03 Social And Historical Developments - C Femenist Theology

Question 1

What does theology take seriously?

Answer 1

The experience of women. It also recognises that religion has played a part in the oppression of women.

Question 2

What does Radford Reuther argue?

Answer 2

When there is a negative response to calling God ‘she’ it is because the Bible and theology views men as more authentically human than women.

Question 3

What is androcentrism?

Answer 3

The Bible and theology view men as more authentically human than women.

Question 4

Why do some believe that women are more responsible for ‘the fall’ than men?

Answer 4

The Bible has been interpreted to suggest that sin entered the world through Eve.

Question 5

What does the New Testament say that women should be to men?

Answer 5

‘subject’.

Question 6

Give an example of in the Old Testament that men should be dominant to women?

Answer 6

Genesis 3:16 -
“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labour you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.”

Question 7

Give an example of in the New Testament that men should be dominant to women?

Answer 7

Ephesians 5:24 -
Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Question 8

What has Christian theology been influenced by?

Answer 8

Ancient greek philosophy which viewed women as respecting the emotional side of humanity while men rational and therefore superior.

Question 9

What did Aristotle describe women as?

Answer 9

misbegotten males.

Question 10

Who was Augustine influenced by?

Answer 10

Aristotle.

Question 11

What does Reuther believe is the only real difference between men and women?

Answer 11

their reproductive role.

Question 12

What can both genders manifest?

Answer 12

‘female’ traits and ‘male’ traits.

Question 13

What is our nature?

Answer 13

androgynous.

Question 14

What does androgynous mean?

Answer 14

having a combination of both male and female characteristics.

Question 15

What does Reuther argue that ideas of masculinity and femininity come from?

Answer 15

culture and socialisation but are not part of our inner nature.

Question 16

What woman in the New Testament have women been urged to follow?

Answer 16

Mary

Question 17

What does Mary show qualities of that women are expected to follow?

Answer 17

-Meekness
-Mildness
-Passivity
-Gentleness
-Obedience

Question 18

What has Mary been idealised as which is an impossible for any woman to match? What does this ‘archetype’ suggest?

Answer 18

A mother and a virgin. This suggests that for a woman to be spiritual they should not be sexual.

Question 19

Who is the other alternative to be like instead of Mary?

Answer 19

Eve. The temptress and bringer of sin into the world.

Question 20

What does a 15th century Dominican manual explain?

Answer 20

Why women may be witches.

Question 21

What has Ruether long argued for?

Answer 21

The ordination of women.

Question 22

What does the 1976 Vatican declaration against women’s ordination state?

Answer 22

‘There must be a physical resemblance between the priest and Christ’.

Question 23

Summarise the 1976 Vatican declaration against women’s ordination.

Answer 23

Because women have different genitalia than men, they cannot be priests.

Question 24

Why do some think that men are closer to God than females?

Answer 24

A male God made us and a male savour saved us so males are therefore closer to God than females.

Question 25

What does Ruether believe that saying that men are closer to God than women is?

Answer 25

The sin of idolatry.

Question 26

What is the role of prophets?

Answer 26

To challenge injustice.

Question 27

What is Gnosticism?

Answer 27

Some suggest that Mary Magdalene was the leader of one particular group. Within Gnosticism there is no real concept of the difference between men and women, with women generally accepted as Apostles and God having male and female aspects.

Question 28

What was Gnosticism declared by early church fathers?

Answer 28

heretical.

Question 29

What is Quakers?

Answer 29

developed as a spiritual movement which has no clergy and no difference in the importance of men and women.

Question 30

What does Ruether see feminism as a part of in the Bible?

Answer 30

prophetic tradition.

Question 31

What did the prophets fight against?

Answer 31

The oppression of the poor and marginalised by powerful individuals and groups and at times from religious groups.

Question 32

Why does Ruether see feminism as a part of prophetic tradition?

Answer 32

Although prophets don't speak out against sexism their principles include all forms of oppression.

Question 33

What does Reuther suggest that Jesus should be seen as part of?

Answer 33

Prophetic tradition.

Question 34

What did the early Christian church have?

Answer 34

a counter cultural character.

Question 35

What did Jesus' movement appear to place women on?

Answer 35

an equal footing to men.

Question 36

What does Reuther see Jesus as?

Answer 36

a servant helping to liberate those who are suffering.

Question 37

What does Reuther say that feminism must reclaim?

Answer 37

The view of Jesus in which his maleness is of no importance.

Question 38

What are the 3 other attempts to liberate women from sexism?

Answer 38

-Romanticism -Liberalism -Marxism

Question 39

What is romanticism?

Answer 39

A romantic view of women in the late 18th century. Viewed women as pure and good because they had kept out of politics. War had been caused by men. Social salvation would come through embracing female qualities.

Question 40

What is Liberalism?

Answer 40

Rejects traditional roles, fights for social reforms: right to vote, obtain divorce, birth control, equal pay, the importance of access to education. This was successful in many ways.

Question 41

Why does Ruether argue that liberalism has been a mainly upper middle class phenomenon?

Answer 41

Women may hire lower class women to care for children or work in the home.

Question 42

What is marxism?

Answer 42

Men and women viewed as equally able to contribute to society. Women should be allowed to work. (Women still do much of the work in the home.)

Question 43

Where does Reuther suggest that women may need to find the support they need outside of the church? Why?

Answer 43

female base communities because patriarchy and sexism will continue in the church.

Question 44

What is Reuther's ideal?

Answer 44

of a prophetic-liberation strand found in the bible.

Question 45

What is the goal for human life according to Mary Daly?

Answer 45

For all people to engage in a journey of growth, becoming creative and fulfilled individuals, freely participating in communities that are healthy and liberating.

Question 46

According to Mary Daly, why has the goal of life not been the case, especially for women?

Answer 46

Women have been trapped in oppressive roles.

Question 47

What does Daly call society having a hierarchy which places the female gender below the male gender?

Answer 47

a 'sexual caste system'.

Question 48

What has the church played a large role in helping culture maintain?

Answer 48

the 'sexual caste system' and it is now time for women to over come the system.

Question 49

Quote Mary Daly.

Answer 49

"If God is male, male is God".

Question 50

Is God a noun?

Answer 50

no.

Question 51

Daly's goal of life uses verbs such as .........., ................ and ............ but she says women are treated as .............. - as .......... . Daly suggests that this has been supported by using .......... to describe ...... . This makes God ............, .................... . (creator, ruler)

Answer 51

Daly's goal of life uses verbs such as **being**, **changing** and **moving** but she says women are treated as **objects** - as **nouns**. Daly suggests that this has been supported by using **nouns** to describe **God** . This makes God **static**, **unchanging**. (creator, ruler)

Question 52

What are the 3 versions of this noun God that Daly suggests?

Answer 52

1. God as a stop gap. 2. God as other worldly. 3. God as a judge of sin.

Question 53

Explain God as a stop gap. (Daly's nouns)

Answer 53

God of the gaps: an explanation of the unknown.

Question 54

Explain God as a other worldly. (Daly's nouns)

Answer 54

gives rewards and punishments after death.

Question 55

Explain God as a judge of sin. (Daly's nouns)

Answer 55

God insists on rules and establishes rules for men and women.

Question 56

What are Daly's 3 images of God?

Answer 56

Static and do not inspire change or creativity.

Question 57

What does Daly suggest that Jesus has been turned into by the church?

Answer 57

a noun.

Question 58

What noun does Daly say that Jesus was turned into?

Answer 58

The other-worldly God man who is a model all Christians to follow.

Question 59

What does Daly argue that there should not be?

Answer 59

just one model for human living.

Question 60

What does Daly suggest we should see God as?

Answer 60

A verb. A transforming power that helps us to become the people we are meant to be.

Question 61

What does Daly argue is idolatry?

Answer 61

Worshiping God of patriarchy, including the God-man. Jesus is a form of idolatry.

Question 62

What does Daly accuse Christians of committing?

Answer 62

-Christolatry -Biblioratry

Question 63

What is Christolatry?

Answer 63

Worshiping the son of God using patriarchal categories rather than God who is beyond gender.

Question 64

What is bibliolatry?

Answer 64

Worshipping the Bible instead of God.

Question 65

What is Bibliolatry associated with?

Answer 65

a literal approach.

Question 66

For Daly, what is to believe in the power of God?

Answer 66

To believe in the power of being and becoming in all people.

Question 67

What does Daly believe is the heart of all human violence?

Answer 67

Treating women as objects.

Question 68

What does Daly describe as the 'unholy trinity'?

Answer 68

-rape -genocide -war

Question 69

Why does Daly believe that the 'unholy trinity' is caused by women being treated as objects.

Answer 69

In each of these acts of violence, women are viewed as objects which enables men to treat them as such.

Question 70

What values does Daly argue that society associates women with?

Answer 70

-passivity -gentleness -self-sacrifice.

Question 71

What prevents women from preventing the acts of the' unholy trinity'?

Answer 71

Daly argues that society associates women with values of passivity.

Question 72

What has women prevented from being given leadership positions?

Answer 72

Daly argues that society associates women with values of passivity. These values are seen as important by society.

Question 73

What does Daly suggest that women should strive to build?

Answer 73

Their own ethics apart from gender.

Question 74

What does Daly believe that the churches are?

Answer 74

Too patriarchal to ever become a place where women can find the transformation they scale.

Question 75

What does Daly call herself?

Answer 75

'Post Christian'

Question 76

What does Daly call for women to be?

Answer 76

'antichurch' and leave the patriarchal structure.