Lesson 1: Rosemary Radford Ruether
Reform feminist movement: religious thinking that seeks to change traditional
Christian thought
Patriarchy: a system in which men have power and women are marginalised.
Ruether argues:
- Christianity has been distorted by patriarchal traditions; patriarchy has shaped
Christian thought about God. Women should be allowed to be ordained
- Key issues: Jesus’ challenge to male warrior-messiah expectation, God as the
female wisdom principle and Jesus as the incarnation of wisdom
Key issue: Jesus’ challenge to male warrior-messiah expectation
- Davidic Messiah: Messiah based on kingly military images of Hebrew scripture
- Servant king: an understanding of the Messiah that focuses on service
- The David Messiah: is a descendant of King David, will fight to establish a new
kingdom and reign over people, is chosen by God and is representative of the
people before God
- “So, David triumphed over the Phillistine with a sling and a stone; without a
sword in his hand, he struck down the Philistine and killed him”
- Ruether argues that Jesus was not a warrior-messiah instead he was a servant
king: serves people, rather than dominating over them, focused on the poor and
oppressed, people are made free by following his example.
- Reuther: “relation to God no longer becomes a model for dominant-subordinate
relationships between social groups, leaders and the led”
Key issue: God as the female wisdom principle
- Sophia: Greek word for wisdom personified in the female form in the ancient
world
- In the Old Testament, God is associated with wisdom, and wisdom is referred to
as female for example; “does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise
her voice” Proverbs
- Reuther argues that God is associated with wisdom and wisdom is female.
However, the female divine wisdom was lost behind the patriarchal image of the
male Messiah.
Key issue: Jesus as the incarnation of wisdom
- Ruther argues that Jesus is closely linked to divine wisdom.
- As wisdom is in female terms, the Messiah is not therefore simply a male part of
God, but also the incarnation of wisdom, which is female.
- Our understanding of God should remember that both male and female are
made in the image of God.
- “So, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created
them, male and female he created them” Genesis 1:27
, Lesson 2: Analysis and Evaluation of Rosemary Radford Ruether
Summary of Ruether:
- Christianity has been misinterpreted due to patriarchy, and so it needs to be
transformed not just to make it fairer to women, but to enable it to be a true
expression of the beliefs and values of Christianity.
Phyllis Trible (supporting Ruether):
- “Born and bred in a land of patriarchy, the bible abounds in male imagery and
language” “This task involves highlighting neglected texts and reinterpreting
familiar ones”
- Some of Trible’s examples of neglected texts:
“You forgot the God who gave birth to you”
“For this is what the Lord says: 'as a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort
you”
- An example of Trible's reinterpretation of a text (Genesis 2, Adam and Eve):
When eve is created as Adams helper, this is interpreted to mean subordinate.
The Hebrew word which is translated as helper is "Ezer”. The same word is used
to describe God is Exodus.
If someone is another person’s “Ezer”, this does not imply they are subordinate
to that person – otherwise the same word would not have been used for God
Simon Chan
- The concept of maleness to God is central to Christianity; God is referred to as
the Father and the second person of the Trinity incarnate as man. Though
female images can be used to describe God’s love, God is never directly called
mother. He also questions the idea that using female language for God would
make society less patriarchal.
- “Even today, many societies devoted to goddess worship remain oppressive
towards women”
Reform feminist movement: religious thinking that seeks to change traditional
Christian thought
Patriarchy: a system in which men have power and women are marginalised.
Ruether argues:
- Christianity has been distorted by patriarchal traditions; patriarchy has shaped
Christian thought about God. Women should be allowed to be ordained
- Key issues: Jesus’ challenge to male warrior-messiah expectation, God as the
female wisdom principle and Jesus as the incarnation of wisdom
Key issue: Jesus’ challenge to male warrior-messiah expectation
- Davidic Messiah: Messiah based on kingly military images of Hebrew scripture
- Servant king: an understanding of the Messiah that focuses on service
- The David Messiah: is a descendant of King David, will fight to establish a new
kingdom and reign over people, is chosen by God and is representative of the
people before God
- “So, David triumphed over the Phillistine with a sling and a stone; without a
sword in his hand, he struck down the Philistine and killed him”
- Ruether argues that Jesus was not a warrior-messiah instead he was a servant
king: serves people, rather than dominating over them, focused on the poor and
oppressed, people are made free by following his example.
- Reuther: “relation to God no longer becomes a model for dominant-subordinate
relationships between social groups, leaders and the led”
Key issue: God as the female wisdom principle
- Sophia: Greek word for wisdom personified in the female form in the ancient
world
- In the Old Testament, God is associated with wisdom, and wisdom is referred to
as female for example; “does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise
her voice” Proverbs
- Reuther argues that God is associated with wisdom and wisdom is female.
However, the female divine wisdom was lost behind the patriarchal image of the
male Messiah.
Key issue: Jesus as the incarnation of wisdom
- Ruther argues that Jesus is closely linked to divine wisdom.
- As wisdom is in female terms, the Messiah is not therefore simply a male part of
God, but also the incarnation of wisdom, which is female.
- Our understanding of God should remember that both male and female are
made in the image of God.
- “So, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created
them, male and female he created them” Genesis 1:27
, Lesson 2: Analysis and Evaluation of Rosemary Radford Ruether
Summary of Ruether:
- Christianity has been misinterpreted due to patriarchy, and so it needs to be
transformed not just to make it fairer to women, but to enable it to be a true
expression of the beliefs and values of Christianity.
Phyllis Trible (supporting Ruether):
- “Born and bred in a land of patriarchy, the bible abounds in male imagery and
language” “This task involves highlighting neglected texts and reinterpreting
familiar ones”
- Some of Trible’s examples of neglected texts:
“You forgot the God who gave birth to you”
“For this is what the Lord says: 'as a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort
you”
- An example of Trible's reinterpretation of a text (Genesis 2, Adam and Eve):
When eve is created as Adams helper, this is interpreted to mean subordinate.
The Hebrew word which is translated as helper is "Ezer”. The same word is used
to describe God is Exodus.
If someone is another person’s “Ezer”, this does not imply they are subordinate
to that person – otherwise the same word would not have been used for God
Simon Chan
- The concept of maleness to God is central to Christianity; God is referred to as
the Father and the second person of the Trinity incarnate as man. Though
female images can be used to describe God’s love, God is never directly called
mother. He also questions the idea that using female language for God would
make society less patriarchal.
- “Even today, many societies devoted to goddess worship remain oppressive
towards women”
