Gender and Society (2) Flashcards
What is the main view of Conservative Protestants?
Biblical theology is timeless and should not adapt to suit changing secular society values
Conservative Protestants on Gender Roles?
- Kathy Rudy argues conservatives on the ‘right’ are based on traditional Augustinian concepts
- The right believe feminism has confused gender roles, leading women to have unrealistic expectations of themselves and leading to disappointment
- Social liberalism has corrupted the young, men and women are made different and their designated gender roles help achieve the ‘American Dream’
- They distrust liberal ideologies from secular society, they blame the break down of the family on feminism and the left are unreligious
Conservative Protestants on Motherhood and Parenthood?
- ‘Domestic Haven’ is created by the woman, and the home is a refuge from the world based on the role of Eve
- Eve is the mother of all living, and this role should not be undermined
- The woman should not undermine the role of the man by financially providing as this takes away his role as the provider
- A Capable wife can work outside the home as long as she can also fulfil her domestic duties and she isn’t distracted from motherhood
Conservative Protestants on Non-traditional families?
- A family should have heterosexual parents, same sex families are not ‘real’ from a Christian understanding of family
- Children do not excel as much in blended families, they use scientific research to back this up
What do Conservative Protestants say about Non-traditional families on cohabitation? (Two Problems)
- Critical of contemporary secular feminism as it encourages cohabitation which leads to two problems:
- Eroticisation where love is about pleasure not commitment
- Egocentrism where relationships are about what the individual can get from it, inner rather than outer looking
- Cohabitation leads to a lack of commitment and things like divorce further exemplify not making an effort to make relationships to work
What is the main view of Liberal Protestants?
- They are more open, willing to accept insight outside of religion
- The Bible is not revelation and a concrete set of rules but a set of experiences one can use to determine behaviour and attitudes
Liberal Protestants on Gender Roles?
- Believe the Covenant ideal is in place because gender is not intrinsic to nature so the covenant helps them understand their role
- People are not limited by gender roles but can choose for themselves, the Church should not control the roles people take on based on their ‘sex’ as this is not linked to gender
- Believe when St Paul said ‘no longer male or female’ (Galatians) means gay couples are accepted
- They do however believe sex is more than mere physical pleasure (eros), there are other aspects of love, e.g agape (generous love) and philos (friendship). DISAGREE WITH MICHEL FOUCAULT
Liberal Protestants on Motherhood and Parenthood?
- For Liberal Protestants there is no real significance of being a mother - there is no need to try and be a parent
- Has no symbolic or ontological significance
- They believe not everyone would be good parents, and if this is the case then you should focus on other paths of life
What feminist view do Liberal Protestants agree with in the matter of Motherhood and Parenthood?
- They agree with De Beauvoir’s idea of false consciousness
- They argue the Virgin Mary is a stereotype of women that can cause women to take on a vocation of life that is not their true purpose
- They do maintain some secular feminist do also dismiss the moral, spiritual and emotional benefits of parenthood
Liberal Protestants on Non-traditional families?
- They believe the Kingdom of God was a new covenant suggested by Jeremiah
- This was a social hierarchy that was inclusive, non-hierarchal and non-judgemental
- Argue that Churches need to exercise ‘justice love’ and be more inclusive of all types of families
- Families in the NT are described as a ‘community as friends’ rather than blood kinship, providing a more inclusive model
What sociologist do Liberal Protestants use in justifying Non-traditional families?
- Jessie Bernard
- Provides evidence that children who are loved, feel secure and provided for are just as good regardless of whether they come from single parent, blended, same-sex etc
What is the ‘Mulieris Dignatatem?
- Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter
- Discusses the ambivalent view of Roman Catholics on the roles of feminism, men and women by using the bible, tradition and natural law
- Letter speaks of Mary the mother of God, theotokos, God-bearer who displays dignity for both men and women
Roman Catholics on Gender Roles?
- The MD states men and women are equal, but DIFFERENT and rejects that man is the ‘active principle’ with women being ‘passive’
- The biggest difference is shown by Mary in the woman’s ability to be a mother
- Argues that men are the ‘head’ of the wife, but this is not possession or dominion over the woman, it is treating his wife as an equal
- Women should not take on male roles, this would confuse gender roles - they reject existential notions of gender
Quote the Mulieris Dignatatem on the RC view of Gender Roles?
“women must not appropriate to themselves male characteristics”
“contrary to their own feminine ‘originality’”
- They believe gender roles should not be confused/mixed as some secular feminists do
- They appreciate feminism that helps marginalised women, but not one where they take on male gender roles
Roman Catholics on Motherhood and Parenthood? (Quote)
“Motherhood… the woman’s ‘part’ “
- Rejects criticisms of feminists such as De Beauvoir that motherhood can be demeaning to women
- They believe the annunciation of Jesus shows how special a role motherhood is for Mary and all women, it is a reflection of godliness and a special gift
- Having a child shows that husband and wife have become ‘one flesh; (Mark 10:8)
