Feminist theology
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Feminist theology is a movement, generally in the Western religious traditions (mostly Christianity and Judaism), to reconsider the traditions, practices, scriptures, and theologies of those religions from a feminist perspective. Some of the goals of feminist theology include increasing the role of women among the clergy and religious authorities, reinterpreting male-dominated imagery and language about God, and studying images of women in the religion's sacred texts.
Feminism has had a great impact on many aspects of religious practice. In the liberal branches of Protestant Christianity, women are now ordained as clergy. In Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist Judaism, women are now ordained as rabbis and cantors. Within these Christian and Jewish groups, women's perspectives are now sought out in developing new statements of belief.
Feminism has impacted other religious groups differently. Orthodox Judaism, the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, conservative Protestant denominations such as the Southern Baptists and the Confessional Lutherans (for example Missouri Synod Lutherans) do not ordain women as clergy.
In the West, many Muslims have embraced women and men as equals, though different, seeking to appeal to the more egalitarian, secular West. Issues of woman as imams and polygamy are debated. However, the term Muslim feminist is disliked.
Although placing women in roles of religious leadership is an important issue to many, feminist theology attempts to consider every aspect of religious practice and thought. Some of the questions feminist theologians ask are:
- How do we do theology? The basic question of how theologians may go about creating systems of thought is being reinterpreted by feminist theologians. Many feminist theologians assert that personal experience can be an important component of insight into the divine, along with the more traditional sources of holy books or received tradition. (The relevance of personal experience to the policies of groups of people is a familiar notion to veterans of the feminist movement.)
- Who is God? Feminist theologians have pioneered the use of non- or multi-gendered language for God, holding that language powerfully impacts belief about the behavior and essence of God.
- Where are women in religious history? Feminist historical theologians study the roles of women in periods throughout history that have impacted religion: the Biblical period, the early Christian era, medieval Europe, and any period of import to a particular religion. They study individual women who influenced their religion or whose religious faith led them to impact their culture. The work of these scholars has helped feminist theologians claim historical figures as their predecessors in feminist theology. For example, Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I A Woman?" speech pointed out, "Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman. Man had nothing to do with him!" Elizabeth Cady Stanton produced the "Woman's Bible," excising the traditional Christian text of all references she thought contradicted the positions of women's rights.
Contents |
The Bible
Problematic Passages
A large variety of biblical passages are used as authority to eliminate women from leadership roles, primarily in marriage and priest/pastorship. Some feminists reject the passages altogether while more conservatives believe they can be reconciled with feminism.
- Genesis 3.16 God makes Eve to desire her husband as a template for females.
- 1 Corinthians 11.3-16 Women are commanded to cover their heads in worship.
- 1 Corinthians 14.34-35 Women are told to be silent in church.
- Ephesians 5.22 Women are told to submit to their husbands.
- First Epistle to Timothy 2.11-12 Women are told to be quiet in church.
Supportive Passages
- Genesis 3.15 The Messiah is promised to woman.
- Exodus 15.20 Miriam is called a prophetess.
- Judges 4 Deborah leads the nation of Israel.
- Proverbs 31 10, 29 Women are commended when they are mighty.
- Nehemiah 16.14 The prophetess Noadiah is mentioned.
- Isaiah 8.3 An anonymous prophetess is mentioned.
- Book of Joel 2.28, 29 Prophesy that women and men will prophesy alike.
- Gospels Jesus shows no distinction between women and men to the denial of cultural norms.
- Acts of the Apostles 2.4 Mary, the mother of Jesus, and other women prophesy.
- Acts of the Apostles16.14-15 Lydia is identified as a deacon.
- Romans 16.1 A woman, Phoebe, is called a deacon.
- Romans 16.3 Priscilla is listed as above her husband, Aquila.
- Romans 16.7 A woman, Junias, is identified as an apostle.
- 1 Corinthians 11 3-16 Women are commanded to uncover their heads as a sign of authority.
- Galatians 3.28 "There is neither . . . male nor female for all are one in Christ Jesus."
- Ephesians 5.21 Husbands and wives are told to submit to each other.