Feminist Theology: What Harm Can It Do?
To some feminism and feminist theology (FT) revolves around a bunch of women wanting to have their turn in church leadership. Yet if you scratch the surface a little more you will see a sinister and ugly monster that does significant harm to Biblical Christianity. The doctrine that cops the most damage in FT is the Trinity. Why?
FT basically espouses that historical Christianity is male centred and hierarchical. This 'patriarchal religion' treats women as a second class citizen and is therefore abusive to women. FT despises any form of patriarchy and seeks to establish 'equality', where everyone is the same. Yet the contradictions of FT are evident when they begin to do theology. This is becasue the starting point for doing theology, according to FT, is experience. But not just any experience, the experience that is unique to women. Their experience defines Christianity. What is the result? Well basically God is not seen as holy and transcendant (distinct from the world) and He cannot be spoken of with masculine titles (He, King, Father etc.). God is seen as moving and changing with the world, a world that is becoming and reaching its ultimate perfection in itself. God is no longer a relational or personal God but an impersonal force that has no clue about the future and cannot intervene to stop the world from running its course. Furthermore, God can and ought to be addressed as Mother or God/dess. The Trinity can also be spoken of as Mother, Child, Womb.
So what is the problem with using feminine titles for God? Firstly, If we take the Bible to be God's revelation of Himself and His dealings with His creation, and if the Bible is our final authority then we know that God has not revealed himself in feminine titles. Jesus himself was a male and spoke of God as His Father (read all of John's gospel). Secondly, God is transcendant and therefore cannot have gender as gender is bound up with creation (God is not created, He is creator). Thirdly, experience does not define Christianity as we all have different experiences and the result would be a Christianity that is suitable to each person which would contradict itself and therefore be completely false and not worth believing. Fourthly, the Trinity reveals that God is a personal God who relates within the three persons. He is not some impersonal force. Finally, God is transcendant; He is not moving and changing with the world, but remains distinct from the world and has authority over the world.
Yet He is a personal God who relates to us, which is especially evident in the incarnation - God in Jesus Christ dwelling among His people to save His people. Check out The Resurgence for more on this topic.
FT basically espouses that historical Christianity is male centred and hierarchical. This 'patriarchal religion' treats women as a second class citizen and is therefore abusive to women. FT despises any form of patriarchy and seeks to establish 'equality', where everyone is the same. Yet the contradictions of FT are evident when they begin to do theology. This is becasue the starting point for doing theology, according to FT, is experience. But not just any experience, the experience that is unique to women. Their experience defines Christianity. What is the result? Well basically God is not seen as holy and transcendant (distinct from the world) and He cannot be spoken of with masculine titles (He, King, Father etc.). God is seen as moving and changing with the world, a world that is becoming and reaching its ultimate perfection in itself. God is no longer a relational or personal God but an impersonal force that has no clue about the future and cannot intervene to stop the world from running its course. Furthermore, God can and ought to be addressed as Mother or God/dess. The Trinity can also be spoken of as Mother, Child, Womb.
So what is the problem with using feminine titles for God? Firstly, If we take the Bible to be God's revelation of Himself and His dealings with His creation, and if the Bible is our final authority then we know that God has not revealed himself in feminine titles. Jesus himself was a male and spoke of God as His Father (read all of John's gospel). Secondly, God is transcendant and therefore cannot have gender as gender is bound up with creation (God is not created, He is creator). Thirdly, experience does not define Christianity as we all have different experiences and the result would be a Christianity that is suitable to each person which would contradict itself and therefore be completely false and not worth believing. Fourthly, the Trinity reveals that God is a personal God who relates within the three persons. He is not some impersonal force. Finally, God is transcendant; He is not moving and changing with the world, but remains distinct from the world and has authority over the world.
Yet He is a personal God who relates to us, which is especially evident in the incarnation - God in Jesus Christ dwelling among His people to save His people. Check out The Resurgence for more on this topic.
posted by Mully @ 6:04 AM
1 Comments:
its the thin edge of the wedge...i think (and i speak as a reformed ex-feminist!) that we should focus more on god and on following jesus, rather than on ourselves and our petty differences and hobby horses...more of god and less of us...that would make the world a much better place!!!
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