Feminist Theology - What is it?
Feminist Theology - Research Starter by Call Number: Great Neck PublishingPublication Date: Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2017"Feminist theology is a theological movement primarily within Christianity and Judaism that is intended to reexamine scriptural teachings on women and women's roles from a woman's perspective. Feminist theology attempts to counter arguments or practices that place women in inferior spiritual or moral positions. Feminist theologians work either from inside or outside traditional religious and denomination structures to bring justice, freedom, and equity to women and to reverse or stop practices that marginalize women. From inside traditional religious or denominational structures, feminist theology tends to be based on an active reading of scriptural texts through the lens of women's issues both from ancient and contemporary points of view. From within traditional religions or denominational lines, feminist theologians tend to emphasize abolishment of archaic, reactionary patriarchal views of religion and church in favor of more egalitarian views that emphasize equality between the genders" (Wienclaw, 2017).
Glossary
Eisegesis: The interpretation of a word or passage (of the Scriptures) by reading into it one's own ideas.1
Egalitarian: One who asserts the equality of mankind.2
Exegesis: An explanation or interpretation of a text, esp. of scripture or a scriptural passage. Also more generally: a critical discourse or commentary.3
Feminism: Advocacy of equality of the sexes and the establishment of the political, social, and economic rights of the female sex; the movement associated with this.4
Feminist Theology: Feminist theology, understood in the most basic sense, is the doing of theology from a woman's perspective. Feminist theology is an approach to constructing theological doctrine whereby the experience of women, whether described in terms of oppression or the positive aspects of a woman's world, plays a particular and significant role in shaping Christian theology. In that sense, it is an advocacy of women, an effort to have women's voices included as an equal partner with male voices in theological reflection, which historically has not been the case.5
Fundamentalism: Strict adherence to doctrines and practices held to be fundamental to Christianity, spec. belief in the inerrancy of Scripture and literal acceptance of the creeds as fundamentals of Protestant Christianity; a movement based on such beliefs arising among various Protestant denominations in the United States and which rose to prominence in the 1920s.6
Hermeneutics: The interpretation of scriptural texts; such interpretation as a subject of study or analysis, esp. with regard to theory or methodology. Also: a particular system of interpretation for scriptural texts.7
Marginalization: The process or result of becoming or making marginal; spec. the process of making an individual or minority group marginal in relation to a dominant social group.8
Modernism: A tendency or movement towards modifying traditional beliefs and doctrines in accordance with modern ideas and scholarship; spec. a movement of this kind in the Roman Catholic Church around the beginning of the 20th cent.9
Postmodernism: The state, condition, or period subsequent to that which is modern; spec. in architecture, the arts, literature, politics, etc., any of various styles, concepts, or points of view involving a conscious departure from modernism, esp. when characterized by a rejection of ideology and theory in favour of a plurality of values and techniques.10
Theology: The study of God, His nature and attributes, and His relations with man and the universe.11
Bibliography
1. "eisegesis, n.". OED Online. March 2019. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/60018?redirectedFrom=Eisegesis (accessed April 26, 2019).
2. "egalitarian, adj. and n.". OED Online. March 2019. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/59856?redirectedFrom=Egalitarianism (accessed April 26, 2019).
3. "exegesis, n.". OED Online. March 2019. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/66027?redirectedFrom=Exegesis (accessed April 26, 2019).
4. "feminism, n.". OED Online. March 2019. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/69192?redirectedFrom=Feminism (accessed April 26, 2019).
5. Peacore, L. "Feminist Theologies." In Global Dictionary of Theology , edited by William A. Dyrness, and Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen. InterVarsity Press, 2008. http://0-search.credoreference.com.library.acaweb.org/content/entry/ivpacat/feminist_theologies/0?institutionId=5914
6. "fundamentalism, n.". OED Online. March 2019. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/75498?redirectedFrom=Fundamentalism (accessed April 26, 2019).
7. "hermeneutics, n.". OED Online. March 2019. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/86258?rskey=Tj8vZ4&result=2&isAdvanced=false (accessed April 26, 2019).
8. "marginalization, n.". OED Online. March 2019. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/239550?redirectedFrom=Marginalization (accessed April 26, 2019).
9. "modernism, n.". OED Online. March 2019. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/120622?redirectedFrom=modernism (accessed April 26, 2019).
10. "postmodernism, n.". OED Online. March 2019. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/238214?redirectedFrom=Postmodernism (accessed April 26, 2019).
11. "theology, n.". OED Online. March 2019. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/200388?redirectedFrom=Theology (accessed April 26, 2019).