Monday, June 6, 2016

Feminism: Does the Bible Oppress Women?

            Read any print or watch any video or hear any podcast that introduces feminism, the minimalistic definition of feminism that you would be exposed to would be in any flavor of this definition from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Feminism is both an intellectual commitment and a political movement that seeks justice for women and the end of sexism in all forms.” Within the context of this definition, if you or I affirm that we are not feminists, we would be raucously ridiculed, for it would superficially portray us as being supportive of the prejudice against women. We would then be termed a misogynist.

            But should not our identity, as Christians, in the context of feminism, be based on an accurate understanding of this subject, especially from within the framework of Historic Christianity? So let us get down to the brass tacks in order to understand the foundation of feminist theology (a theology moored in a feminist perspective that advocates equality to women by abolishing the patriarchal rule – rule of men).

            It is of paramount importance for Christians to minimally understand the feminist theology, for we need to comprehend the modalities of feminism from within a Christian worldview. In other words, we need to understand how feminism strives to achieve its objectives through its consideration of God, Bible and salvation from within the Historic Christian perspective.

            Feminist theology belongs to the theological movement named “liberation theologies.” The liberation theologies movement includes a cluster of theologies namely, Black, Feminist and Third World theologies.

            This movement propounds a unique view of salvation. The specific nature of salvation propounded by the liberation theologies contradicts the traditional understanding of Historic Christianity:

            1. Bible is not considered as a book with eternal truths and rules. In other words, the Bible is not considered as universal in nature but of specific history.   

            2. God is not considered as immutable (changeless) but actively involved in change and favoring equality. Significantly, since God favors equality, HE cannot or must not work equally for all people, because justice ought to compensate the inequality, which entails that God ought to favor the oppressed, poor and the lowly.

            3. Salvation is not essentially life after death. Eternal life is always thought of in the context of a new social order. In other words, our goal in life (or within history) is not to gain access to eternity. Millard J. Erickson, in his work Christian Theology, summarizes the concept of salvation as propounded by liberation theology, “The salvation of all persons from oppression is the goal of God’s work in history and must therefore be the task of those who believe in him, utilizing every means possible, including political effort and even revolution if necessary.” (Emphasis Mine).

            Christians ought to consider their feminist identity from within this background. Feminism, from a Christian perspective, is not merely to attain equality and justice for women. But a Christian ought to understand how this equality comes into being or attains fruition.

            Contradicting the core tenets of Historic Christianity is the modality of feminist theology. In its essence, the feminist theology falsely assumes that the Bible’s proclivity is to oppress women. Hence, the feminist theology movement induces a contentious hermeneutic to alter the message of the Bible.

            Since feminism superimposes the feminist ideology into the Bible, this protracted introduction is necessary to understand feminism from within the Historic Christian perspective.

            Having said this, we also ought to understand that feminism is not a totally wasted ideology. Women have been unjustly oppressed, so they ought to be delivered. Feminism achieves this objective, but does extensive damage when this objective works against God’s will.  

            Does the Bible oppress women?

Woman are Created Equal

            Both man and woman are created in the image of God (Genesis 1: 26-27, 5: 1-2). If both man and woman are created in the image of God, then the creational intent of God reveals that the notion of woman being inferior to man is false.

Woman are Not Inferior

            God described the woman as a ‘helper’ to man. The common understanding of the term ‘helper’ in the context of woman’s relationship to man is that of inferiority and subordination of the woman to man.

            Think about this from our day-to-day understanding of the term helper. The one who receives help is in a weak position (within that very context), for he is unable to help himself (he needs help). The helper, on the other hand, is in a stronger position, because he has something that the needy person does not have. So, the person who helps is not necessarily inferior to the one who receives help.

            A proper translation of the Hebrew word ‘helper’ in Genesis 2:18 into English renders the meaning of co-worker or enabler. This certainly does not refer to being subordinate or being inferior.

Woman are Not Insignificant

            Proverbs 31 praises the virtuous woman. She promotes the welfare of her family and is engaged in trading and business. She is by no means confined to her home, whereas she is a very significant presence in her family.

God Referred in Feminine Imagery

            Deuteronomy 32: 18 portrays God in a feminine imagery (as a God who gave birth). God is depicted as Israel’s mother.

            In the context of God’s concern and search for lost persons, Jesus narrated three parables – the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, which are found in Luke 15. In the parables of lost sheep and lost son, Jesus used masculine imagery to depict God, whereas in the parable of lost coin, Jesus depicted God in a feminine imagery because it was the woman who is the main character in this parable.  

            Therefore, since God has been depicted in the feminine imagery, women have not been created as inferior beings by God.

Jesus’ Attitude toward Women

            The Jews did not consider the women as equal to men. They pronounced three blessings each day, “Blessed be the Lord who did not make me a heathen, blessed be he who did not make me a woman, blessed be he who did not make me an uneducated person” (Emphasis Mine). The Jewish man who followed the teachings of Rabbi Hillel could even divorce his wife if she burnt his dinner.

            Jesus, being in that very oppressive situation, was very sympathetic to women. Jesus cared about the spiritual condition of the Samaritan woman (Jews and Samaritans did not have normal relationship). Christ commended the woman with hemorrhage for her faith (Matthew 9: 20-22). Mary and Martha were Christ’s closest friends. Anna was probably the first woman disciple of Jesus (Luke 2: 36-38).  

            We can go on and on.

            That Jesus Christ, God incarnate, treated women at par with men, instructs us that women and men are co-equals in God’s sight.

Women’s Role in God’s Kingdom

            Women, although in a minority, played a significant role in the growth of God’s Kingdom.

            Miriam saved her brother Moses. Deborah was a judge of Israel. Jael slew Sisera (Judges 4: 17-22). Esther saved the Jews from destruction by Haman.

            Women were given the gift of prophecy: Prophet Joel prophesied that women will also prophesy (Joel 2:28), Isaiah’s wife was referred as a prophetess (Isaiah 8:3), and four unmarried daughters of Philip the evangelist prophesied (Acts 21:9).

            The faithfulness of women in Jesus’ time was noteworthy. Women were at the cross (Luke 23: 49), women sought to anoint Christ’s body (Luke 23: 55-56), women discovered the empty tomb of Christ, they heard the message of two angels, and conveyed the news of Christ’s resurrection to the apostles (Luke 24: 1-10).

            Finally, am I a feminist?

            I believe that women and men are created equal although different in abilities (women’s world record for 100 metres sprint is 10.49 seconds, whereas men’s world record is 9.58 seconds, and there are domains where women are better than men). But I do not consider myself a feminist by the popular understanding of that term. I do not consider myself a feminist because the feminist theology sets aside the universal authority of the Bible; it dilutes God and salvation severely.

            The Bible does not oppress women. But the Bible indeed lays down a hierarchy for mankind. It is this hierarchy that the Christian feminists are against.

            Christian feminism espousing feminist theology has caused much pain in the church of Jesus Christ and in Christian homes. Many families and churches are suffering inordinately because of Christian feminism. I will engage this theme in my next blog.

            Until then, may the peace of God be yours and may HIS gracious presence sustain you and yours always. Amen. 

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