Feminist Theology
Feminist theology – a systematic presentation of theology from the standpoint of gender positions, that is, with consideration of the gendered subjectivity of both sexes. Its value lies in:
-
creating a discourse of doubt concerning the absoluteness of religious dogmas;
-
introducing ethical statements necessary for social and individual flourishing and for women’s full participation in public and religious spheres;
-
criticizing sexism, racism, and homophobia in the church and transforming traditional theology into a gender-egalitarian theology.
Feminist theology studies gender stereotypes, gender ideals, and the gender hierarchy of social roles represented in the discourse of traditional doctrines and religious philosophies. Its aim is the deconstruction of gender inequality in religion and theology and the transformation of this inequality into a gender-egalitarian system of faith and the study of spirituality.
According to traditional theology, the existing gender order is part of “God’s providence”; it is universal and unchangeable. Gender theory places religion within the field of cultural critique, considers gender roles to be social constructions, and interprets the gender ideology of sacred texts as a political product of a particular historical period. According to critics, the gender of the subject and the entire field of meanings associated with it are created and transformed by culture, not by “divine providence.” Gender researchers argue that the sex of a believer cannot determine the degree to which that person is acceptable to God, and that spirituality and the study of the Divine are equally accessible to both sexes.
Gender studies in religion use the tools and key concepts of both gender theory — gender, identity, sexuality, power, subjectivity, sexism, and gender egalitarianism — and classical theology, including God, faith, spirituality, the sacred, ordination, and similar concepts.
The classics of gender studies in religion include Mary Daly, Judith Plaskow, Rebecca Chopp, Julia Kristeva, Riane Eisler, Daphne Hampson, Maria Gimbutas, Elaine Pagels, Denise Carmody, Carol Christ, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, and other theorists who contributed not only to the advancement of women’s self-awareness in the spiritual sphere, but also to the enrichment of world philosophical and theological thought (Sukovata, 2004, pp. 388–389).
Reference:
Sukovata, V. (2004). Gender i relihiia [Gender and religion]. In Osnovy teorii genderu: Navchalnyi posibnyk [Foundations of gender theory: A textbook] (pp. 385–425). Kyiv: K.I.S. [in Ukrainian].
.
Leave a Reply