Newman, Amy L.

English

Asbury Theological Seminary

Evangelicalsand Feminismby Amy L. NewmanAs a woman with high ambitions and a diversity of interests that donot necessarily include marriage andmotherhood, the writer has becomequite sensitive to many of the issues being raised by the Women's Movement. At the same time, she has also become aware of a general opposition to the Movement in many evangelical circles which is both disturbing and disappointing. It is the view of this opposition that there is presented here a defense of feminism by examination of some of the areasof theological concern which often cause evangelicals hesitation as theyevaluate the Women's Liberation Movement.The approach of the writer is that of examining the theological implications of feminism. There are three main areas in which the theological implications of the Women's Movement have been brought intoquestion. First, it seems that many evangehcals are convinced that theliberation and equality of women is not possible as long as an orthodoxview of Scripture is maintained. Second, there appears to be a widespread conviction that women are trying to distort the understanding ofGod that is essential to the Christian tradition by making an issue ofthe language we use when speaking of God. Finally, there is a concernthat male and female roles are being confused, a direct affront to "God'snatural order."Feminism and the BibleIt is not clear that to be a feminist one must disregard or distort themessage of Scripture. The place I choose to begin in order to supportsuch an opinion is with the actions and words of Jesus Christ. BothOld and New Testament are most reliably interpreted in the light ofChrist's life, and one can find no evidence that Jesus regarded womenas inferior to men. On the contrary. He frequently ignored establishedlaws and customs which were oppressive to women.Miss Amy L. Newman is an alumna ofAsbury Theological Seminary.She looks forward to a career in theological teaching. At present she isengaged in a doctoral program at Baylor University.6Christ conversed with women in public, women were commissionedto bear witness of His resurrection to the disciples. He even encouragedMary when she preferred to develop her intellectual capabilities at Hisfeet rather than help Martha in the kitchen. Of even greater significanceis the fact that Christ did not hesitate to relate a parable in which theimage of God is presented as female (the parable of the woman whosought the lost coin).It seems clear that Jesus Christ had no qualms about promoting theequality and dignity of women, even from within a society which wasmore oppressive than ours.Turning to Scripture as a whole, the most frequent problem (onboth sides) seems to be the tendency to isolate certain texts and ignoreothers. There are abundant indications in Scripture that equality isperfectly acceptable in God's sight, and that a loving and reciprocal relationship between the sexes is encouraged. I would highly recommendtwo books for those who would like to pursue a more extensive view ofScripture in relation to women: All We're Meant to Be by Letha Scan-zoni and Nancy Hardesty (Waco: Word Books, 1974) and Man asMaleand Female by Paul Jewett (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975).A final point which needs to be made here is the need for caution indistinguishing between eternal principles and those which belong to acertain period in time. Competent scholarship has never been contentto lump all of Scripture together as universal truth, making each verse,regardless of context, a theological imperative. It might be well if wecould all lay down our faith in tradition long enough to realize, as Virginia MoUenkott has eloquently stated elsewhere, that while Truth is indeed absolute, our human perception of absolute truth is always relative and we had therefore better remain open to the possibilities of newinsights.Language About GodAnother aspect of the developing feminist theology which seems tostrike fear in the heart of conservatives is the problem of language aboutGod. To some this appears to be a direct assault upon God Himself, abrazen attempt to distort the character of God as we know it. If thisfear were proven to be well-founded, there would certainly be reasonfor concern. However, one must inquire as to whether much of thecriticism directed at our cultural conceptions of God is not worthy ofconsideration.Dr. Catherine Gunsalus Gonzalez spoke to this issue at the Inter-7The Asbury Seminarianseminary Women's Conference in Pittsburgh in March, 1975. Dr. Gonzalez clearly pointed out some of the resulting problems when all-malelanguage is used in reference to God. One of the most obvious of theseproblems is that it becomes very easy to read our social patterns intoour thought about God � what our particular culture says about masculinity. As a result, we may find ourselves limiting God to cultural stereotypes. The answer, of course, is not to use all-female language, either.Perhaps a simple awareness that the problem exists is sufficient at thistime, an awareness that will allow one to expand his or her understanding somewhat of the nature of God's Being.Here, too. Scripture sets a precedent. Not only did Christ use femaleimagery in reference to God, but we find such imagery in the OldTestament as well. For example, in Isaiah 66:13 God promises Hispeople that "As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you."What a shame if we cling to a lopsided image of God because of ourown defensiveness.When women question the language we use when speaking of God,they are not thereby questioning God's character, but rather society'scharacterization of God. I doubt that God is so insecure about His masculinity that He needs us to defend it for Him. It was Karl Barth whoonce commented on the arrogance that causes us to begin with the human in our searching for God, reading into God's character that whichoriginates with us.Male-Female Roles and "God's Natural Order"Many opponents of the Women's Movement fear that the distinctiveness of our masculinity and femininity is being downgraded, andthat the order which God instituted in regard to the sexes is being ignored. There are two arguments which cast doubt upon the necessityfor such anxiety.First of all, concerning male-female roles, it seems clear that mostpeople do not seem to realize how many of the attributes which wecommonly term 'feminine' and 'masculine' have more to do with culture and tradition than with the human condition of being either maleor female. I see this as an area in which a tremendous amount of workneeds to be done in order to determine those basic qualities, other thanbiological (or because of the biological), that make a woman differentfrom a man. (I'm afraid it's not that we smell good, have smooth legs,wear dresses, and can cook.)From normal, natural differences between the sexes there have8Evangelicals and Feminismevolved elaborated social rituals and roles that are often oppressive toboth men and women. I am convinced that if we can strip away an appreciable amount of the cultural garb that is used to distinguish menfrom women, there wiU emerge relationships which are much morecomfortable and complementary. For example, perhaps women canlearn to appreciate men who are sensitive and emotional, and will nolonger risk the respect of their male peers by being rational and intelligent.In regard to the existence of a "natural order," one may observe thatthere was indeed a dominant-submissive relationship between man andwoman which followed the onset of sin. This was one of the scars whichsin inflicted upon the human race. But of what value, one may ask, isthe grace that comes through Christ, if we accept it in theory only anddo not allow ourselves to live as though this "new beginning" werea reality. The oft-quoted passage in Galatians which informs us that inChrist there is neither male nor female seems to be a good startingpoint from which one may develop a theology of freedom from thebonds of sin. May we never insult the redemption which God has sograciously provided by living as though we were not aware of the impU-cations this redemption has for all our relationships, particularly the relationship between man and woman.Thus, the woman or man who chooses to identify himself or herselfwith certain aspects of the feminist movement will find that such aposition can be supported from a thoroughly evangeUcal position.One's theological heritage need not be abandoned, in fact it may evenbe affirmed, by those who undertake a careful re-evaluation of theiridentity as male or female. We need not fear the new direction whichour theological development is taking as long as we maintain our confidence in the Lordship of Christ over every aspect of our existence.ConclusionTheology cannot be separated from the experience of the individual,particularly the individual's encounter with God. This personal elementis the root of all theologizing, and makes the difference between drytheory and a life expressive of significant relationships with both Godand other persons.The theology that has evolved from the Women's Movement is likewise an expression of the common experience of a group of women,many from within the Christian tradition. Women have begun to discover themselves, and as they do, their new awareness takes many forms.9It is not surprising that frustration and even anger have surfaced as theaccount of history's pitiful treatment of women is understood.The result is that women often find themselves in a difficult situation. The writer continues to see people alienated by the more radicalwomen, while at the same time, 'nice' women continue to get steppedon. One of the problems facing Christian women is finding acceptableways of getting themselves heard and respected. My own hope is thatmen will begin to be as sensitive and caring as they are capable of beingand that women wiU be more tolerant of the slow learners.What do women want? We merely want to be ourselves, not a product manufactured by society, an idealized woman that doesn't reallyexist. What a relief it would be to step down from the pedestal and bereal people. The time is past, in fact, when women can be content to remain on a pedestal. That's like saying to a Black slave, circa 1850,"What are you complaining about? You get free room and board, don'tyou?" Women don't care about the free room and board any more.It is here that the writer finds much common ground with otherwomen in the Christian tradition who identify themselves as feminists.We just want to remind our churches and our society that women, notjust men, are made in God's image. This simple observation is really thebasis for any attempt to establish one's dignity as a person. We must setabout the task of affirming the goodness of all of God's creation, particularly in the light of the reconciliation with God that is ours throughChrist. Speaking personally, my own restoration is still taking place,and the fact that I am a woman should not hinder it.10

Evangelicals and Feminism

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Evangelicals and Feminism

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