3.10.1
Rosemary Radford Ruether
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Rosemary Radford Ruether
Rosemary Radford Ruether is a feminist thinker and Catholic theologian. She wrote a very influential book in 1983 called Sexism and God-Talk.
Jesus' maleness
- In Sexism and God-Talk, Ruether challenges the idea that the maleness of Jesus is basic to how we should understand him. She argues that Jesus’ maleness is not the most important factor in how he is viewed.
- She argues that there are more female interpretations of Jesus Christ which have been ignored or marginalised by the Church.
Male warrior messiah expectation
- When Jesus was alive, many people were expecting a military-style leader that could save them from Roman rule and oppression. Jesus was certainly not the type of Messiah that was expected.
- Jesus’ life and preaching focused on the oppressed and marginalised and he is presented as being on the side of women on a number of occasions. This was not the norm and extremely liberal in such an Orthodox society.
- E.g. when a woman is caught in the act of adultery (John 8:1-11).
Challenge to the expectation
- Jesus is often with the poor and the downtrodden rather than with the rich and successful.
- His desire to help the oppressed seems far away from the stereotypical male image of the powerful warrior.
God as the female wisdom principle
- God is wise. In the Old Testament, God’s wisdom is often personified.
- When this happens, the wisdom of God is described and treated as a female.
- The Greek word for wisdom is sophia - a feminine word.
- In other words, instead of male language to talk about God, we find female language. God is ‘feminised’ rather than being seen as a man.
Female language in Proverbs 8
- The female language for God is especially clear in Proverbs 8:
- 'Does not wisdom call out? / Does not understanding raise her voice? / At the highest point along the way, / where the paths meet, she takes her stand; / beside the gate leading into the city, / at the entrance, she cries aloud: / “To you, O people, I call out; / I raise my voice to all mankind.'
Ruether's conclusions
- Ruether concludes from this that the male image of God (as father, as King, as Warrior…etc) should not be seen as defining who God is.
- God can be seen as female as well as male.
- Femininity, Ruether argues, has as much right to be seen as an aspect of God’s identity as maleness. Jesus is said to be the incarnation of God and if God can be seen to be female or have female aspects, then surely Jesus must also.
1Philosophy of Religion
1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato
1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle
1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body
1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation
1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason
1.6Religious Experience
1.7The Problem of Evil
1.8The Nature & Attributes of God
1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic
2Religion & Ethics
2.1Natural Law
2.2Situation Ethics
2.3Kantian Ethics
2.4Utilitarianism
2.5Euthanasia
2.6Business Ethics
2.7Meta-Ethical Theories
2.8Conscience
3Developments in Christian Thought
3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings
3.2Death & the Afterlife
3.3Knowledge of God's Existence
3.4The Person of Jesus Christ
3.5Christian Moral Principles
3.6Christian Moral Action
3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology
3.8Development - Pluralism & Society
3.9Gender & Society
3.10Gender & Theology
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1Philosophy of Religion
1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato
1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle
1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body
1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation
1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason
1.6Religious Experience
1.7The Problem of Evil
1.8The Nature & Attributes of God
1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic
2Religion & Ethics
2.1Natural Law
2.2Situation Ethics
2.3Kantian Ethics
2.4Utilitarianism
2.5Euthanasia
2.6Business Ethics
2.7Meta-Ethical Theories
2.8Conscience
3Developments in Christian Thought
3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings
3.2Death & the Afterlife
3.3Knowledge of God's Existence
3.4The Person of Jesus Christ
3.5Christian Moral Principles
3.6Christian Moral Action
3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology
3.8Development - Pluralism & Society
3.9Gender & Society
3.10Gender & Theology
Practice questions on Rosemary Radford Ruether
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- 1What were Ruether's conclusions in *Sexism and God-Talk*? Fill in the list
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