Readings as specified on the schedule from topic #11 on
Adam and Eve
Parallels in Gilgamesh & Enkidu
Enkidu & the harlot
Gilgamesh & the plant of life
Appropriation in later interpretations
In 1 Timothy 2.9-15 (women not to teach)
Lilith
Succubus & baby stealer
Midrash viewed as patriarchal story or as women's story
Marriage and family life
In Early Christianity
Permitted but not recommended
Better to remain single for reasons of personal freedom
(to serve Christ)
Should marry if cannot control sexual desires
Must marry believer
Divorce and adultery
Judaism
Get
Early Christianity
Divorce on account of 'unchastity'
Allowed when convert's spouse does not convert & wishes to
leave (may not be initiated by believer)
Marital and extramarital sex
Christianity
Earliest Christianity neutral on body, positive on sex
within marriage
Married couples required not to abstain
As service to one another
In order not to be tempted outside the marriage
bed No mention of procreation as a motivation for sex
Sex outside of marriage forbidden
Marriage discouraged in later Christianity
Judaism
More positive view of body
Marriage and sex normal and required for a complete
life
Sex outside of marriage forbidden
Views of the Body and Asceticism
Body viewed as bad in Antique & Medieval Christianity
Sex always bad, but permitted in marriage for having
children
Negative view of physicality encourages disparagement of women
(because men tended to view them physically)
Asceticism
Negative view of body results in complete rejection of all
physical pleasure
Exaltation of virginity
Menstruation (Judaism)
Women ritually "unclean" for 7 days after menses
excluded from the temple
off limits to marital intercourse
also some, but not all, contact with husband
"unclean" not necessarily pejorative
men "unclean" after seminal emission
anyone "unclean" after touching a dead body or while
manifesting symptoms of some diseases
Women of honor in early Christianity
Mary mother of Jesus
Mary as mythological type
Catholic vs. Protestant
Worship of Mary (Queen of Heaven)
Possible connection to ancient goddesses
The man's ideal: virgin mother
Thecla
Honor for women who accepted suffering in order to remain
virgins
Perpetua
North African Montanist Christian martyred in arena (wild
beasts). While being martyred she was concerned for her
own modesty and believed herself to be in personal combat
with the devil.
Paul
Proto-Paul
In Christ...there is neither male nor female (Gal 3.23)
Women to wear veils when praying or prophesying
(1 Cor 11.3-16)
men reflect image of God, women reflect image of men
indicates that women were allowed to speak in assembly
(praying and prophesying)
Women to keep silent in the Church (1 Cor 14.34f)
Seems to contradict 1 Cor 11-- may be gloss
Recognizes women leaders
Phoebe is deaconess
Junia may be apostle
Priscilla is prominent leader
Women should submit to husbands
Husbands love wives (Eph. 5.22-33)
Husbands & wives "submit to one another"
Deutero-Paul
Women not to "teach or exercise authority over men"
(1 Tim 2.9-15)
could reflect women's lack of educational opportunities
Encouraged to teach other women (Titus 2:3-5)
Possible recognition of women as deacons (1Tim 3.11)
Apocryphal Paul
Acts of Paul (includes story of Thecla)
Women Charismatics
Charismatic activity (1 Cor 12.1-11)
Tongues, prophecy, healing, etc.
in modern Pentecostal & Charismatic groups
Women prophets at Corinth
Montanist women prophets
late 2nd & early 3rd c. CE
Priscilla & Maximilla
Feminine aspects of God
Importance of goddesses in pagan traditions
Christianity
Church as feminine
Christ as masculine
Holy Spirit as feminine in some early Christianities
Odes of Solomon (Syrian Christian)
Some early Gnostic Christian theologies
"Spirit" feminine in Hebrew/Aramaic, neuter in Greek
Later Christianity settled on neuter or even masculine
Holy Spirit
Judaism
Hokhma (wisdom) in Proverbs Shekhina (presence of God) in mystical Judaism
Sefirot (aspects of God) are about half
feminine
Abduction of the Shekhina by the dark side after
destruction of the temple
Medieval Witchcraft
Amulets
magical power of the cross
Issue of confessions extracted under torture
Were there ever any witches at all?
If so, what did they do?
80% of accused were women
Later Christianity and Judaism
Normal social roles
Increasing presence and acceptance of working women
Marriage and family life
Generally only monogamous, heterosexual marriages
permitted
Women still 'run the home', incl. Children
Judaism
In orthodox circles women still assigned primarily
household duties (excluded from men's roles)
Although women having jobs is not generally frowned
upon
Christianity
Most Christians, even conservative, are much more liberal
on these issues-- see family as primarily joint
leadership. When consensus cannot be arrived at, the
man is regarded as having the final decision in
conservative circles
Divorce and adultery
Divorce still not permitted in Catholic and conservative Protestant churches
Liberal Protestants generally more lax
Many modern Catholics sidestep with 'annulment'
Question of the meaning of 'unchastity' as grounds for
divorce
Judaism
Must be initiated by man
Man provides 'get' (bill of divorce) for wife
Traditions differ as to acceptable grounds
Marital and extramarital sex
Judaism
Not permitted during or within 7 days after menses
Girls expected to be virgins at (first) marriage
Christianity
Virginity & celibacy still prized in Catholicism
Conservative Protestants reject premarital sex, but regard
marriage as normal and virtually required. Celibacy
is marginalized as unnecessary asceticism.
Liberal Protestants often accept monogamous premarital sex
"with love"
Virtually all reject adultery (although there are
exceptions)
Women in religious leadership
Judaism
Orthodox: no women rabbis
Conservative: increasingly flexible on ordination of women
Reform: has been ordaining women since the 1950s
Reconstructionist: relatively new movement which has ordained
women from the beginning, but is otherwise closer to
Orthodox
Christianity
Catholics do not ordain women to priesthood
In US women are being given increasing roles anyway
Women fulfill most functions of the priest in places where
priests are not readily available
Women allowed to rise to positions of prominence &
leadership, just not priesthood
Most mainline Protestant denominations ordain women
Episcopalians have black woman bishop (Boston)
Conservative groups generally do not (e.g. Southern Baptists)
Primary issue is not generally patriarchalism but concern
to conform to the Bible
Women as leaders/preachers in the Pentecostal movement
New religious movements (e.g Theosophy, Christian Science,
etc.) often have women founders and/or leaders
Gender language
Androcentric language for God can alienate women
Attempts to degender liturgy & hymns
Modern feminist responses
Problem of early feminism defining itself within Judeo-Christian
context
Modern Jewish & Christian feminists either
Reject the scriptures (Bible, Talmud, etc.) but try to keep
the tradition
Seek to reinterpret the scriptures in a way more consistent
with feminist thought
Try to find a middle path between the tradition and feminism
Many feminists have chosen to abandon Judaism and Christianity
entirely and embraced new woman-oriented religions such as
Wicca
No single structure or theology to Wicca
Emphasis on Goddess as primary deity
Often polytheistic & may include male gods as well
Often nature centered (esp. Gaia movement)
Often practice magic