Gender and society

• Feminists argue that gender roles are socially constructed and it is wrong for society to push gender expectations on people. People should be free to choose their path in life
• Liberal feminism advocates for equal rights and opportunities for men and women in society
• Gender Traditionalism holds the view that traditional gender roles are natural and human life is best when following them
• Traditionalists see femininity as irrationally denying the reality of their own nature regarding happiness. Feminists view traditionalism as a man-made ideology manipulating women into accepting roles that serve men's interests
• Traditional view of gender roles: men are dominant active forces while women are submissive to their authority and dedicated to homemaking
• Gender roles and motherhood in the bible

  • Ephesians 5:22-33
  • Genesis 3:16
  • 1 Timothy 2:12
• Traditional Christians may argue that the Bible is God's inspired word and women rejecting certain passages are disobeying God
• Feminist perspectives

  • Liberal feminism
  • Radical feminism
• Gender roles being present in society

  Manipulates people into thinking they are natural
• Radical feminism believes that equal rights alone do not guarantee equality and cultural impact of gender roles needs to be challenged and changed for true equality
• Gender roles


  • Psychological traits associated with male or female in society and home life
• Biblical Patriarchy is a key concept in feminist biblical criticism, suggesting the bible is man-made to subjugate women
• Gender roles have been implemented and seemed natural over thousands of years due to the belief that God designed human nature to flourish when following them or evolution designed males and females for different roles
• In early texts, women holding authority over men is not an option, undermining the goals of liberal feminists
• The Bible is not the perfect word of God but written by men to further the interests of men, reflecting patriarchal ideology
• Liberal feminist theology views the Bible as a product of the human mind requiring reinterpretation due to errors and not being God's perfect word
• Liberal biblical approach

  1. Views the Bible as a product of the human mind and not God's perfect word

  2. Began during the enlightenment era with scientific, historic, and literary critique of the Bible

  3. Bible shown to contain scientific, historical errors, and literary evidence of human author's influence
• Reuther's feminist theology

  The Bible contains patriarchal and equality-supporting verses, leading to inconsistency on gender roles
• The Bible reflects the cultural and historical context of its human authors and requires interpretation for relevance
• Feminists argue against embedding gender roles in telos, comparing it to biblical patriarchy and cultural inventions to perpetuate male dominance
• Pope John Paul II's 'Mulieris Dignitatem' defends Christianity against accusations of sexism, arguing for the complementary qualities of men and women
• Liberal feminist theology challenges the idea that the Bible is the perfect word of God, viewing it as a product of the human mind
• Scriptures were written by witnesses of God's divine events, and what was written down was their interpretation of those events
• Post-Christian feminist theologians' view


  The patriarchy in the Bible is seen as evidence that the Christian God doesn't exist, as it is man-made
• Liberal Christians believe in updating and improving Christian theology and ethics based on Jesus' progressive teachings
• Simone de Beauvoir rejects the idea that motherhood is a woman's telos, aligning with existentialist views that humans must subjectively define their purpose
• JP II argued that motherhood is a woman's telos, a natural purpose, based on Natural Laws reasoning about telos
• Sarte was an existentialist who rejected telos
• Sarte's argument

  Existence precedes essence, meaning humans exist before they have a defined purpose and must subjectively define their purpose for themselves
• Mary Daly argues that Mary is portrayed as a passive empty 'void waiting to be made by the male' and is a 'rape victim' due to the invasion of her mind/will/spirit
• Many feminists argue that capitalism is the cause of patriarchy and recommend socialism, but De Beauvoir believed it was a deeper cultural issue
• De Beauvoir's claim


  Gender roles and differences are the result of socialization, not biology
• De Beauvoir's argument


  Women are pressured into motherhood and sacrifice their desires for child-rearing
• Jesus coming to earth was only possible because of a woman, Mary
• It is easier to believe in objective purpose than existential angst
• De Beauvoir's argument

  Girls and boys are the same until a certain age, then cultural pressures shape their gender roles
• De Beauvoir's argument


  There is no female biological nature as all women are different
• John Paul II pointed out the importance of women in Christian history/theology
• Sarte's argument


  • People cling to fabricated notions of objective purpose like telos due to fear of the intensity of freedom involved in creating their own purpose, leading to feelings of abandonment, anguish, and despair
• Existentialists

  Reject telos