Can a male saviour save women? Flashcards
(12 cards)
Introduction
- Introduce the question
- Outline relevance of feminist critique
- State essay structure
- Thesis/loa
Introduce the question: Explore whether a male saviour figure (specifically Jesus or God conceived as male) can genuinely save women, especially within a patriarchal context.
Outline the relevance of feminist critiques of traditional Christian theology, particularly Mary Daly’s radical feminism and Rosemary Radford Ruether’s reformist feminism.
State the essay structure: two main perspectives—Daly’s critique of male divinity and patriarchy versus Ruether’s feminist reinterpretation of Jesus and Christianity—and their implications for the question.
Thesis/line of argument preview: While male saviours historically reinforce patriarchal power structures (Daly), feminist reinterpretations (Ruether) suggest that a male saviour can save women if understood beyond patriarchal constraints, but the current reality of patriarchy severely limits this potential.
Paragraph 1
Body Paragraph 1: Mary Daly — The Male God as a Tool of Patriarchy
Body Paragraph 1: Mary Daly — The Male God as a Tool of Patriarchy
A01
Daly’s core claim: The maleness of God constructs and legitimizes male power; “If God is male, then the male is God.”
This creates a false spirituality that naturalizes male supremacy as divinely ordained and unchallengeable.
Male God = male power system enshrined as eternal fact; patriarchy disguised as divine order.
Daly’s critique of the Bible and Church: Sexist teachings (1 Corinthians 14:34, 1 Timothy 2:12, Ephesians 5:22-33) enforce women’s submission and associate women with sin and inferiority (Eve as original sinner).
Biblical stories like Numbers 31 and Deuteronomy 21 legitimize violence and subjugation of women, linking Christianity complicitly with patriarchy’s “unholy trinity” of rape, genocide, and war.
Daly’s solution: Abandon the patriarchal Church; replace it with a female-centred Sisterhood that rejects hierarchy and dogma.
Proposes re-conceptualizing God as a verb (“be-ing”) rather than a male noun to escape fixed gender binaries and challenge oppressive structures.
Daly argues a male saviour cannot truly save women in a patriarchal system, as male symbols reinforce male dominance; spiritual salvation requires a female-centred or gender-neutral framework.
Body Paragraph 1: Mary Daly — The Male God as a Tool of Patriarchy
Strengths
Powerfully exposes how religious imagery sustains social oppression.
Shows patriarchal theology’s deep roots and structural violence.
Body Paragraph 1: Mary Daly — The Male God as a Tool of Patriarchy
Weaknesses
Critics argue Daly’s advocacy for female supremacy risks reversing sexism rather than achieving equality.
Radical separation of men and women (Sisterhood) might be impractical and resemble segregation, which could foster division rather than liberation.
Some suggest Daly overlooks possibilities for reinterpretation within Christianity.
Paragraph 2
Body Paragraph 2: Rosemary Radford Ruether — Feminist Reinterpretation of Jesus and Christianity
Body Paragraph 2: Rosemary Radford Ruether — Feminist Reinterpretation of Jesus and Christianity
A01
Ruether’s feminist reformism: Christianity is patriarchalized but redeemable by reinterpreting Jesus and scripture.
Emphasizes equal creation in imago Dei; God beyond gender; “Father” is a later Christian invention.
Early traditions (Sophia as female divine wisdom; female prophets) suggest gender inclusivity was once present but was suppressed by patriarchalization.
Jesus as servant-king, non-warrior Messiah who embodied female wisdom and challenged social hierarchies, not the traditional male warrior Messiah.
“Golden thread” of liberation: themes of justice, equality, and opposition to oppression run through the Bible and Jesus’ ministry (e.g., woman at the well, adulterous woman, Jesus allowing Martha to listen rather than cook, Galatians 3:28).
Ruether argues Jesus can save women if interpreted through this feminist lens, and Christianity can be reformed to support feminist values.
Body Paragraph 2: Rosemary Radford Ruether — Feminist Reinterpretation of Jesus and Christianity
Strength
Offers hope for reform and continuity within Christianity, making it compatible with feminist ideals.
Recognizes complexity and diversity in scripture rather than total rejection.
Body Paragraph 2: Rosemary Radford Ruether — Feminist Reinterpretation of Jesus and Christianity
Weaknesses
Some argue these interpretations are idealized and ignore how deeply patriarchal readings persist and influence believers, even liberals.
Non-political readings of Jesus (e.g., “kingdom not of this world,” “give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s”) limit the radical feminist potential of Jesus’ teachings.
Feminists critical of Christianity might argue these reforms are insufficient or co-opt feminist ideals to preserve patriarchal structures.
Connection to Daly: Even if Jesus had feminist traits, the current patriarchal society distorts male saviours, making genuine salvation for women unlikely without structural change.
Conclusion
Summarise
Daly highlights how a male God and male saviour in a patriarchal society inherently reinforce male dominance and cannot fully save women. Ruether offers a constructive reinterpretation that sees Jesus as potentially inclusive and feminist, allowing Christianity’s redemption.
Conclusion
Evaluate the questions complexity
Whether a male saviour can save women depends largely on whether one accepts patriarchal structures or believes they can be reformed.
Current reality: Patriarchy’s deep entrenchment severely limits the male saviour’s ability to offer genuine salvation to women.
Conclusion
Final LOA
While a male saviour can theoretically save women if Christianity is reimagined through feminist theology (Ruether), the prevailing patriarchal context (Daly’s analysis) means that in practice a male saviour often fails to do so.
True spiritual salvation for women demands dismantling patriarchal frameworks, not merely reinterpreting male symbols.
