Christian feminism, scripture and the concept of God

Harrison, V.S. (2008) Christian feminism, scripture and the concept of God. In: Moravikova, M. and Greskova, L. (eds.) Women and Religions. Institute for Church-State Relations: Bratislava, pp. 34-42. ISBN 9788089096336

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Abstract

The last century saw considerable changes in the way women’s roles in, and contribution to, society were perceived and evaluated. The difference can hardly be underestimated between the social experience of the majority of women in the West at the close of the nineteenth century, and that of their counterparts at the beginning of the twentieth-first. As is well known, this transformation within secular society has been accompanied by demands for change in the religious domain as many women have been exerting considerable pressure on traditional forms of Christianity. The challenge women pose to religious communities has often been expressed in an overt demand for equal opportunities for women and men. However, this is not the only form taken by this challenge. It has also been expressed through the promotion of alternative methods of biblical interpretation, ones that are more responsive to women’s experience, as well as through attempts to change the content of core religious concepts such as the concept ‘God’. While the importance of the direct struggle for equal opportunities should not be underestimated, this article focuses on the more intellectual expressions of the challenge women pose to traditional forms of Christianity; for it is these which seem to have the most potential radically to transform the Christian faith in a way that both women and men stand to benefit from.

Item Type:Book Sections
Status:Published
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Harrison, Dr Victoria
Authors: Harrison, V.S.
Subjects:B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion
College/School:College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Philosophy
Publisher:Institute for Church-State Relations
ISBN:9788089096336

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