Gender

Question 1

Gender terms and God

Mary Daly

Answer 1

Be-ing replaces God as a spiritual process of the continual discovery of the richness of nature- gender neutral terms instead

Question 2

Gender terms and God

Rosemary Radford Reuther

Answer 2

Goddess language, she argues patriarchal overtures should be removed making the divine accessible to women

Emphasizes the importance of using Old Testament female wisdom principle (Sophia) over male term (Logos)

Question 3

Gender terms and God

Catholic Church

Answer 3

God transcends gender, no gendered terminology

However some Christians tend to prefer to resist feminist influence and continue to use male- oriented language

Question 4

Radford Ruether on the madness of the church

Answer 4

RR argues to reform Christianity within the church

The church needs to return to the authentic message of Jesus by rejecting the androgenic editing of the Biblical texts
For example the masculine idea of Jesus as the warrior- messiah has hidden the authentic liberating, wisdom tradition

Jesus’ actions challenged the marginalized treatment of women

Question 5

Radford Ruether- Jesus and Gender roles

Answer 5

Jesus ignored patriarchal gender roles and established a community of equals based on faith

RR supports the women- church movement as a way of re-discovering this egalitarian ideal

Question 6

Gender and Society

Mullieris Dignitatem 18-19

Answer 6

Presents a catholic view of motherhood as a principle for women, similar to that of Mary

Men and women have complimentary gender characteristics

Women have biological and psychological instincts in child bearing

Question 7

Gender and Society

Mullieris Dignitatem- liberating or patronizing

Answer 7

Liberating- as it may give women a purpose to fulfill and appreciate the sacrifice that they make for their children

Patronizing- as it makes women subservient to men and more palatable

Question 8

Simone de Beavouir

Feminists

On Motherhood

Answer 8

Argues that motherhood restricts women by confining them to home and preventing them from developing a career

Feminists challenge idea of innate gender characteristics are not innate but instead constructed by society- motherhood is a choice and not a expectation

Question 9

Daly’s unholy trinity

Answer 9

Rape, genocide and war

Rape- refers to the oppression of women through violence or metaphorically through pornography and virgin birth of Jesus

Genocide- results from rape culture which one groups dominates and destroys the natural world

War- a symbol of male values; church advocates ‘just war’ yet will not allow abortion or euthanasia

Question 10

Ephesians 5

Answer 10

Ephesians 5:22-33 “wives submit to their husbands… the husband is head of the wife”

Meaning that the wife is subservient to her husband as Christ is head of the church

However the main message of these household is about mutual love and Christ-like relationships- Ephesians is influenced by values and traditions of their times, not the same today
Today values are based on the centrality of love and respect

Family= cultural relativism (one’s idea of family is based on one’s culture)