Feminist theology and the changing roles of men and women Flashcards
What is at the heart of feminist theology?
The idea that religion has played a part in this historic and continuing oppression of women.
Why is it shocking that there is a hostile reaction amongst Christians when God is referred to as a women?
As God is understood to be beyond gender.
What is androcentrism?
Focused on men - placing men at the centre of history and culture.
Why can women be considered more responsible for the fall than men?
Because Eve ate the forbidden fruit.
What did Aristotle characterise women as?
Misbegotten males
What did Aristotle and Aquinas believe about the natural hierarchy?
Male - Female hierarchy is not just a result of sin but also a result of the natural order created by God.
Why do many suggest that men are closer to God than women?
A male God created us and a male God is needed to save us (Christ).
What does androgynous mean?
Having a combination of both male and female characteristics.
In the Church, what type of characteristics have women been restricted to?
Passivity, gentleness, meekness and obedience.
In Church, why are women only seen as truly spiritual if they are not sexual?
As Mary remained a virgin.
Why could it be seen as a bad thing to be associated with Eve?
She is viewed as the temptress and bringer of sin into the world.
What does Ruether say about the persecution of women as witches?
She argues that the persecution of women stems from religious gender stereotyping.
What did a 15th century Dominican manual say about witchcraft?
“Since women are feebler both in mind and body, it is not surprising that they should come under the spell of witchcraft.”
Ruether cites the 1976 Vatican declaration against women’s ordination (becoming priests), what quote did she pick out?
“there must be a physical resemblance between the priest and Christ”.
What does Gnostic mean?
Relating to an ancient spiritual movement focused in attaining spiritual knowledge.
How did Gnostic writings view women?
As Apostles and describe the nature of God as having both male and female principles.
Which movement allowed women to be in leadership?
Quakers
What is the ‘Shakers’ view of God and where did this view stem from?
God as bisexual or androgynous. This stems from the notion that we are made in God’s image so in some sense God must be both male and female.
What does Ruether say about groups such as ‘Shakers’?
- Shakers were celibate and Gnostics advocated an unwordly asceticism.
- Also none of these groups fought for women’s rights outside their gatherings.
Why can the prophetic tradition be linked to fighting sexism?
The prophets didn’t specifically fight sexism but manifested the principles which extended to all forms of oppression.
what are the four themes in the prophetic liberating traditions?
- God’s defence and vindication of the oppressed.
- a critique of dominant power systems and their power holders
- a vision of where injustice ends under the reign of God
- a critique of the religious ideology maintaining injustice.
According to Daly, what are the three versions of God as a noun?
- God as a judge of sin
- God as a stop - gap (an explanation for the unknown)
- God as otherworldliness (Gives rewards and punishments after death.
According to Daly, why is God as a noun wrong?
The images of God as a noun are static and doing nothing to inspire creativity, dynamism and growth.
According to Daly, rather than viewing God as a noun, what must we do?
Consider God as a verb, to see God in a process of becoming with the universe as the force that helps us to become the people we are meant to be.
Why would it be a problem, for Daly, to change our language to female language?
God is still seen as a noun, just as a female noun rather than a male noun.
Give four things that we see when we view God as a transforming power, according to Daly.
- Original sin is not disobedience, it is turning women into objects who are forbidden to develop outside of their biological destiny.
- If there if no fall, no frowning judge, there is no need for a saviour.
- To believe in the power of God is to believe in the power of being and becoming in all people.
- Christians commit Christolatry and bibliolatry when they insist that biblical forms of patriarchy are the final truth.
According to Daly, what is the ‘unholy trinity’?
Rape, genocide and war
According to Daly, what is at the heart of all violence?
Treating women as objects
According to Daly, when does violence become permissible?
When we no longer see human beings as on a valuable journey of being and becoming and turn them into objects to either increase our pleasure or decrease our pain.
A Bible quote which shows that both rape and war view humans as objects.
“kill every male among the little ones and kill every women who has known a man by sleeping with him.”
What sort of values are attributed to females in society?
Passivity, gentleness, self sacrifice.
What does Daly call on women to do?
Be anti church and leave the patriarchal structure.
Seek relationships with other women to oppose the lovelessness of a sexually hierarchical society, make a ‘sisterhood’ for support.
Give an example of female apostles mentioned in the New Testament.
- Junia described by Paul as “prominent among the apostles”
- Mary Magdalene
- The samaritan women
Why was Junia changed to Junias in many early translations of the Bible?
Changed to the male form of the name as many thought there had been a mistranslation of Paul’s words.
How is the concept of apostleship described in Luke and Acts?
12 apostles who were all men.
Give 3 common arguments against women being in ministry.
- God chose to incarnate ‘himself’ as a man
- Christ appointed only men as the apostles
- Scripture forbids the leadership of women
What arguments emerged for the liberation of women in ministry?
- Jesus didn’t restrict his message to men
- Many biblical passages refer to ministry in inclusive terms
- Women were ordained to the diaconate in the early church.
When did women’s ordination become standard practice in established denominations?
1970s
Give 3 things that happened in the Church of England concerning women priests.
- In 1992, there was a narrow vote to allow women to be ordained.
- In 1993, Church voted to allow individual congregations to opt out of accepting women priests.
- In 1994, 1500 women were ordained but 470 male clergy protested by leaving the Church.
What can women not do in the Roman Catholic Church?
Cannot be ordained as deacons, priests or bishops.
What did Pope Francis do in 2014?
Affirmed the tradition of refusing to ordain women.
Give three issues that females who have been ordained suffer?
- Having to fight for maternity rights in some denominations
- Unpaid women clergy
- Many women find it difficult to access ‘senior pastorates’ or the role of a Bishop - with lack of experience being used as an excuse.
