Gender and Theology (1) Flashcards
What problems does the bible create for women?
Regards women as the weaker sex and the cause of social problems, therefore reinforcing the patriarchy
What problems does God create for women?
- God-human relationship causes a master-slave morality,
- This creates a patriarchy where women are subservient to men
- Institutionalised Church reinforces the master-slave, male-female relationship
Who was Rosemary Radford Ruether?
- Theologian who developed views that sought to transform all human relationships with each other and nature
- She also helped found the women church
How does Ruether believe we should understand Christian theology as an oppressive patriarchy?
- To understand it this way we must go back to times when this was not the case
- She observes how polytheistic religions are less sexist and patriarchal then monotheistic ones
What does strict monotheism cause according to Ruether?
- It reinforces a patriarchal hierarchy where the male God exerts authority over nature and the world
- Justifies male superiority over women as men consider this to be a God given hierarchy of nature
Quote Isaiah 42:14 and explain how Ruether argues for theology not always being an oppressive patriarchy?
“Now I will cry out like a woman in labour”
- Despite Judaism being monotheistic it retained respect for the Goddess of life, God is depicted as a mother Goddess going through the pain of childbirth
- Christianity developed out of this, showing how at its core it was not an oppressive patriarchy but has rather developed into one
What is the femaleness of God retained in according to Ruether?
- In the notion of wisdom, the divine source of knowledge and life
- Hebrew word for wisdom is Hokhmah and Greek is Sophia
- Both of these are feminine terms
Quote OT book ‘The Wisdom of Soloman’ and expand on how this explains Ruethers notion of God as the female wisdom principle?
“her pureness she pervades and penetrates all things”
- In this OT book she (wisdom) is described as a ‘reflection of his eternal light’ and as King Solomon’s bride - he wished for wisdom
How does Ruether argue for the feminine aspect of God through incarnation? (Quote)
- Jesus as divine wisdom explained the relationship with God and his teaching
- “Christ… wisdom of God” - 1 Corinthians
- Johns Gospel also calls Christ ‘eternal wisdom’
- Shows the female wisdom principle is retained in incarnation
How does Ruether argue for the feminine aspect of God through the Trinity?
- God as Trinity has no female/male division
- The son is wisdom/logos, the Holy Spirit is wisdom/Sophia
- Trinity is a gender inclusive spiritual experience
- Through this Ruether argues that there is enough biblical support to challenge the male monotheism and reshape Church thinking and reorganisation
What apophatic assumption should language about God be based on according to Ruether?
- Apophatic assumption that God is beyond language and therefore beyond gender, God is infinite whilst we are finite
- Theologians use gendered male language to emphasise Gods transcendence and female gendered language to focus on Gods immanence
What is feminist theology claiming according to Ruether?
- God/ess is as much he/she as much as they are not he/she
- Feminist theology is not exclusively claiming using female gendered language, it is warning against only using male patriarchal terms
What key question does Ruether propose in Chapter 5 of her ‘Sexism and God Talk’?
Can a male saviour save women?
- Christianity has attempted to exclude ‘non-Christian’ elements when in actual fact that is what led to a male-centred patriarchal version
How does Ruether argue that women cannot be saved through Jesus Christ ?
- Jesus Christ was not only a male but also ‘logos’; the word of God
- He is considered the perfect example of what it means to be a human and that means being a male
- Therefore women have to adapt themselves to a male mindset to be saved
How does Ruether argue that women cannot be saved through a male God due to the Roman Empire?
- 380AD the Roman Empire adopted Christianity as their official religion and Jesus was the triumphed ‘king’ who would bring the new kingdom
- This allowed the Church to justify only having male officials who could represent Christ and his organisation
- Women could only be saved through men
How does the Catholic Church contribute to the idea of women being unable to saved unless they are like man? (Quote the Pope)
- Catholic Church still do not ordain women to the ministry
- Used Aquinas’ teaching that women are ‘misbegotten’ or distorted men as justification for why God is ‘Logos’
- “natural resemblance” - The Pope has said that there must be resemblance between Christ and his minister, and therefore women cannot be ordained
How does Ruether argue women can be saved through Jesus’ role as a messiah?
- Jesus’ role as a messiah challenged the warrior King expectation of his day
- His teaching on the Kingdom of God was not about any sort of worldly power but rather gaining justice and dignity for the marginalised
- The kingdom is about restoring and healing all human relationships
How does Ruether argue that the death and resurrection of Christ represents how women can be saved?
- The death and resurrection of Christ shows the basic human experience of nature, the cycle of death in the old year and birth in the new
- In the ancient world this represents the death of the God of vegetation who raised to a new life by the Goddess
- Ruether argues this story does not undermine Christianity but gives it power and validity as it is so deeply ingrained in the human psyche
How does Ruether argue women can be saved through the Holy Spirit?
- Argues the Holy Spirit continues Jesus’ work by healing relationships and challenging human institutions which are more concerned with their own power
- She gives two exampled of communities and teachers who did not conform to mainstream patriarchal society
- The Story of Pentecost and The Shakers
What is the Story of Pentecost (Ruether arguing women CAN be saved)?
- After Jesus’ ascension the spirit poured out to man and woman as a sign of a new period of history
- Jesus was seen as less important than the spirit, showing that Gods spiritual presence transforms the world
- There is no gender related ideas
Who were The Shakers (Ruether arguing women CAN be saved)?
- The Shaker sect of Christianity
- They believe that women are receptive to the Holy Spirit and therefore should play essential roles in Christian leadership in preparation for the second coming
Quote Ruether on Christ as a liberator?
- “The maleness of Jesus has no ultimate significance” - Ruether
- Ruether argues that understanding of how Christianity developed allows us to remove patriarchal elements of the NT
- Allows Jesus to be seen as a liberator who challenges religious, spiritual and social assumptions of BOTH men and women
Can Ruether be criticised for overturning Church tradition?
- She can be said to have made Jesus far too political and revolutionary
- She is also selective about what she includes from the bible
- E.g the use of Shakers which is outside of mainstream Christianity
Does Ruether compromise Gods sovereignty?
- Ruether can be said to compromise Gods unity and sovereignty by including terms such as ‘Godess’ which are outside of Christianity
How does Ruether undermine CC teaching on the difference of men and women?
- Undermines CC teaching that men and women are equal but different
- NT teaches that the natural God-ordained relationship of men and women is different
- A women vocation is to be the mother
- Ruether is not accounting for this natural order
