A Brief Post on Feminist Theology

I had the opportunity today to listen to a podcast by Dr. Karen Ross which provided a nice overview of feminist theology. In the episode, Ross explains a chapter from Elizabeth Johnson’s book “Quest for the Living God” called “God Acting Womanish.” At the beginning, Ross defines feminist theology as “the study of God and the way people talk about God with the aim of equality and mutuality between the sexes.”

In short, feminist theologians are people who do not conform to the patriarchal practices and teachings of the Church. Instead, they seek to prove those teachings as unfounded by: researching the oppression of women in the Church, promoting little-known biblical passages that honor women, and attempting to re-interpret sexist interpretations of Bible passages called “texts of terror.” Overall, these women fight to prove that women and men are equal in the eyes of God.

In my opinion, their feminist battle is a worthy one. Call me progressive, but I’ve never understood why the Church is sexist and favors men to begin with. For instance, I believe that women should be allowed to be priests if men can be priests. I mean, both sexes were created equally and in God’s image according to the Book of Genesis!

One of the main topics that Ross discusses from Johnson’s book is the use of masculine “God talk” among the Church and its followers, (meaning that people always refer to God with the pronouns He/Him/His). She notes that this type of talk can be highly problematic for a few reasons. First of all, people use masculine God talk exclusively, which insinuates to the world that men are more God-like than women. This attitude then leads to the subordination of women in our patriarchal Church and society. Additionally, people tend to interpret the masculine God talk as reality, causing them to be idolatrous – instead of viewing God as a higher-being of which we cannot grasp, people simplify God with male features, (which often tend to be white). This simplification can be considered idolatry because people who view God in this way are worshiping an image that is not truly God.

I personally agree with Johnson’s argument against the use of masculine God talk. I feel that the most effective part of her argument is the concept that when we consider God to be a man, it allows for the subordination of women. It is only logical for Christians to conclude that men are superior to women if the creator of all things is a man.

Listening to Ross’s podcast on feminist theology was a truly eye-opening experience for me, since it points out how the Church has inherent discrimination against women. I feel that this type of theology should get more attention from Christians because it is important for both sexes to realize the true value of women. I find it especially unfortunate that many religious women buy into the idea of these “texts of terror” and conclude that their husbands should rule over them. Especially the older generation of Catholic women tend to feel this way in my experience. It makes absolutely no sense for women to be less than men if the sexes were created equal, and believers in God should avoid that unjust train of thought.

In my life, I don’t know if I’m likely to change how I refer to God from He to She or to something else. However, I am now more aware of the reality of masculine God talk and will mentally remind myself that God is not actually gendered.

Finally, to close off this post, I’d like to relate Johnson’s ideas of feminist theology to Sojourner Truth’s 1851 speech “Ain’t I a Woman.”

In Sojourner’s speech, she makes note that she is just as strong as any man, can do just as much work as any man, and would eat just as much as any man if it were available to her. She also directly addresses a man in the room who stated, “women can’t have as much rights as men because Christ wasn’t a woman.”

In response to the man, she notes that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, came from God and a woman. Men did not contribute whatsoever in the process.

Lastly, she says that if Eve could turn the whole world upside down, today’s women could flip it right side up again.

Sojourner’s words relate to the idea of feminist theology (and feminism as a whole) because she proves why men and women are inherently equal. By asserting that she has the same work ethic and hunger as a man, she represents the equality of the sexes. In addition, referencing Mary’s role in the birth and mission of Jesus Christ demonstrates the importance of women in the world. Finally, Sojourner references the story of Adam and Eve to correct a negative stereotype against women that stems from that story. As noted in Ross’s podcast, early Church father Tertullian asserted that Eve, who symbolizes all women, was the cause of all human sinfulness. In Sojourner’s speech, she flips that narrative by using Eve as an example of women’s strength and their willingness to do right.

Overall, both Dr. Ross’s podcast on feminist theology and Sojourner Truth’s classic speech highlight the need for feminism in both the Church and the world, and discuss the women who are currently working to achieve it.