How should feminism interact with theology? The kneejerk, stereotypical reaction is that the two are incompatible, that Christianity is regressive or outdated, simply due to the age of the sacred texts.
Mitch Randal of Good Faith Media disagrees with that with that stereotype. He bases his faith on the teachings of God as the source of his feminist beliefs. He points out that God created man and women as co-equals, with division only occurring with the fall of humanity in Genesis 3. Jesus elevated Mary Magdalene to the importance of an apostle and noted that the Holy Spirit works in the lives of men and women.
Randal writes:
Patriarchy has controlled social and religious institutions through self-serving manipulation and theological malpractice for far too long.
As a person of faith, I strongly advocate for feminist theology as a basis for developing a holistic approach to reading and applying sacred texts.
As a male member of the human race, I advocate for feminism – the belief in social, economic and political equality of the sexes – in order to combat a patriarchial system that has dominated cultural institutions throughout history.
During the week that we celebrate International Women’s Day, I am reminded of all the strong and intelligent women in my life. From my Indigenous and English ancestors to my remarkable wife, each one has modeled in their own way a fierce passion for life and equality.
French feminist Simone de Beauvoir noted during the late 1940s, “I am too intelligent, too demanding, and too resourceful for anyone to be able to take charge of me entirely.” The women in my life demonstrated – and continue to demonstrate – that same independent spirit, fighting to be recognized as equals with men.
Civil rights advocate and feminist Angela Davis once quipped, “Feminism insists on methods of thought and action that urge us to think about things together that appear to be separate and to disaggregate things that appear to naturally belong together.”
Davis was absolutely right; her words set forth the foundation for why I call myself a feminist.
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