Gender and theology Flashcards
KEY TERM - Can a male saviour save women?
A male saviour wouldn’t be able to save women as the Word or Logos of God, he is also the perfect example of what it means to be human, which means being male
FOR - Can a male saviour save women?
Early church fathers – All women are descendants of Eve and guilty of Eve’s sin so cannot be saved
-At the resurrection women would be half-male half-angel to be saved
Corinthians “woman is the reflection of man” - man is made in direct image of God, with woman being a lesser or secondary image
AGAINST - Can a male saviour save women?
Galatians “You are all children of God through faith”
Jesus often challenged stereotypes and was not someone who fulfilled expectations of masculinity
Weakens signifcance of sacrafice on the cross
Paul “new bodies will be sown”
KEY TERM - Mulieris Dignitatatem
Mulieris Dignitatem – Papal letter – apostolic letter written by Pope John Paul II
Women are liberated through childbirth. It was through Mary’s unique role as a mother that Jesus had been born. A women’s natural disposition to be more caring should be seen a gift and natural.
FOR - Mulieris Dignitatatem
Biblical teachings that men and women have distinct roles supported by research studies that children are happiest with both a mother and father as role models
-Secular views are destabilising and deprive children of a secure family est. by clear gender roles
Timothy 2: “but she shall be saved through her child-bearing”
AGAINST- Mulieris Dignitatatem
daly/debeuovoir
Daly in her thealogy states that women can only obtain spirituality when they reject the patriarchal teachings in the Bible and become independent. Don’t need a male (Jesus) to do this as this further exacerbates the phallocentric male over females.
-Motherhood is a tool for husbands to oppress their wives, disallowing them from leaving and living their own lives
De Beauvoir motherhood forces a women to suspend her own interests and personality in order to take care of children, which leaves them crushed and unable to develop as individuals
-Strong as undermines the Christian principle of agape and treating others as you would want to be treated (Mark 12)
KEY TERM - RUETHER
argues that patriarchy has had a profound and damaging effect on Christianity, however believing the Church needs to be reformed instead of totally abandoned
-patriarchy in society has distorted the Christian message and shaped thought
A prophetic liberating reading of the Bible. Jesus’ message wasn’t just about suffering but also about challenging the social orders and giving voice to the oppressed groups. Ruether argues that Messiah concept should not contain the Davidic Messiah idea but self-sacrificing, servant Messiah.
what was Jesus expected to be vs reality? does Ruether think this need be abandoned?
-many expected the coming of the Messiah who would be a military king like King David of the past- he would lead his people to victory and restore power to Israel (the Davidic Messiah)
-Messiah is chosen by God and is the Son of God, as well as representing the people before God- she argued ‘The Messiah can only be imagined as male’.
-argued Jesus as Messiah doesn’t need to be discarded as Jesus himself rejected the male-warrior stereotype
-Jesus took the role of servant king= female and male characteristics
FOR - RUETHER
God denounces
Sophia
Galitatans
God denounce those who oppress the weak and vulnerable and announces a world where “The mighty will be put down from their thrones and the poor lifted up.”
Sophia – divine wisdom and in scripture referred to in female terms (Proverbs 9:1) God is associated with the female wisdom.
-The Messiah is not simply a male part of God but is also the incarnation of wisdom, which is female. Messiah is not simply a male version of God, but incarnation of wisdom, which is female
Galatians “There is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus
AGAINST - RUETHER
Jesus is the triumphal king who would rule his kingdom as the Davidic Messiah – suggests that women are inferior to men and that there is a hierarchy as it the bloodline is patrilineal
KEY TERM - Daly
The Bible is inherently sexist. God is male then male is God – infers that because Christianity use male pronouns in reference to God such as ‘father’ and ‘him’ human males are put on a pedestal and seen as greater than women
The husband dominating the wife represents God himself. In order to achieve equity between genders God needs to be ‘castrated’ and the maleness of God needs to be removed
FOR - Daly
Many of the Fathers of Christianity hold sexist beliefs e.g. Augustine claimed that Eve and females are not made in the image of God
-Sexism so interjected into Christian thought women will always be viewed as inferior to the male who wrongly believe that only they are made in Gods image
Bible extracts such as ‘A women should be subject to her husband’ (Mathew)
-supports as if God is male then wives will always be subordinate to husband and men
De Beauvoir:
Christianity presents an illusion of equality and idealises theoretical women but not actual women
-“A woman’s asking for equality in the church would be comparable to a black person’s demanding equality in the Ku Klux Klan
AGAINST - Daly
Chen/Hampson
Chen – Male language in reference to God such as “father, the son and the holy spirit” refers more to a symbol of unity rather than an oppression.
-Male pronouns for Jesus were used to symbolise a liberator and a messiah
Hampson:
Christianity is an inherently historical religion, based on the idea that God was revealed at historical parts in time- it cannot shed its historical past
-as it emerged from a patriarchal world, it is inherently patriarchal
-Christianity cannot be updated
KEY TERM - Daly Motherhood
Daly argue that motherhood (strongly promoted by Christianity) is repressive and restrictive. Motherhood is a tool for husbands to oppress their wives, disallowing them from leaving and living their own lives
FOR - Daly Motherhood
De Beauvoir motherhood forces a women to suspend her own interests and personality in order to take care of children, which leaves them crushed and unable to develop as individuals
-Strong as prevents human flourishment and God would not have made women so unaccepting of these gender roles if agreed
In a modern society women should not need to feel as if their purpose is motherhood
Oakley study on motherhood and concluded that ‘maternal instinct’ was not biological but due to socialisation. Makes a women feel powerless especially in childbirth when a male Dr. treats them as cases with no respect/ human dignity
-Strong as undermines the Christian principle of agape and treating others as you would want to be treated (Mark 12)
