimed

Answer 29

Maiden - not damsel in distress, she is strong, independent and autonomous mother - traditionally care-giver and restricted in this vocation. whilst women are biologically predisposed to this, it should not define them. it is a role of strength and creativity, not just giving body and energy to serve others the hag - old haggard witch woman. women have conformed to beauty standards and youth for too long. they should embrace their own power and wisdom in old age and not be passive, be liberated.

Question 30

Rose RR position

Answer 30

considered a reform feminist theologian involved in the civil rights movement which formed her view that theology must emerge from oppression. in 1983 she helped form the Women-Church and has long campaigned for women's ordination aim is to transform all human relationships and the **redemptive transformation of creation**

Question 31

Rosemary RR on polytheism

Answer 31

in order to understand how Xtian theology has developed its oppressive patriarchy, you must look when this didn't exist. eg ancient polytheistic religions. = no patriarchal hierarchy where a single male exerts authority over nature and the world.

Question 32

rosemary RR on judaism goddess theology

Answer 32

roots of judaism monotheism but far less male orientated. isiah 42:14 uses the mother analogy as a means of expressing God's suffering love for the israelites due to their unfaithfulness and disobedience. "now i will cry out like a woman in labour"

Question 33

rosemary RR on wisdom

Answer 33

femaleness of God is retained in what is known as wisdom which was the divine source of knowledge and life, whereby it is presented in female terms HEBREW - hokhmah it is the egg that will grow Binah (understanding) and is first step in creative process) GREEK - Sophia book of proverbs personifies Divine Wisdom, it existed before the world was made and was god's agent in creation.

Question 34

feminine wisdom in solomon

Answer 34

The Wisdom of Solomon - old testament God's widom is described as a woman and a "breath of power of God" and a "reflection of eternal light". basically when solomon asked god for what he most desired, he said wisdom

Question 35

proverbs 8:1 quote mini

Answer 35

"does wisdom not call out? does not understanding raise her voice"

Question 36

what is rosemary RR's argument with the female wisdom principle

Answer 36

this imagery reflects suppressed recognition of feminine aspects of the divine, which challenges patriarchal interpretations of scripture. highlights how Wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs, Wisdom of Solomon) personifies Sophia as a life-giving force closely connected to God. Early Christians identified Jesus with Sophia, suggesting that Christ embodies gender-transcendent divine qualities. This reinterpretation destabilizes male-centric views of God and salvation, offering women a way to see themselves reflected in the divine.

Question 37

Rosemary RR on eco feminism

Answer 37

refers to God as Gaia. not trying to revive Gaia but recovering the concept of the ancient notion of sophia, and a full picture of divine by balancing male and female. = produces a truer reflection of imageo dei

Question 38

critique of Rosemary RR from Simon Chan

Answer 38

- you cannot rewrite the christian narrative to give more prominence to women. key parts of the liturgy eg father, son holy spirit are dependent on this language - eg Our Father who art in heaven in Lord's prayer - accepts feminine images for God's love eg God protecting his children but God is NEVER called "mother". - most other religions that had women goddesses were also patriarchal. removing this language does not make society lesspatriarchal

Question 39

Rosemary RR on new anti-patriarchal communities

Answer 39

jesus' relationship with god was based on trust, intimacy, and respect. he called god Abba rather than Lord. then how early christian families rejected social hierarchies, being equal eg Galatians 3:28 no male/female critiques how later theology co-opted Abba to reinforce male dominance, excluding women from leadership and distorting God’s nature. She calls for reclaiming Abba’s original meaning, inclusive language for God, and reviving egalitarian practices to reflect justice and equality in Christianity.

Question 40

Rosemary Radford Ruether book

Answer 40

Sexism and God-Talk

Question 41

Rose RR on male saviour debate

Answer 41

- Jesus, as the historically male Logos (Word of God), is presented as perfect example of humanity, equating ideal human nature with maleness. This implies that for women to be saved, they must deny their own identity and conform to a male-centered mindset. -In 380 AD, Christianity became the Roman Empire's official religion, promoting Jesus as a triumphant king to justify male-only church leadership, claiming men alone could represent Christ. Women’s salvation was controlled by male authority, and the Catholic Church still resists ordaining women. Aquinas’ distorted view of women as “misbegotten” reinforced the idea that God could only be born as a perfect man, not a defective woman.

Question 42

Catholic church further resisting womens' ordination

Answer 42

Inter Insigniores in 1976 there must be a natural resemblance to Christ and women do not possess this. "in such a case it would be difficult to see the minister in the image of christ. for christ himself was a man"

Question 43

reuther counter argument 1 that male saviour can save women death and resurrection as symbolic

Answer 43

- death and resurrection of christ were symbolic acts of liberation, transcending his maleness. Jesus’ role as a liberator is to restore human relationships and uplift marginalized groups, incl women. reinterpretation shifts focus from Jesus’ gender to the universal significance of his mission, making salvation accessible to all.

Question 44

reuther counter argument 2 that male saviour can save women jesus' role as messiah

Answer 44

Instead of embodying dominance, Jesus acted as a servant king, focusing on the marginalized and rejecting power structures. This subversive model, rooted in humility and liberation, offers a gender-inclusive understanding of salvation, demonstrating that a male savior can redeem women without reinforcing male superiority.

Question 45

reuther counter argument 3 that male saviour can save women holy spirit

Answer 45

Holy Spirit continues Jesus’ work by healing broken relationships and challenging human institutions consumed by power. The Spirit transcends gender, fostering equality and justice while transforming oppressive systems, ensuring salvation is not limited to male representation. Acts 2:1 Pentecost where HS was more important as it was God's spiritual presence. poured onto men and women.

Question 46

common ground btween Rose RR and Daly x3

Answer 46

- goddess calling god she is not enough to alter patriarchy - ecology only feminism adequately deals with human relationship and the environment - praxis feminist theology should transform society. women have a unique role where they need to liberate themselves from patriarchy

Question 47

differences between daly and rosemary RR

Answer 47

- God Daly rejects the existence of a God, replaces him with nature. RRR retains existence of God who can be known thru spirit and wisdom - Separatism Daly believes only women have the sensitivity to transform the world RRR thinks feminist theology should lead the reform but no advantage to separatism - god/goddess Daly rejects that god is female/male and that being in christ there is neither male nor female because patriarchy is too strong RRR considers experience of god in m/f terms as ancient and preserved in Xtianity - church Daly rejects catholic church because it is fundamentlaly patriarchal RRR thinks it can be reformed as the Bible, tradition and reason provide evidence to do so. there has just been a **patriarchisation of christianity**

Question 48

daphne hampson

Answer 48

being a christian and a feminist is incompatible - applying feminism to combat the patriarch is not a viable option. there must be wholesale review of teachings and practices - patriarchal elements must be discarded. rectification not reform better to ground religious belief in experience, not just one messianic moment (feminists too focused on one male event).

Question 49

fiorenza FOUR WAYS

Answer 49

christianity can read the bible through different lenses. 1. divine revelation = timeless truth = sexist 2. read the scriptural sexism in a historical context 3. both revelation and hist framework but a dialogue between the two. sexist but also contains moral truth 4. liberate the bible from interpretations by people who are silenced. not just clergy or male theologians.

Question 50

fiorenza further full argument

Answer 50

Fiorenza notes that Daly and Hampson have developed a criticism of male-dominated interps of bible BUT women need to understand how the bible supports their struggle against patriachial biblical sexism ie the bible can inspire anti-sexist attitudes eg Jesus healing bleeding woman