Gender and theology

Question 1

What was the aim of Ruether’s feminism?

Answer 1

She wanted feminism to move the patriarchy away from Christianity.

The focus for Christian should be God not male leaders.

Question 2

What were Ruether’s beliefs about God and gender?

Answer 2

God is genderless and therefore cannot be established as a man. To turn God into a man is a form of adultery that serves the interests of men.

In the Old Testament, ‘Yahweh’ is the name for God and it means ‘no name’.

Ruether emphasised immanence - God as being with all things.

Question 3

What does ‘Yahweh mean in the Old Testament?

Answer 3

‘No name’ - this is used to refer to God, showing he should be genderless.

Question 4

What did the Hebrew scriptures view the Messiah as ?

Answer 4

Future king in a new kingdom

Son of David

Conqueror warrior

Liberator of people from their enemies

The messiah is both chosen by God (Son of God) and is representative of his people before God (Son of Man)

Question 5

What does Ruether state about the messiah in ‘Sexism and God talk’?

Answer 5

‘The messiah can only be imagined as a male’
As a result of the Davidic messiah

Question 6

What does Ruether think about Jesus being the messiah?

Answer 6

Jesus the servant king is not the traditional warrior messiah.

‘He is expected to win, not suffer and die’

Question 7

What does Ruether believe that Jesus was?

Answer 7

A servant king - served not ruled

Attended to the poor rather than those who are highest in the social order.

Warned his disciples of lording over others

People are freed not through military bravery but by following the servant king.

Question 8

What does Ruether believe about the messiah and wisdom?

Answer 8

She believed that the messiah was a self-sacrificing, redeeming servant that likened to the female notion of wisdom.

Question 9

What should Christianity not do to the Christian concept of the messiah?

Answer 9

Christianity should not bundle the maleness of the historical Jesus and the maleness of the Davidic messiah into the Christian concept of the messiah.

Question 10

What happens if Christians bundle the maleness of the historical Jesus and the maleness of the Davidic messiah into the Christian concept of the messiah?

Answer 10

The female is displaced from the concept of God.

Question 11

What is Sophia?

Answer 11

Wisdom that is personified in the female form.

In scripture, divine wisdom is referred to in female terms.

God is associated with wisdom.

Question 12

What has Christianity merged the notion of divine wisdom with?

Answer 12

The notion of the messianic king.

In the process, the idea of female wisdom has become obscured behind a patriarchal veil of the male messiah.

Question 13

For Ruether, what is divine wisdom closely linked to?

Answer 13

Jesus

This means that the messiah is not simply a male version of God but also the incarnation of wisdom.

Question 14

What does Ruether refer to God as?

Answer 14

‘Gaia’ - ancient Greek for goddess of the earth.

Question 15

What does Ruether seek to recount and what does she believe this will produce?

Answer 15

A full account of human nature and a fuller picture of the divine by balancing male and female.

This will produce a truer reflection of imago dei.

Question 16

What quote from Ruether shows her beliefs on the gender role in Christianity?

Answer 16

‘The female is not only secondary to the male but lacks full human status…’

Question 17

What did Ruether believe about the bible?

Answer 17

She believed that it needed to be interpreted anew to counteract its patriarchal undertones.

Question 18

What is a quote from the wisdom of solomon that talks about sophia in female terms?

Answer 18

‘she is the breath of the power of God’

Question 19

What does Paul refer to Jesus as?

Answer 19

‘Wisdom of God’

Question 20

What are Hampson’s three criticisms of Ruether?

Answer 20

She believed that Ruether ignores the historically entrenched nature of Christianity where God became human in a patriarchal worldview.

Metaphors for God are male - God calls Jesus ‘My Beloved son, whom I have chosen’

The revelation of Christianity in history is full of patriarchal symbols. Eg. the Prodigal son is having property divided by two men.

Question 21

What was Daly’s experiences at college as a teacher?

Answer 21

She almost always refused to let men into her class and stated that she found men disruptive.

Question 22

What does Daly mean when she says God should be ‘castrated’?

Answer 22

She rejects the male focused view of Christianity.

Question 23

What is Daly’s overarching view on Christianity?

Answer 23

She believed that Christianity should be abandoned as the patriarchy came with it.

Question 24

Who does Daly believe can and can’t obtain genuine spirituality?

Answer 24

Men cannot obtain spirituality.

Only women who have broken away from the patriarchal roots of Christianity can be spiritual beings.

Question 25

What are the three parts of Daly's unholy trinity?

Answer 25

Rape Genocide War

Question 26

What is rape according to Daly's unholy trinity?

Answer 26

Rape is a symbol of all of the violent oppression of women. This is a persuasive culture that is hard to break out of.

Question 27

What is genocide according to Daly's unholy trinity?

Answer 27

A culture of rape where women are imagined as a group of objects which sets men as a whole against women.

Question 28

What is war according to Daly's unholy trinity?

Answer 28

War is an inevitable result of the male dominated politics of history seeing as the horrors of war are associated with manly virtues. Women must be radically deviant to reject these moral standards.

Question 29

What is the key difference between Ruether and Daly's ideologies?

Answer 29

Ruether calls to transform Christianity - the patriarchy came before it. Daly calls to abandon Christianity - the patriarchy came with it.

Question 30

What does Daly mean when she says 'If God is male then the male is God'?

Answer 30

If God is superior, and a a male, then men must also be superior to follow this logic.

Question 31

What is Tertullian's view of women?

Answer 31

He saw women as the 'devils' gateway who were responsible for the Fall and the reason that Jesus needed to be sent.

Question 32

What does Daly say about Jesus simply being a limited human being?

Answer 32

Daly believes that it is idolatry to suggest a male savior could represent the eternal being which is God.

Question 33

What are Daly's beliefs about the scapegoat Christ?

Answer 33

Jesus is portrayed by the patriarchy as the scapegoat for the sins originating in Eve.

Question 34

How would Hick align with Daly's view that Jesus was simply a limited human being?

Answer 34

Hick believes that Jesus was like any other prophet - 'Moses, Abraham, etc' This rejects his divinity.

Question 35

What is a quote from Judges that shows how women were viewed in the Old Testament?

Answer 35

'Look, her is my virgin daughter, and his concubine...you can use them and do to them whatever you wish'

Question 36

What does Daly believe women must do in order to be liberated?

Answer 36

They must break away from the patriarchy standards that Christianity has set. 'To be female is to be deviant' (departing from accepting standards)

Question 37

What does Daly believe the incarnation of Christ is?

Answer 37

The 'symbolic legitimation of the rape of all women and all matter'. Seeing as Jesus is idolized as a man by patriarchal values, his incarnation infiltrates the patriarchy into Christianity.

Question 38

What is the sacred men's club according to Daly?

Answer 38

Priests who control the spiritual moments of life through their religious authority.

Question 39

What is quintessence according to Daly?

Answer 39

It is the highest essence, a spirit that permeates nature and gives life to the whole of the universe. We need to turn to this and ignore oppressive taboos of patriarchy.

Question 40

What is Andre Lourde's criticism of Daly?

Answer 40

He suggests Daly refused to acknowledge women of color. The severe oppression they have suffered greatly outweighs the discrimination of white women. There is a racial bias to Daly's theology.

Question 41

What are three main criticisms of Daly's theology?

Answer 41

It does not explain why many males have campaigned for women's rights over the centuries, including Jesus himself. Daly anted women to rule over men - this perpetuates the dualism she herself rejects as being oppressive. There is no analysis of class, wealth or race as an instrument of oppression.

Question 42

What does Daly accuse Augustine and Aquinas of?

Answer 42

She accuses them of misogyny seeing as they deny women a chance to reach their full potential.

Question 43

What is a quote from Hampson to show how Christianity is full of patriarchal symbols?

Answer 43

'we do not have stories of a man sitting at the feet of a female teacher'.