LOA’s

Question 1

How do Ruether’s and Daly’s feminist theologies compare with regard to sexism and patriarchy in Christianity, as it has developed in the mainstream churches?

Answer 1

• Line of argument restated: While Daly exposes the depth of patriarchy’s grip on Christian symbolism and institutions, her approach risks impracticality and alienation through separatism. Ruether’s theology, though sometimes optimistic, offers a more constructive and inclusive model for confronting sexism in Christianity by reforming rather than abandoning it.

•	Final evaluation: Both approaches contribute significantly to feminist theology: Daly provides a radical critique of patriarchal theology’s foundations, and Ruether offers a hopeful vision for transformation from within. The question of whether mainstream Christianity can be genuinely reformed remains contested, but Ruether’s model currently holds broader potential for influencing existing churches, while Daly’s model inspires more radical feminist spirituality beyond them.

Question 2

How do Ruether’s and Daly’s feminist theologies compare with regard to whether Christianity can be changed or should be abandoned/

Answer 2

Given the evidence and critiques, Ruether’s approach is more viable for achieving lasting feminist transformation because it works within the existing faith community, encouraging critical reinterpretation and reform rather than rejection.

Daly’s radical separatism exposes crucial problems but risks fragmentation and loss of religious resources for feminism. Therefore, Christianity should be changed rather than abandoned, but such reform must be vigilant and persistent against patriarchal influences.

Question 3

Is Christianity essentially sexist?

Answer 3

Christianity has been essentially sexist historically and institutionally, but is not necessarily or inevitably so.

It has the potential for feminist reform and transformation through theological reinterpretation, meaning it is not permanently or essentially sexist.

Question 4

Can a male saviour save women?

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

Can only women develop a genuine spirituality?

Answer 5

While patriarchal Christianity has impeded women’s genuine spirituality, genuine spirituality itself is not gender-exclusive—true spiritual liberation requires dismantling patriarchy and embracing inclusive, feminist visions of the divine and salvation.

Question 6

Can the Christian God be presented in female terms?

Answer 6

While the Christian God has not traditionally been presented in female terms, feminist theology demonstrates it is both possible and necessary to challenge male-only imagery.

Daly’s radical critique highlights the dangers of male God imagery, but Ruether’s reformist perspective offers a more hopeful path to reconciling Christianity with feminism by recovering the “golden thread” of liberation.

Therefore, the Christian God can be presented in female or gender-inclusive terms, but doing so requires deep theological reform and critical engagement with patriarchal history. It is a difficult but achievable project rather than an outright impossibility.