Religion, Gender and sexuality Flashcards
(14 cards)
descriptive vs prescriptive
Descriptive: Describes what was happening.
Prescriptive: Describes what should happen.
who was Phoebe in Romans
Paul calls her a deacon and patron of many, showing early female leadership in the Church.
what did tertullian call women
“The devil’s gateway” – blaming Eve for original sin.
what does biblical criticism involve
Historical context
Literary structure
Author’s agenda/bias
Timothy 2:8-15
Says women should be quiet, not teach or have authority over men.
why might Timothy 2 be descriptive
Possibly written by someone not Paul
Specific to Ephesus, where Artemis worship was female-led
Greek writing style differs from Romans
did Jesus choose male apostles
No – used by Catholics as prescriptive: only men should be priests.
counter argument to Jesus choosing only men
Jesus chose men because they’d be listened to at the time. He was as feminist as was possible back then.
what does Daphne Hampson argue
Christianity is “irredeemably sexist”
Jesus being male = permanent patriarchy
Christianity needs a full reset
complementarianism
Men and women have different roles but are equally valuable—together, they fulfill God’s image.
why does the Catholic Church support celibacy
Jesus was celibate
Total devotion to the Church
Seen as a gift or sacrifice
Avoids original sin through self-control
arguments against celibacy
Family not a liability (Genesis: “be fruitful…”)
“Sex is bad” = Platonism, not biblical
Leviticus 18:22 & 20:13
Homosexual acts = sinful
Punishable by death in OT law
Genesis 19: Sodom and Gomorrah
God destroys cities, often used to condemn homosexual acts
