gender and society - mulieris dignitatem and ephesians 5:22 Flashcards
ephesians 5:22 - Wives, submit yourselves…
to your own husbands as you do to the Lord
ephesians 5:22 - For the husband is the head of
the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
ephesians 5:22 - Husbands, love your wives…
just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless
ephesians 5:22 - In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as
their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body.
ephesians 5:22 - For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and
be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[b] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband
what is the mulieris dignitatem
a “meditation” on the “dignity of women and their vocation”
- written by Pope John Paul II in 1988. In it the Pope set out the current Roman Catholic attitude towards women.
a) Theotokos (God-bearer):
by accepting the role of theotokos Mary played a central part in salvation.
The incarnation (and thus salvation) are dependent upon Jesus being born of a human mother.
attained the ‘supernatural elevation to union with God’ that all humans eventually hope to achieve in the afterlife.
she is an ‘archetype’ - role model for both men and women
’..signifies the fullness of the perfection of” what is characteristic of woman”, of “what isfeminine”…
b) The image and likeness of God:
‘…both man and woman are human beings to an equal degree, both are created in God’s image.’
‘no essential contradiction’ between the two.
Eve’s creation out of Adam as emphasising her suitability to be a companion to man.
c) ‘helper’
Men and women are, according to John Paul II created ‘as a unity of the two’, intended to belong together. Eve’s status as ‘helper’ is part of a reciprocal relationship in which Eve helps Adam but he in turn helps her.
They are ‘called to exist mutually “one for the other”.’
d) What about God as male?
God is immaterial, spiritual, non-physical and therefore has no biological gender.
gendered language about God is allegorical and metaphorical. We
anthropomorphize God in order to stress the personal nature of God.
‘“As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; you shall be comforted in
Jerusalem” (66: 13). In the Psalms too God is compared to a caring mother: “Like a child
quieted at its mother’s breast;
e) The Fall (Eve -> Mary [2nd Eve])
Pope John Paul II thought that sin had spoiled and damaged the relationship between men and
women. The punishment levelled at woman (“Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you” (Gen 3:16)) damages ‘the unity of the two’ that God intended.
misogyny and sexism in the world results from sin.
Man and woman equally valuable – but women should not lose their female essence.
f) On Jesus and women
commented specifically about Jesus’ treatment of the women caught in adultery, Mary and
Martha too. He pointed out that women were the first witnesses of the resurrection.
But, on Galatians 3:28, he said… “This unity does not cancel out diversity.”
g) Motherhood (option 1)
women are involved in the creation of a child in a much more physical
and intimate way than men are.
It is a special task entrusted to them by God.
Without the opportunity of human birth people cannot become God’s children and attain salvation. Therefore, women do not only share in God’s creative powers, they also take part in his salvific action.
h) Virginity (option 2)
Pope John Paul II linked this with Jesus call to both male and female to dedicate themselves to God through celibacy.
a way of responding fully and totally to Jesus’ call.
“Leave everything and follow Christ”
