Extra Credit Presentation: Rhetoric of Subordination Professor Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza’s presentation on the Rhetoric of Subordination gave an in-depth perspective on how religious scriptures have had an influence on society’s views on family structures. Throughout her presentation she also brings to light how Christian scripture helped to establish the foundation for how men are perceived as superior by society compared to women. Professor Fiorenza’s findings are focused on a theory that society is “double blind” when it comes to a woman’s role in various communities, and made an interesting point on how the word ‘women’ and ‘she’ includes the words ‘men’ and ‘he’. Listening to her presentation reminded me of some similarities in Lynn
Gender constructs are virtually everywhere. No matter what society, time period, or seemingly progressiveness of a people, gender continues to shape and limit ideologies. In Louise Erdrich’s novel The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse, the main character experiences the limitations of gender constructs firsthand as she finds herself transformed to a male to achieve her goals of becoming a priest. It is after this transformation takes place that Father Damien is able have control over his life which he did not previously have living as Agnes.
The changes in gender roles weren’t making everyone happy for examples in the story of The Kingdom of Matthias, Robert Matthews started a religious cult in New York during the 1830’s he came to believe that he was indeed not Robert Matthews, but instead he was Matthias, Prophet of the God of the Jews. Matthias was not happy with any of the changes that was happening in the roles of women, and he was not going to support any of it. His wife Margaret was suffering from the person he had become, he was extremely controlling and once told her that, “She had no God, that the husband was the savior of the wife, that as man was not whole without woman” (Johnson and Wilentz 80). Matthias was bitter because the women of this time had changed into
Each writer proved a valid argument about the Anglo-Saxon religion and what women expectations were, but Georgiana Donvain’s argument proved to be the most logical. Women were able to hold some form of power within the church, but there were still restrictions in place that prevented them from gaining respect within the community. These restrictions were enforced by men who were viewed as the superior sex between the two, because they were providers and fought in battle. The women of the Anglo-Saxon community were “expected to be submissive to their husbands or fathers and were only able to obtain a certain amount of freedom in the workforce through marriage or wealth” (Donvain 43). The specific point Donvain makes evolves around the idea of freedom.
Christ would not approve of society’s expectations for women, nor would Christ stand for the unfair actions against women to be able to gain access to leadership positions. Everyone is the same in God’s eyes and that needs to stand true in society when comparing men and women and their ability to gain access to leadership
“I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet (NIV).” In today’s society this verse would most likely be seen as an oppressive male dominant society that is out to entrap females and take away the rights of women around the globe. In this context it is easy to see why people would be upset over a statement such as this, due to the way that females are engrained to think in a secular environment. However, this is an important passage of scripture that is displaying how a woman was and is expected to act based on Biblical standards. Rather than trying to push against Christian doctrine, it has become increasingly more important that followers look both internally and externally in order to determine the
Rather than focusing on gifts appropriate to activities such as preaching and teaching, as Paul himself did in 1 Corinthians, these letters tend to emphasize external respectability, orthodoxy, and conformity, marking a shift from a charismatic to an institutional church. They are also notable in emphasizing a level of gender inequality not found in the Pauline epistles, in which individual gifts are more important than gender and women are present as deacons. A second important shift we see here is in the attitude towards marriage. While Paul himself was celibate and saw marriage as second best to celibacy, these letters favor
The doctrine of the spiritual equality of women, the sanctity of the marriage, and the rules of consanguinity, divorce and remarriage, though sometimes perverted to ambitious purposes, nevertheless were powerful engines influencing the Roles of Women in the Middle Ages, and raising their condition in the
In hopes to convict my heart of those cultural norms that shape my thinking may give away to pay greater attention to the silent voices of women in larger text. For example, 2 Samuel 13:14 " But he would not listen to her; and being stronger than she, he forced her, and lay with her." Although in its larger context, this pericope focuses on the succession of
Another pattern is the surge of abuse and the torture of women. The lack of respect for God’s will for the family is being tested daily. Men are not standing as head of the family that God gave them. Even though, are called to be the head of the family and they are not taking on this command. Women are being raped, enslaved, mistreated and cast aside.
It reinforced the other two origins of virginity and added the factor of shame. The Virgin Mary was idolized, and Eve was the bringer of sin upon man. Women were seen as seductresses that brought sin, and so they had to avoid temptation. A woman’s holy marriage represented her family’s honor, and so her “purity” was a highly valued commodity. This is a statement of value that spread as a societal way to further oppress women.
The idea of women redeeming the sins of mankind, within itself, promotes masculine hegemony. However, many individuals perceive women’s existence as the redeemer of humankind, as their moral characteristics matches those of a Christ figure. Hawthorne describes women in such as way as to suggest their purity and holiness through their strength and determinism. Despite individual's sins and reduction of societally-perceived virtue, women continue to have the moral sense to care for children: Hester continues to care deeply for Pearl despite Pearl having the entity of the result of Hester’s sin which creates her total isolation. Women have the sense of morality to care for others despite any given situation, they have the ability to redeem humankind from sin and give a sense of purity and morality into society.
Throughout the Anglo-Saxon history, the importance of women has been seen as less than that of men. They have been treated unjustly, inferior, and like property instead of human beings. “Certainly," quoth Athelstane, "women are the least to be trusted of all animals, monks and abbots excepted” (Scott 332). Women did not have a say in matters, especially when it came to the idea of marriage. Their emotions and feelings were ignored because of the economic gain their fathers and new husbands would earn.
The church was practicing the same values and thought of patriarchal theology, women were excluded from leadership in the church and society. This exclusion was based on the argument “women’s exclusion from ministry are application of the general theology of male headship and female subordination” (195 sexism). Women in early Christianity have long been stereotyped with the role of procreation, house keeping, inferior mental ability, and inferior soul. For these reasons the church has perpetuate the thinking that women should listen and receive ministry rather than give it. Early interpretations of biblical texts by believers in Kyriarchal and patriarchal theology believed that the bible prohibited equal right and liberation of women.
However, Hollis takes a different view, “…it is necessary to recognize the nature of the Church…. The Catholic position is reasonable” (Hollis 156). Hollis states that the Catholic Church’s social positions are just and absolutely essential to maintaining order. His writings raise a fair question: Does some level of repressiveness need to be present to maintain order in society? To this question, in the context of sexism Shaw responds with a resounding no.
This idea was supported by the church that relied on quotes of the Bible that claimed that women must be obedient to