✅Gender And Theology Flashcards
Criticisms of rosary Reuther
Simon chan
Argues using female language for god doesn’t make society less patriarchal and using male language doesn’t cause society to become patriarchal. “Even today, many societies devoured to goddess worship remain oppressive to women”
Simon chan Christian story
You can not rewrite the Christian story to give more prominence to women because it’s the story that shapes Christian identity. Downplaying the maleness would be wrong
Simon chan
Temptation of abandoning male langsuge
Christians should resist temptation. Accepts that feminine images are used to describe Gods love such as frequent images of Hod.
Phyllis Trible 1932
Thinks we can “departriarchalize” readings of the bible, it is possible to remove the overly male interpretations.
Numbers 11:12
God is portrayed as mother and nurse of her wandering children
“Sexism and god talk “ rosmary Reuther book
1993, “male monotheism has been so takenfor granted in xn culture than the peculiarity it imagining god solely through one gender hadn’t been recognised”
Isaiah 42:14
God revised out like a woman in child birth and she (God) is a confirming mother
Ruether @sofia”
Sofia is Greek for wisdom. Personified in female form of a goddess. Argues early Christians continued to refer to Sofia as divine wisdom.
What has hidden the female wisdom?
The patriarchal veil of the male messiah, Jesus
How is divine wisdom closely linked with Jesus?
Jesus isn’t simply the male form /part of god, but the incarnation of wisdom which is female
Gaia
god is Gaia, Gaia is the name of the Ancient Greek goddess of the earth and therefore links with the divinity of the earth. Not abandoning hristian motion of god. Trying to recover a concept of god hat she believes is found in Christianity in ancient notion of Sofia
Can only women develop a genuine spirituality?
YES
Daly argues only women can. Christianity is so patriarchal that it is devoid of spirituality. Men are therefore unable to be spiritual beings. Only women who have broke away from traditional Christianity can be tyly spiritual.
Only authentic women’s spirituality is that with which abandons all xn trappings
Flourishing new women spirituality, a resurgence of gynery. Should use old words to show power.
Must be transformation through self realisation, women must dare to realise tier element woman bonding powers.
Thealogy
Can only women develop a genuine spirituality?
NO
Those who seek to remains within transitional Christian tradition point to the strong tradition of great female contemplative sand the female notions of divine wisdom in the bible as a model for female spirituality.
Some Christian movements became dissatisfied with what ruether called “masculinist Christ and clerical church. These movements became to “dream of a new dispensation of the divine in which women will represent new”
Ruether and daly common ground
Traditional god is the source of sexism and there is a spirituality which feminism draws attention to
Calling God she is not enough as it doesn’t alter patriarchal perception
Only feminist adequately agrees with human relationship and the environment. Patriarchal: dominance over nature
Feminist theology should transform society and its relationship with nature
Ruther and daly differences
god
Ruether: existence of god is spirit and wisdom
Daly: rejects existence of god and replaces him with nature
Ruther and daly differences
Separatism
Ruether: agreed with Daly radical feminism, but no advantage to lesbian separatism.
Daly: only women have sensitivity to transform the world
Ruther and daly differences
god/Ess
Ruether; considers experience of god in male and female terms is ancient
Daly: rejects notion god is either male or female. In Christ, neither male more female. Patriarchal too strong
Ruther and daly differences
Church
Ruether: although sexist can be reformed, bible tradition and reason provide evidence
Daly: rejects Catholic Cheju has, sexist and patriarchal
Criticisms of ruether
Theology is inclusive-not in competition
Church traditions- May go too far to reform church
Gods sovereignty- using goddess- religion outside xn
Male female difference- men and women are equal. New Testament - natural relationship between god and men:women are different
Critics of Daly
Obscure and alienated- separatist approach to men and weird language
Exclusive- alienting women, not uncling different ethnicities/ poor etc.
Narrow/ very dismissive of other religions
Irrational: demonisation of men “rape culture” not view females have on men
Mary Daly’s title
American radical post-Christian feminist theologian
Rosemary radford ruether title
American feminist reformer scholar
What is the problem with Christianity?
Very male based Idolised Mary Women are created to be subordinate to men Men are more like god than women Absence of women Male dominance Transcendent Only men can lead in church and society
“Feminism represents revolution”
Daphne hampson
What does Mary Daly argue
Female oppression is a product of Christianity’s unholy trinity of rape, genocide and war.
god the father cause oppression of women, his heaven and people and nature- so society is patriarchal. Therefore women need a new spirituality
Mary Daly’s main quote
“If god is male then male is god”