Gender theo scholars Flashcards
Dr Phylis Trible
Thinks we can ‘depatriarchalize’ readings of the Bible (it is possible to remove the overly male interpretations). She argues that the Christian tradition uses the feminine to describe God in the Old Testament more often than is usually thought e.g. in Numbers 11:12, God is portrayed as mother and nurse of her wandering children. Trible argues that God should be understood in female and male terms, rather than just male as this gives a better understanding of God who has female and male qualities.
Challenges the way Genesis 2-3 has been interpreted and argues that the (male) interpreters had something to gain from reading the stories in a certain way.
Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza
Argues that women living in patriarchal societies can take strength from the depictions of Jesus engaging with women, enabling women to be at important events in his ministry and speaking with them as he speaks to men.
We must ‘adopt a hermeneutics of suspicion.. To reconstruct women’s history that was concealed by male historical conscious’
Agrees with the Ruether the feminine is constructed from patriarchal values
Skocicse
suggests that the doctrine of the Trinity is important because it guards against androcentrism. (tendency to prioritise masculine values over feminine
The doctrine of the Trinity says that Jesus was wholly God but not the whole of God.
- That is, Jesus was God incarnate but God incarnate is more than just Jesus
-. There are parts of God that are not Jesus.
This is similar to Ruether’s argument that Jesus was accidentally male rather than essentially male, a point with which Soskice agrees. Soskice wrote ‘human bodies must be either male or female, but Christ is the Saviour not because he is male but because he is human.’
However, although Soskice thinks that the doctrine of the Trinity does not have to be male-focused, she recognises that it often has been viewed that way historically
Synoptic – link to d’costs views of how the tirinity is central to interfaith dialogoue
Pagels
Looks to Egalitarianism of early christaintiy
Elaine Pagels accepted that mainstream Christianity contains misogynism and patriarchy. She suggested that Early Christianity also contained alternative traditions which were much more egalitarian. These traditions are found reflected in the Gnostic Gospels.
Eg) of tohomas, phillip and mary magdelene
They use male and female language about God.
Some go further and describe God as a dyad containing both masculine and feminine aspects.
Mary Magdalene was an important figure (as a disciple or, possibly, as Jesus’ wife).
Some Gnostic sects had female priests.
-she doesnt argue they are more auhtentic then canonical meterial
-However they are valuable alternative tradition to reform christanity by
‘[The gnostic gospels] unanimously picture Mary as one of Jesus’ most trusted disciples. Some even revere her as his foremost disciple
Gonsotiicsm focuses on genesis 1 over 2
- Augustine’s treatment of the Genesis story, in particular his belief in original sin, was at odds with the ideas that went before. The idea that humans are born with concupiscence undermines free will and
Evaluating alternative theologies
Weaknesses – Can argue Pagels has an confirmation bias (seeing only what she wants to see- being feminist validation in Gnosticism )
B hays – looks to criteria – written over 90-100 years later, Also lack of clarity surrounding the accuracy of gnostic scriptures
Fiorenzia – need hermeneutic of suspicion, see how must look critically
Are largely discredited as canonical and seen a fiction, not genuinley christain
Hampson
Believes God must be envisaged to be that which promotes our full humanity. She believes God cannot be gendered; nor anthropomorphically conceived as God is that love and power. Hampson tried to reform Christianity from within. She was a vocal advocate of female ordination but during the 1980s came to regard Christianity as a ‘harmful myth’ and abandoned it.
Hanson’s belief is that Christianity is an inherently historical religion. It is based on the idea that God was revealed at a historical point in time. Consequently, it cannot shed its historic past. However, as it emerged from a patriarchal world it must also be inherently patriarchal. Thus she believes that Christianity is intrinsically and irrevocably patriarchal and cannot be updated or reformed in the way that the reformers would like it to be.
For her, there is ‘not a shred of evidence’ that Jesus was a feminist or had a particular concern for women.
Argues that if Christianity is true, God cannot be thought of as moral or good “given the harm that this myth has done to women”.
Christ
Coins idea of goddess thealogy
Thea = Greek for goddes
Influences Daly – looks to;
Unity with nature. Goddess figures tend to be associated with motherhood and thus with mother nature. Consequently, goddess thealogy often stresses the importance of ecology and living in harmony with the world.
Related to this is a rejection of dualism which place material things and spiritual things in opposition to each other. In (some) strands of tradional Christian thinking women are associated with the material (bad/less good) side of things and men with the spiritual, rational, (superior) side.
Re-evaluation of the body. Humans are not seen as ‘fallen’ and bodily urges are not seen as bad. Sexuality is something to be celebrated.
Community/inter-relatedness.
De beaouvoir
Her notion that “one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” helped destroy the notion that women are born feminine by asserting that ‘femininity’ is only a product of society that causes women to become subject to men. Beauvoir explains how “facts” about women created a myth of the “Eternal Feminine” which depicts women as essentially passive and nurturing. This myth is full of double standards that makes it impossible for women to fulfil society’s expectations. For example, Beauvoir points out the contradictory stereotypes of women as mothers/birthers, like the Virgin Mary.
Norwich
Spoke of Jesus as mother and God the Father as mother. She did not reject the male language applied to the Trinity but supplemented it with female language.
Wittgenstien and RL - felxible
Chan
Argues that the relational concept of God (God as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) is not simply God is a male idea but has a dynamic element of multiple persons in a relationship. He believes that using male language for God does not create masculine qualities for God e.g. Isaiah 54:5-7 God acts with ‘deep compassion’ which is not a traditional masculine characteristic. He believes God is a heavenly father for all. The Christian God is in relationship with all human beings, male and female. For him, describing God as father reinforces idea that God and his creation are separate in contrast with earlier ideas of God as mother connected with earth. Therefore, he argues that you cannot rewrite the Christian story to give more prominence to women because it is the story itself that shapes Christian identity. Belief in the concept of the Trinity (of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is central to Christianity.
He argues that evidence of a more matriarchal past has never guaranteed a lack of sexism: “Even today, many societies devoted to goddess worship remain oppressive towards women. Devotion to the goddess Kali in Hinduism, for instance, has never resulted in better treatment of women, even among Kali devotees.”
-must mainatin gods transciense / omnipostence
Catechism - ‘god is not made in man’s image; he is neither male nor female’
Lorde
Criticised Daly for refusing to acknowledge the ‘HERSTORY and myth’ of women of colour. She argues that the severe oppression they have suffered greatly outweighs the discrimination of white women. Therefore she believed there was a racial bias to Daly’s work and a racist indifference to the plight of minorities who suffer greatest oppression.
-overly focused on stuggle of white middle class women
-fails to see spiritually struggle of men and women from different class/racial backgrounds.
Ricouer
Asks us to adopt a hermeneutic of suspicion when reading a text such as the Bible. We need to be suspicious of the motives, the values, the culture of those who wrote it, and not just project our own values onto the text.
