✅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”
Unholy trinity: rape
A rapism” is a culture of rape. It is a symbol of violent oppression which builds together to create society that encompasses. Leaders of society use culture and religion and politics to erase female power and imprison women in a state of greatful dead.
“Now kill all the boys, and kill every women who has slept with a man, but same for yourself every girl who has never slept with a man”
Numbers
what does s Daly say about judges in rape
Where scoundrels arrive at A house demanding to abuse a guest. And host offers his daughter. “Look here is my boring girl and her concubine. I will bring them out to you so you can use them and do whatever you wish, but as got this man, don’t so such an outrageous thing.
What is armchair rape
Enjoy stories of rape though pornography. Enhance sense of power over women
What does Daly say about genocide and rape
Rape is cultural manifestation of sexual system. Worldwide phenomenon of sexual caste. Which gives males and females unequal power. The condition begins at broth and continues throughout our lives.
How does rape and genocide link?
Male sexual violence forms the basis of military interests. Rape objectifies all those who can be case unto the role of victims of violence. Rape makes the raped person the objective victim. It is an act of one group against another, of male against female. And therefore an expression of the thinking of the dominant group is that perpetrating the rape
How does nazis link to genocide
Groupthink that the nazi’s used against those they subjugated and the groupthink of the Catholic Church. Collective focus on sameness in contrast to and against those who are other or different
How does Jewish orgins link to genocide
People of Israel are chosen to be apart form other, highly controversial because it highlights the aspects of Jewish identity as a causal factor in genocide at a time when the term genocide was related to the holocause. For Daly there is something wrong with the group think
Their element of Daly’s unholy trinity
War. Aregues war was an inevitable result of the male dominated politics of 20th and 19th century. Horrors of war are associated with manly and adventurous virtues, with men doing courageous and powerful acts of violence in order to defeat enemy.
Langsuge used by war
Langsuge used covers up the fact that innocent lives are expendable.
Abortion and war link
Just and the killing of unborn children during abortion is called unjust. War is defended by “phallic mortality” and “phallic mentality” . Women need to seek liberation from this moral hypocrisy
What must women do about war in the unholy trinity
Requires women to be radically deviant in the face of Patriarchal expectations. Must reject all moral standards because they have been constructed by men and used, by men, to subjugate women. A full frontal assault on patriarchal requires complete demolition of the expectations place on women
“Symbolic legitimation of tale of all women and all matter” meaning and link
Liberation is no less than a total revolution of moral and social standards. Christianity is a key element in sustaining and shaping these standards. The incarnation of Christ is the “”, underlying culture of rape genocide and war is impregnated by Christianity p
Old language
Sibyl- foresee future Spinster - unmarried woman Muse- creative atirst of stories Weird- supernatural Hag- witch Witch- magic powers Goddess- female deity
Daly- spirituality experienced through nature. What does Daly argue
Maleness of god needs to be overturned. Traditional holy places aren’t suitable for centres of spirituality, sacred space is a moving thing, part of the movement is freedom for both male and female.
What is quintessence
The being in which we live, love and create. Highest essence, the spirit that permeates all nature, giving life and vitality to the whole universe. Can be damaged or partly blocked by many things
What can quintessence be blocked by?
Violence, pornography, poverty. But it can be rediscovered by nature.
What does Daly argue about the turning away of maleness
Grin away from maleness of god and the fixed nature of sacred places, towards the spirit of quintessence. Which is found in the whole universe in nature
Who is rosmary radford ruether?
1936 reform feminist theologian. Argues Christianity has become distorted by the patriarchal traditions and needs to be reformed. Supports women’s ordination in Catholic Church and campaigns for Catholic Christ to change views on abortion. Believe Catholic choices teachings on these issues have been influenced and distorted by patriarchy
Who is Messiah warrior king
David- King David
Old Testament ruler
King and military presence
Victory
Who was the servant king
Compassion and loving Served people on earth Focus on oppression all- not just Jews Washed and kisses the feet of tigers Challenged authorities, dismissed some religious laws. Self sacrificial
Which Greek word best describes female form of wisdom
Sofia
Which book of the bible highlighted female form of wisdom the most
Book of Solomon
How does the incarnation of Jesus preserve Sophia
Jesus presents as divine wisdom
How does ruether describe the trinity?
As relational and gender inclusive spiritual experience”
How is apophatic approach part of the feminist debate?
What he is not rather than what he is, shift to female rather than male, gender not neural
Post Christian theology
Religious thinking that abandons traditional Christian thought
How does atwoods handmaide take link to feminism
1985 book is based in a post feminist state of dystopia, Mary Daly summaries- it might be interesting to speculate upon provable length
Reform feminist theology
Religious thinking that seeks to change traditional Christian thought
Mary Daly’s argument in short
Patriarchal fathers god is the foundation of a sexist untrue of denigration and violence towards women with the unholy trinity
Rosmary radford ruther in short
Critic of aspects of traditional Christian theology but she continues to reform it , arguing it has been distorted by patriachal traditions
Nietzsche quote which influencers Daly
Whoever man had though it necessary to create a memory of himself, his effort has been attended with torture, blood and sacrifice
What did tertulluan see as a devils gateway?
Women, as they are responsive for the fall and the reason god needed to send Jesus to die and save everyone,
What did Augustine think of females?
Not made in the image of god
What did Aquinas think of females
Women were misbegotten males
What did Martin Luther think of women
God created Adam lord of all, but eve spoiled this.
Daly’s book
Beyond god the father: towards a philosophy of women’s liberation, 1973
1971 case study of rape
West Pakistani, women were raped to death by soldiers.
To be female is to be defiant by definition in the prevailing culture
Mary Daly
What does Elizabeth fiorenza argue to Daly?
An alternative reading of the biblical texts and sexism present in them. Argues bible supports women’s struggle against patriarchal sexism because it contains examples that directly challenge partriachal norms such as passages where Jesus breaks sexist customs
Ruether book
Sexism and god talk- towards a feminist theology 1983
