-John Moraga
Founder, Conservatives Corner
Christianity could be considered the world’s first religion to advocate feminism. Admittedly, this statement is slightly hyperbolic, but let us consider the status of women within Christian thought.
First, I have to clarify what I mean by feminism. The history of the feminist movement has been an amalgamation of various political objectives, so I will attempt to address the term in its most universally accepted form: the empowerment of women in society. “Empowerment” in feminism has evolved over the centuries from (1) advocating a wide range of acceptance and respect for women to (2) equal status to men to (3) superiority over men. Christian teachings have clearly advocated for the first and more conservative form of empowering women, and to a much lesser degree it has advocated for the second form as well. The third form of “empowerment” is a radically liberal invention that has been counterproductive to feminism, and it will likely serve as a detriment to contemporary feminists.
Second, I must provide some context to what I mean by “Christian” thought. Christianity is at its roots an offshoot of biblical Judaism (some aspects of modern rabbinical Judaism also hold women in high regard i.e. maternal genealogy), which was part of the fabric of the ancient world. As such it adhered to many of the societal dynamics within the regions it was practiced. Civilizations across the globe B.C.E. were invariably patriarchal, including Israel, the homeland of Judaism (and eventually Christianity). Stipulating this as a presupposition, the Old Testament of the Bible elevated women in unique ways. In the ancient world, women were considered little more than chattel. However, the narrative in the book of Ruth is just one example of how women were given a great deal of respect and status in the Old Testament from which Christianity derives. In the book of Ruth, Naomi is elevated to a matriarchal status, while Ruth is courted with love, respect, and dignity. Although Boaz is forced to recognize the legal codes of Judah, in order to gain Ruth’s hand in marriage, he does so only out of obligation. Ruth is equated with two other highly regarded women of scriptures Rachel and Leah (Ruth 4:11), and she is recognized as one of Jesus’ ancestors in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 1:5).
Transitioning to Christianity in the New Testament, there are three prominent examples of which women were held in high regard and instrumental in God’s plan. The first and most renowned was the virgin Mary who “found favor with God” (Luke 1:30) and gave birth to Christ Himself. Second, the first witnesses of the resurrected Christ were Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of James (Mark 16:9, Matthew 28:9). Their testimonies may have been questioned, but nonetheless, they were chosen to first encounter this miracle (not their male counterparts). The significance of this will obfuscate the secularist, but it has profound theological significance and ultimately societal consequence. The third example I will reference is that of Pricilla. Pricilla was the wife of Aquila, and the two of them were arguably of equal status in their evangelical missions. In fact, Priscilla may have even held greater social status than her husband, as the Apostle Paul address her before her husband (Acts 18:26, Romans 16:3). These are just a few examples of how Christianity has been a repository for the empowerment of women.
This article is not intended to be an exhaustive exegesis, but to provide some food for thought. I should qualify that there are clear delineations of the order of authority among men and women in Christianity i.e. a husband is the head of his wife (I Cor. 11:3), and wives are to submit to their husbands (Eph. 5:22), but no other religion of the ancient world compares to Christianity, advocating for the empowerment of women in society. Feminism needn’t be the nasty term that impulsively causes conservatives to become nauseous anymore than the term Christianity reflexively causes secular liberals to cringe.