G ender and Theology Notes
Two types of theology/ two conclusions: reform or abandon
Reform feminist Theology attempts to show evidence of feminism in the bible and that the
bible and Christianity are not patriarchal and can show support to women through
reformation/reinterpretation.
Radical feminist Theology believes that Christianity is beyond saving from its patriarchal
nature and should be abandoned altogether as it is too entrenched in androcentrism.
Traditional views of women often come from the Old testament/Judaism which had its roots
in the Roman Empire, which famously controlled women and introduced male centred
ideals into society (e.g. Boudica). The Old testament provides laws on how a man can
divorce his wife, yet there were no such intrusctions for women as they were forbidden to
divorce their husbands. In Deutronomy there are implications that an unmarried woman is a
fathers property. If a man rapes an unmarried woman then he must pay compensation to
their father and marry that woman.
These sexist attitudes seemingly continue through to the new testament, for intsnace Jesus
calls God “Father” and he did not choose any women to be his closest disciples. Even Martin
Luther wrote that Women should stay at home and look after the children.
As a result of these historical beliefs this orthodoxy was shown in orthopraxy through
women not being able to be ordained as a preist.
However due to a rise of the feminist movement and as a reaction to bible passages such as
Galatians “ there is neither jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for we are all one
in jesus christ”. That women were allowed to be ordained in the protestant church.
But Roman Catholic Churched hold a different view – it defends its position using the
arguments that all apostles are men, christ was a man, amd heretical Christian groups have
tried female ordination in the past and it didn’t work. Therefore the Roman Catholic church
at present does not feel it has the authority to admit women to the priesthood, arguing
instead that women and nmen have different vocations but are equal in the eys of God.
Mary Daly – She argues that beliefs become reflected in the way in which people live, and
‘when God is male, male is God’. Although Daly acknowledges that sophisrticated thinkers
do nto take this image of God as male literally, she suggests even people who knopw and
intellectually accept that God is not actually male still subconsciously view ‘him’ as such.
Daly also argues that the use of biblical language is androcentric and that women using this
language perpertrates this diea and they should have the courage to reject god asd a being
and instead view God as simply being , therefore rejecting God as a noun and using him as
averb, changing him to not somethihg people believe in but something people do. A
strength of this is that it could encourage good moral Christian behaviour through
orthopraxy if we view God as a verb of being we are being God by performing good Christian
behaviour. Howsever Daly would have disagreed with this and said we should abandon
Christianity altogether.
Two types of theology/ two conclusions: reform or abandon
Reform feminist Theology attempts to show evidence of feminism in the bible and that the
bible and Christianity are not patriarchal and can show support to women through
reformation/reinterpretation.
Radical feminist Theology believes that Christianity is beyond saving from its patriarchal
nature and should be abandoned altogether as it is too entrenched in androcentrism.
Traditional views of women often come from the Old testament/Judaism which had its roots
in the Roman Empire, which famously controlled women and introduced male centred
ideals into society (e.g. Boudica). The Old testament provides laws on how a man can
divorce his wife, yet there were no such intrusctions for women as they were forbidden to
divorce their husbands. In Deutronomy there are implications that an unmarried woman is a
fathers property. If a man rapes an unmarried woman then he must pay compensation to
their father and marry that woman.
These sexist attitudes seemingly continue through to the new testament, for intsnace Jesus
calls God “Father” and he did not choose any women to be his closest disciples. Even Martin
Luther wrote that Women should stay at home and look after the children.
As a result of these historical beliefs this orthodoxy was shown in orthopraxy through
women not being able to be ordained as a preist.
However due to a rise of the feminist movement and as a reaction to bible passages such as
Galatians “ there is neither jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for we are all one
in jesus christ”. That women were allowed to be ordained in the protestant church.
But Roman Catholic Churched hold a different view – it defends its position using the
arguments that all apostles are men, christ was a man, amd heretical Christian groups have
tried female ordination in the past and it didn’t work. Therefore the Roman Catholic church
at present does not feel it has the authority to admit women to the priesthood, arguing
instead that women and nmen have different vocations but are equal in the eys of God.
Mary Daly – She argues that beliefs become reflected in the way in which people live, and
‘when God is male, male is God’. Although Daly acknowledges that sophisrticated thinkers
do nto take this image of God as male literally, she suggests even people who knopw and
intellectually accept that God is not actually male still subconsciously view ‘him’ as such.
Daly also argues that the use of biblical language is androcentric and that women using this
language perpertrates this diea and they should have the courage to reject god asd a being
and instead view God as simply being , therefore rejecting God as a noun and using him as
averb, changing him to not somethihg people believe in but something people do. A
strength of this is that it could encourage good moral Christian behaviour through
orthopraxy if we view God as a verb of being we are being God by performing good Christian
behaviour. Howsever Daly would have disagreed with this and said we should abandon
Christianity altogether.
