Summary High quality A* gender and society notes for RS a-level OCR
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Course
Gender and society
Institution
OCR
Hi, I'm a first year student at Oxford who just did my A-levels last year. These are the notes I made for Gender and society in the developments in Christian thought paper. They are extremely detailed and contain not only the content but also a whole range of relevant scholars, responses and pros a...
Traditional Christian teachings on the role of men and women in society
We live in a patriarchal society due to its religious foundations and the negative view of women
portrayed in the Bible. The three most notable women are a temptress, a virgin and a prostitute.
Genesis
“It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him.” In Genesis,
Eve is created out of Adam’s rib and is created solely to help Adam. This suggests that women should
be deferential and submissive to men.
In Genesis 3 it is Eve who tempts Adam to sin and some Christians believe this shows women are less
strong willed than men are more likely to do wrong. Men should therefore have the final say in a
family.
St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians
St Paul emphasised the traditional gender roles of a patriarchal society where the husband is in
control and the wife should submit to his authority. “Wives should submit to their husbands in
everything.” He compares the husband-wife relationship with that of the church’s relationship with
Jesus. “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church.” A conservative
Christian might use this passage to argue that men should be in charge of the household.
- He does however emphasise that “Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies”
and look out for their wife like Jesus did for his followers. Not only does the wife submit to
the husband but the husband must be prepared to sacrifice everything (even his life) for his
wife because this is how much Christ loved the church.
- The word ‘head’ could mean ‘source of life’ because of the way in Genesis 2 Eve was created
out of Adam’s rib. Paul talks about the “two becoming one flesh.” The metaphor of the man
as “the head” and woman as “the body” could be interpretated as unitive rather than
hierarchal, with the man and the woman united together through marriage, prospering or
suffering as one entity.
- The letters Paul wrote were replies to letters he had received, or in response to visiting
certain communities. His language needs to be understood in its context. The society Paul
was writing in was, separate to any religious influence, very patriarchal. Therefore, in this
context, Paul’s letters were actually quite progressive by promoting a more loving and
unitive relationship than the authoritarian dynamic of the time.
Ancient Greeks and Aquinas
Plato believed that women are inferior, malformed versions of men. Aristotle observed that women
were unable to produce semen and thus concluded that women were equivalent to an infertile man,
described as ‘defective.’ He argued that as women are naturally inferior to men that gives men a
right to rule over women.
Like much of his work, Aquinas was heavily influenced by Aristotle and also believed that women
were inferior to men in physical strength and intelligence. He felt that women were created by God
to be subject to men as part of the natural order of the world and Aquinas heavily influenced
Christian thought leading to women being seen in this role.
General
, These views are reflected in some versions of the Christian marriage vows where the women
promises to “love, honour and obey.”
Men are physically stronger than women, and women are the ones who give birth and breastfeed,
so some argue it is natural for the man to have a leadership role in the family, and for the woman to
have the caring supportive role.
- Mary Wollstonecraft argued that women are not naturally inferior but only appear to be
because they lack education.
In traditional Christian thinking, the man’s role is to earn a living whilst a woman should take look
after the home, take care of the children and support her husband in his career. This traditional view
of the family has become less practiced but there are still many Christian (and non-Christian)
households where gender roles are clearly defined in accordance with Biblical texts. Society may
have moved on but officially Christianity has not as the church still teaches that men and women are
different and have a different role to play in the family and society.
If we are to believe that the Bible contains direct revelation from God, then its teachings on gender
roles must be followed.
Christian challenges to the traditional teachings
B. Hays would point out that the authors of the Bible were all men so the scripture needs to be read
in its context. Jesus had to pick men to go out and spread his message or else they would not be
listened to in the patriarchal society of the time.
Many modern women no longer promise to obey their husbands as part of their marriage vows and
believe that men and women should share the childcare and the housework and are both equally
entitled to go and work.
Paul’s letter to the Galatians
Paul writes “There is no difference between male and female, as you are all one in Christ.” Everyone
was created equal and in the image of God, regardless of gender.
Mary and Martha
Mary sits down at the feet of Jesus to hear his teachings, and Jesus argues that this is the right thing
to do rather than completing menial tasks like her sister. Women should be encouraged to worship
God and have a greater role than simply being a housewife in the background.
Women in early Christianity
Many women – such as Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna - were amongst Jesus’ earliest and
closest followers, they just weren’t described as disciples even though ‘disciple’ simply translates to
follower. They accompanied Jesus during his ministry and supported him financially out of their
private means. Many held leadership roles in early ‘house churches’, leading group worship and
prayer as indicated by Corinthians, and risked their lives as early missionaries. Jesus frequently
visited and taught women and learnt from them too e.g the unnamed Gentile in Mark/Mathew.
Mary Magdalene was the first to witness Jesus’ resurrection “the apostle to the apostles.” She was
one of the lead representatives for the disciples and frequently spoke for them and asked Jesus
questions. On many occasions Jesus praised her understanding of his teachings and faith “Your heart
is directed to the Kingdom of Heaven more than all your brothers” and in the Gospel of Mary,
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