Feminism and faith

In the context of Western religion, these are not two terms that one often sees together. In fact, much of my life, I have heard one side criticizing the other. But as you'll see in some of my previous posts, I pronounce this perceived paradox proudly. (How's that for alliteration??)

I'm also an eternal optimist, which may explain why I believe that more and more folks on both sides of these labels are reaching across to the other side. Take, for instance, publications like Harvard's Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, which covers this emerging dialogue between feminist theory and theology. (And if you check out this magnificent publication, be sure to check out the Fall 2008 issue to read one of my poems, which is published there!)

Or, in the realm of popular culture, Sue Monk Kidd's memoir (before her Secret Life of Bees fame), The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, where she explores the dance between her Christian self and her feminist self.

Of course we're all aware (and perhaps a little tired of) the Da Vinci Code's rise to fame, but I think the importance of its popularity lies in the fact that it reflects an ongoing cultural desire for the divine feminine.

I speak from my own Protestant perspective when I say that we've lost that particular image of God. Despite biblical evidence to the contrary (God portrayed as a hen gathering her eggs, a midwife birthing a child, etc.), we've often chosen to see God exclusively as father. This is detrimental to women in so many ways. First, we learn that God is the best, and if God is male, then male is the best. (Mary Daly famously wrote in the seventies that "If God is male, then the male is God.") Second, we tend to identify God as being the same kind of father as our earthly father, which is not always a positive image for women. Sometimes our fathers abandon us, abuse us, or tell us we're never good enough. Finally, it is extremely limiting to see God as embodying only one half of the human race.











But again, the eternal optimist in me begs to speak. One sign of improvement in the feminism/faith dichotomy is a program at which I have the pleasure of teaching every other May. The Oregon Extension Women's Studies May Term allows college students the opportunity to explore the intersection of faith and feminism through academic discourse, journaling, and creative projects. It's the place where I learned to embrace this seeming paradox within myself many years ago as a college student.

This year, we have so many applicants to the program that we may need to begin a waiting list. It seems undeniable that the dialogue about feminism and faith lives on.

I don't usually use this blog to elicit donations, but many of our applicants are in need of financial aid in this economic climate. If you believe in this important conversation, please consider donating to our scholarship fund by clicking on the "Donate Now" button at www.oemayterm.org It's tax-deductible, and your contribution may allow a student the freedom to call herself "feminist" and "faithful" for the first time without fearing the wrath of God.