Feminism - Reuther

Question 1

what type of feminist is Reuther?

Answer 1

liberal reformed feminist theologian

Question 2

basis of reuthers feminism

Answer 2

church should be reformed rather than abandoned as Daly argued. This belief is influenced by older polytheistic religions that celebrate women and therefore appear less sexist

Question 3

what is the hermeneutic of suspicion?

Answer 3

reinterpreting the bible through a sceptical lens in order to uncover its hidden or lost meaning.

Question 4

how does Reuther argue Judaism supports hidden femininity ?

Answer 4

the roots of judaism celebrated the goddess of divine energy of women that has been lost by subsequent male writers who had a patriarchal agenda

Question 5

how does reuther think we should refer to God?

Answer 5

God/Goddess

Question 6

How does reuther use Gaia?

Answer 6

feminine terms for God such as Gaia have been covered by the patriarchy and Reuther is simply uncovering this
understanding the feminine aspects of God would provide a a more correct notion of being made in the imago dei

Question 7

what does it say in Isaiah?

Answer 7

I will cry out like a woman in labour

Question 8

How is Gods wisdom related to women?

Answer 8

Wisdom in hebrew means hokhmah
wisdom in greek means sophia
these are both feminine words and show the femninity of God

Question 9

how is wisdom described in the Bible?

Answer 9

a breath of the power of God

Question 10

how can jesus be understood as divine wisdom?

Answer 10

Jesus is named the word in genesis and this in greeks means logos. Logos = masculine word for wisdom/sophia. This change is just because Jesus is a man but he is still representitive of femninity and this has been overlooked by church who has then promoted male monotheism

Question 11

what does ‘let us make man kind in our image’

Answer 11

both male and female are made in the imago dei and should be treated equally

Question 12

how does john cooper critique Reuther?

Answer 12

he points out that all feminine language of God is implicit whereas male language is explicit and we cannot ignore this to fit the reformed femenist agenda

Question 13

how does mark brumley go against reuther?

Answer 13

we do not have the authority to go against what is explcit in the bible and what is explcit is Gods masculine nature. Through changing God we are forming God in our image perhaps we just need to follow Daly and transvaluate religion

Question 14

how does univocal and equivocal language support reuther?

Answer 14

God can be discussed in neither equivocal or univocal terms meaning he cannot be spoke of literally and is therefore not male

Question 15

how could Kants noumena support Reuther ?

Answer 15

sexism comes from our individual phenomena of God. We interpret God in a patriarchal context even though they’re not.

Question 16

Isaiah quote

Answer 16

now i will cry out like a woman in labour

Question 17

what is a reformed liberal feminist

Answer 17

• feminism that seeks equality through change in a syystem of belief
• humanity has oppressed women through a misggynistic interpetation of the Bible but christianity can be reformed

Question 18

God of the hebrew SCRIPTURE

Answer 18

In the Hebrew Bible God is called Yahweh which means ‘no name’. God is beyond gender, calling him ‘father’ is a Christian invention. They merlrey repsent pure divine essence

Question 19

reuthers christology on jesus

Answer 19

• jesus was very different to the expected millitary messiah
• he wasnt overpowering, a conquering warrior who would fight the enimies of the israelites as the old testiment predicted
• this Jesus is exepected to win
• yet he didnt he suffered and died and helped those who were outcasts in society
• so jesus is better understood as a non-millatory messiah who evoked the female widsom sophia
• this view unconvers the feminne God which was covered through patriarchalisation

Question 20

’ a male saviour can save women’

Answer 20

• yes if we see Jesus as the incarantaion of sophia/wisdom
• jesus was a servant king who helped women and stood in solidarity with them, the adulterous woman e.g.,
• pentecost - holy spirit was poured onto men and women, shakers teach that women are closer to this and therefore can be saved

Question 21

’ a male saviour cannot save women’

Answer 21

• davidic mesiah alienates women, this maleness influenced the church in justfying males having the highest roles in church whilst women cannot be ordained as church leaders, this mean salvtaion for women is in the hands of males, if women cannot be in the church how can they be saved? (extra ecclesium nulla sallus)
• male jesus personifies perfection - sugessting what is male is perfect - aquinas argued women are ‘defective males’, this traditional view means women cannot be saved without reformatin

Question 22

jesus’ malness

Answer 22

’ is of no ultimate significance’

Question 23

fiorenza on jesus as a saviour

Answer 23

• jesus practiced a radical egalitarianism and aimed to have both female and male church leaders who can access salavtaion