Good job Alex and Stephen for guessing the weird title reference. I love the Beatles.
I'm just going to keep writing about these issues in Christian feminism regardless of who is reading-- maybe I will eventually stumble on an answer to my questions by doing so, or maybe a faithful reader will.
Anyway, I was reading an article by Elizabeth Fox-Genovese about Catholicism and Feminism, how the two do not need to be mutually exclusive. I appreciate EFG for holding onto philosophical feminism while exploring more of what I call civil feminism.
I find myself caught in the middle of these two camps: I disagree with the view of freedom taken up by civil feminism (freedom as it pertains to all people, not just women, a "freedom from..." rather than a "freedom to..."). They are mostly existentialists. But I do empathize with issues like equal pay, preserving the dignity of women in the workplace, passing better legislation regarding sexual violence and discrimination, providing assistance for single mothers.
Philosophical feminism has my heart-- I want to plumb the depths of the female mind and soul for answers as to our particular view of reality, explore history to uncover and uproot the ugly beginnings of sexism, to help create a feminine voice and logic. But I want to see these ideas passed on to the women of the Church in a very real and practical way, to have feminist philosophy mean something in the lives of all women.
Alan loves Hans Urs Von Balthasar. I must admit, most of his work goes over my head. I understood clearly, however, the dichotomy he sets up between the sexes (as addressed in EFG's article). He calls women the answer to the question of man, femaleness this reflection of what maleness is and isn't. Many Von Batlthsar followers are dismayed by this analogy as well. It wounds so deeply to see yourself described as something as fleeting as an answer.
So much of what I've read from Christian authors and scholars views women as receptacles, servants, receivers, derivative, existentially dependant on men, weak, material rather than divine, like the Church rather than like Christ, bodily rather than spiritual, emotional instead of rational. Men reading, please take a moment to think of what it would be like to be referred to this way your whole life, so be constantly told you are destined to be second to the other gender. Doesn't produce the most positive outlook on reality!
I hope God uses me in some way to restore women's identity, to start seeing ourselves as people who can reflect the image of Christ as well as any man.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Its beautiful, and so are you
I spent hours at the UK dental clinic today, waiting to be seen. This afforded me some time to dig into Sister Prudence Allen's "The Concept of Woman" Vol. II.
Sr. Prudence is an amazing scholar, a holy and wise woman. I realized reading books like Ortlund's will only make me feel hopeless and nutty, so I tucked into an afternoon of a positive view of female identity.
Allen argues for a gender complementarity (I promise, I cannot do her ideas justice). She takes seriously the exhortation of Pope John Paul II to bring the feminine genius into the spotlight of the Church. A gender complementarity views females and males as created equally in intellectual, emotional, and spiritual capacity.
There are some differences that men and women embody (i.e. God has made women to be mothers). But this does not limit these characteristics to the gender that embodies them: men behave as mothers when they birth new ideas, nurture through discipleship, and allow God to conceive a renewed spirit within them. While being male or female is pretty black and white, both genders can participate in the others' defining characteristics.
I think a lot of the pop culture kind of books I've read about Christian women believe that the difference between men and women lies within the soul in this way: if the human person is a combination of emotion, intellect, will, reason, spirit, and so on, then women are people who are lead more by their emotions than reason, men are creatures of will rather than emotion, etc. Yet this does not fit with the picture of a holy person who is balanced in all things. I agree with Plato that a soul that has one attribute bigger than another is not beautiful.
So... if a woman was sanctified, hence balanced in her soul, she would lose her femininity! And this cannot be. So you cannot say that a woman is a creature led by emotion more than reason unless you want to say we can shed our gender or that women cannot be fully holy people. In other words, gender by this definition means an engendered soul is an ugly one.
Just my thoughts on the reading I did today. (Can anyone guess why I titled this post the way I did? Brownie points for the person who gets it).
Sr. Prudence is an amazing scholar, a holy and wise woman. I realized reading books like Ortlund's will only make me feel hopeless and nutty, so I tucked into an afternoon of a positive view of female identity.
Allen argues for a gender complementarity (I promise, I cannot do her ideas justice). She takes seriously the exhortation of Pope John Paul II to bring the feminine genius into the spotlight of the Church. A gender complementarity views females and males as created equally in intellectual, emotional, and spiritual capacity.
There are some differences that men and women embody (i.e. God has made women to be mothers). But this does not limit these characteristics to the gender that embodies them: men behave as mothers when they birth new ideas, nurture through discipleship, and allow God to conceive a renewed spirit within them. While being male or female is pretty black and white, both genders can participate in the others' defining characteristics.
I think a lot of the pop culture kind of books I've read about Christian women believe that the difference between men and women lies within the soul in this way: if the human person is a combination of emotion, intellect, will, reason, spirit, and so on, then women are people who are lead more by their emotions than reason, men are creatures of will rather than emotion, etc. Yet this does not fit with the picture of a holy person who is balanced in all things. I agree with Plato that a soul that has one attribute bigger than another is not beautiful.
So... if a woman was sanctified, hence balanced in her soul, she would lose her femininity! And this cannot be. So you cannot say that a woman is a creature led by emotion more than reason unless you want to say we can shed our gender or that women cannot be fully holy people. In other words, gender by this definition means an engendered soul is an ugly one.
Just my thoughts on the reading I did today. (Can anyone guess why I titled this post the way I did? Brownie points for the person who gets it).
Sunday, November 16, 2008
We Are Women
A friend recently turned my attention to the books written by main stream protestants about women, femininity, what is sometimes referred to as "biblical womanhood." So I picked up a few books from the seminary library and have been picking through them in my spare time.
The one book, "Fearlessly Feminine" by Jani Ortlund, starts off by asking "What does it mean to be a woman and not a man?" She then quotes John Piper's definition of femininity:
"At the heart of femininity is a freeing disposition to affirm, recieve, and nurture strength and leadership from worthy men in ways appropriate to a woman's differing relationships."
I don't want to think about it, but it seems as though Ortlund is making the mistake many women make, Christian or otherwise, by seeing femaleness as opposed to maleness; to conceive of gender as though maleness defines what gender is and femaleness is some distortion of it. And for Piper to say that the heart of femininity is to exhort men in their roles as leaders... well I think that makes women out to be receptacles of maleness rather than having a gender all our own.
Defining ourselves in the negative is degrading. I am much more than "not a man," as were my foremothers in the faith (my spell checker won't even recognize the word "foremother"-- even the computer's sexist!) Women and men together reflect the very person of God, so much so that when we get close enough we make a new life. Rather than seeing femininity as only a contrast to what is masculine, a receiver of what is masculine, I wish women in the Church would start to embrace being female as being a person that reflects the image of God. Ms. Ortlund, if you're out there in blog land: we are more than "not men," we are women.
More to come as I read further.
"The basic discovery about any people is the discovery of the relationship between its men and its women." -Pearl Buck
The one book, "Fearlessly Feminine" by Jani Ortlund, starts off by asking "What does it mean to be a woman and not a man?" She then quotes John Piper's definition of femininity:
"At the heart of femininity is a freeing disposition to affirm, recieve, and nurture strength and leadership from worthy men in ways appropriate to a woman's differing relationships."
I don't want to think about it, but it seems as though Ortlund is making the mistake many women make, Christian or otherwise, by seeing femaleness as opposed to maleness; to conceive of gender as though maleness defines what gender is and femaleness is some distortion of it. And for Piper to say that the heart of femininity is to exhort men in their roles as leaders... well I think that makes women out to be receptacles of maleness rather than having a gender all our own.
Defining ourselves in the negative is degrading. I am much more than "not a man," as were my foremothers in the faith (my spell checker won't even recognize the word "foremother"-- even the computer's sexist!) Women and men together reflect the very person of God, so much so that when we get close enough we make a new life. Rather than seeing femininity as only a contrast to what is masculine, a receiver of what is masculine, I wish women in the Church would start to embrace being female as being a person that reflects the image of God. Ms. Ortlund, if you're out there in blog land: we are more than "not men," we are women.
More to come as I read further.
"The basic discovery about any people is the discovery of the relationship between its men and its women." -Pearl Buck
Thursday, November 13, 2008
From My Inner Vegetarian
Here is a little something I threw together tonight from what I had in the fridge:
Herbivorous Burgers
Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add two giant portabello mushroom caps, sliced in half. Season with pepper, a little season salt, paprika, and chili powder. Cook over medium high heat, turning as needed, until dark yet still juicy.
In the meantime, mix a 1/4 cup mayo with dijon mustard, garlic powder, and parsley to taste.
Assemble cooked burger on a toasted bun with mayo mix, alfalfa sprouts, and feta cheese. Serve with fries and greek olives. Makes four small burgers.
I don't know, maybe this isn't everyone's thing. But I love a vegetarian meal that still tastes a little like meat. And the whole thing took about 15 minutes to make. AND I bought everything on manager's special :) Best quick meal I've had in a long time.
Herbivorous Burgers
Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add two giant portabello mushroom caps, sliced in half. Season with pepper, a little season salt, paprika, and chili powder. Cook over medium high heat, turning as needed, until dark yet still juicy.
In the meantime, mix a 1/4 cup mayo with dijon mustard, garlic powder, and parsley to taste.
Assemble cooked burger on a toasted bun with mayo mix, alfalfa sprouts, and feta cheese. Serve with fries and greek olives. Makes four small burgers.
I don't know, maybe this isn't everyone's thing. But I love a vegetarian meal that still tastes a little like meat. And the whole thing took about 15 minutes to make. AND I bought everything on manager's special :) Best quick meal I've had in a long time.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Me and My Maytag
(Warning: this blog is technical and boring, I barely enjoyed writing it, but felt it necessary to educate anyone with a broken Maytag poking around the internet).
On Friday afternoon Alan said the washing machine was acting weird. It smelled awful and we realized it wasn't draining water. We took out the half-clean diapers we were washing, bailed out the tub, and tilted it back to see what was going on. Turns out the belt that runs from the motor to the water pump had snapped off (the belts on a Maytag, for anyone out there having trouble, are located on the bottom of the machine; just tilt it up and have a look).
We noted the numbers on the broken belt and called up Lowe's, Home Depot... no luck, they don't sell replacement parts. We called it quits for the night and the three of us drove to Red Robin for a late dinner. Lucy had a great time eating grilled cheese and mooching chocolate shake off of me.
The next day I called around but no appliance stores were open. The young guy at Ace Hardware said they sold universal belts that should fit the Maytag. I measured the broken belt at 39", then thought better and looked up on a replacement parts site how long it was supposed to be (41"). I bought the belt at Ace for $8 compared to $16 for an official Maytag belt.
Got it home, put it on. Started the machine and the whole thing locked up! I was so mad and figured the belt was no good.
After sitting on it for a day I had a thought: maybe it wasn't the belt but the pulley attached to the pump. So I reached under and sure enough, the pump pulley wouldn't turn. We consulted our dads about the feasibility of fixing the pump ourselves. The consensus was that it is easy for coins and such to get stuck in the pump. If I had to replace it I'd have to take it off anyway so we went to it. (We removed it easily by detaching both hoses with a bucket handy, then unscrewing the pump from the bottom of the machine).
And there it was, a baby wipe stuck in the propeller. With a crochet hook and some ingenuity I dislodged it, we reattached the pump, hooked up the hoses, replaced the belt and tada! it worked!
So for $8 and 3 days of mental aggravation (and a hurt back from hauling the washing machine around) we fixed the Maytag. Anyone who is facing a problem with their washing machine, I encourage you to figure it out for yourself before calling a repair man. You really only need a screwdriver, wrench, and a little patience.
On Friday afternoon Alan said the washing machine was acting weird. It smelled awful and we realized it wasn't draining water. We took out the half-clean diapers we were washing, bailed out the tub, and tilted it back to see what was going on. Turns out the belt that runs from the motor to the water pump had snapped off (the belts on a Maytag, for anyone out there having trouble, are located on the bottom of the machine; just tilt it up and have a look).
We noted the numbers on the broken belt and called up Lowe's, Home Depot... no luck, they don't sell replacement parts. We called it quits for the night and the three of us drove to Red Robin for a late dinner. Lucy had a great time eating grilled cheese and mooching chocolate shake off of me.
The next day I called around but no appliance stores were open. The young guy at Ace Hardware said they sold universal belts that should fit the Maytag. I measured the broken belt at 39", then thought better and looked up on a replacement parts site how long it was supposed to be (41"). I bought the belt at Ace for $8 compared to $16 for an official Maytag belt.
Got it home, put it on. Started the machine and the whole thing locked up! I was so mad and figured the belt was no good.
After sitting on it for a day I had a thought: maybe it wasn't the belt but the pulley attached to the pump. So I reached under and sure enough, the pump pulley wouldn't turn. We consulted our dads about the feasibility of fixing the pump ourselves. The consensus was that it is easy for coins and such to get stuck in the pump. If I had to replace it I'd have to take it off anyway so we went to it. (We removed it easily by detaching both hoses with a bucket handy, then unscrewing the pump from the bottom of the machine).
And there it was, a baby wipe stuck in the propeller. With a crochet hook and some ingenuity I dislodged it, we reattached the pump, hooked up the hoses, replaced the belt and tada! it worked!
So for $8 and 3 days of mental aggravation (and a hurt back from hauling the washing machine around) we fixed the Maytag. Anyone who is facing a problem with their washing machine, I encourage you to figure it out for yourself before calling a repair man. You really only need a screwdriver, wrench, and a little patience.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Dad
My Dad's birthday is coming up soon, so I thought I'd write a little homage to the old man.
The best part about my Dad is that he was always around. Even though he worked long hours, and we never saw him in the mornings because he often got up for work around 4am, he was always home for dinner. He'd tell us stories about his day and warn us about the hassles of life as we ate together.
When I was little, Dad was a smoker and a big time coffee drinker. His truck always smelled like coffee and cigarettes and saw dust (I will always think of my father when I smell fresh cut wood). For a number of years Dad stayed with my sister and I while our Mom worked some evenings and weekends. We'd ride around in his truck, listening to music, sorting through the piles of hardware or playing with the cup of change he kept. Dad would explain the history of the songs we heard, where he saw the band in concert or how they influenced the whole of music.
For a man intent on imparting all wisdom he possessed to his kids, Dad was also fun to be around. He'd blow smoke rings for us, tell us the ways he got in trouble as a kid himself, let us act like lunatics when Mom wasn't home. He was the kind of man to say "do whatever you want!" when we'd ask him if we could slide around in our socks on the old wood floors and then kindly remove the splinters we got from doing so.
My Dad strives to be holy, to be generous, to delve into the depths of thought without losing his sense of humor. He is sentimental without being a push over. I've always known how much my father loves my mother, teaching me to find a man who respects me and enjoys my company. Dad would pointedly defend us against people who asked him "Don't you want a son?" by telling them "No! I like having two daughters."
When I was looking for a bride/father dance song for my wedding I just couldn't give into any of the sappy songs-- they didn't fit our relationship as a father and daughter. I picked "So Happy Together" by the Turtles because it reminded me of the warmth and love Dad showed me.
My sister and I weren't treated like princesses as I think my father found that rather disempowering. Instead he tried to raise us to be well-read, analytical, idealistic, and faithful. Despite the many differences my father and I sometimes have, I can't thank him enough for being present, loving God, and treating me like a person worth knowing.
The best part about my Dad is that he was always around. Even though he worked long hours, and we never saw him in the mornings because he often got up for work around 4am, he was always home for dinner. He'd tell us stories about his day and warn us about the hassles of life as we ate together.
When I was little, Dad was a smoker and a big time coffee drinker. His truck always smelled like coffee and cigarettes and saw dust (I will always think of my father when I smell fresh cut wood). For a number of years Dad stayed with my sister and I while our Mom worked some evenings and weekends. We'd ride around in his truck, listening to music, sorting through the piles of hardware or playing with the cup of change he kept. Dad would explain the history of the songs we heard, where he saw the band in concert or how they influenced the whole of music.
For a man intent on imparting all wisdom he possessed to his kids, Dad was also fun to be around. He'd blow smoke rings for us, tell us the ways he got in trouble as a kid himself, let us act like lunatics when Mom wasn't home. He was the kind of man to say "do whatever you want!" when we'd ask him if we could slide around in our socks on the old wood floors and then kindly remove the splinters we got from doing so.
My Dad strives to be holy, to be generous, to delve into the depths of thought without losing his sense of humor. He is sentimental without being a push over. I've always known how much my father loves my mother, teaching me to find a man who respects me and enjoys my company. Dad would pointedly defend us against people who asked him "Don't you want a son?" by telling them "No! I like having two daughters."
When I was looking for a bride/father dance song for my wedding I just couldn't give into any of the sappy songs-- they didn't fit our relationship as a father and daughter. I picked "So Happy Together" by the Turtles because it reminded me of the warmth and love Dad showed me.
My sister and I weren't treated like princesses as I think my father found that rather disempowering. Instead he tried to raise us to be well-read, analytical, idealistic, and faithful. Despite the many differences my father and I sometimes have, I can't thank him enough for being present, loving God, and treating me like a person worth knowing.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Community...?
After our first summer in Wilmore, Alan and I fell into a group of friends. There were three other couples we met with each Saturday night to eat, talk, and unwind from the week. More families joined us, our numbers soon swelling to over 2 dozen adults and kids.
Last evening, as we gathered together for yet another Saturday evening, our friend Amberly sat us down for a talk. After thanking us all for helping her and her family through hard times, and asking forgiveness for any deficit in her friendship to us, Amberly called our attention to the nature of our relationship as a group. Something, she feels, is missing from our time together.
She mentioned that, for people who are part of the Church, we don't always look like a worshipping body. Our friend Kat talked about being transparent but maybe missing out on being vulnerable with one another. Chad described our time together as beautifully mundane.
I won't pretend I heard where everyone was coming from-- understanding other people, I realize, takes a lot of time and hearing them out. But I sensed that all who put in their thoughts were wondering if we couldn't show some solidarity, with each other and with the Lord, when we came together on Saturdays. And maybe a simple something of this nature could produce the community we are all groping around in the dark for.
My own experience with Saturday nights has been quite rocky for some time. As my own life has become filled to the top with obligations and things to sort out, the idea of seeing everyone on Saturdays is sometimes exhausting. To make small talk when something is heavy on my heart is not my forte; yet I have no desire to tell people one by one "Oh yeah, well, my life is going haywire right now so I'd rather just sit here and say nothing, thank you" -- who wants to be the one to rain on everyone's parade?
I'm often reminded of the words of a girl I knew in college. After asking me if I was okay, and hearing me respond with saying I was struggling to keep my head above water, she replied with "Well I just want to have fun!" I'm often nervous of hearing that if I confess my heart to my friends here. It is strange to know a group of people I trust with my life but not with my feelings! And for that I take full responsibilty, for what kind of community can I expect if I don't stick my neck out?
For the sake of space I will finish with this: We should start doing something. I heard recitation of prayer thrown out there, singing a few worship songs, sitting down to update everyone on what's going on in our lives. I'm on board for any of that.
To any of our group reading, I love you all deeply and hope we can find solidarity soon.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead
Last evening, as we gathered together for yet another Saturday evening, our friend Amberly sat us down for a talk. After thanking us all for helping her and her family through hard times, and asking forgiveness for any deficit in her friendship to us, Amberly called our attention to the nature of our relationship as a group. Something, she feels, is missing from our time together.
She mentioned that, for people who are part of the Church, we don't always look like a worshipping body. Our friend Kat talked about being transparent but maybe missing out on being vulnerable with one another. Chad described our time together as beautifully mundane.
I won't pretend I heard where everyone was coming from-- understanding other people, I realize, takes a lot of time and hearing them out. But I sensed that all who put in their thoughts were wondering if we couldn't show some solidarity, with each other and with the Lord, when we came together on Saturdays. And maybe a simple something of this nature could produce the community we are all groping around in the dark for.
My own experience with Saturday nights has been quite rocky for some time. As my own life has become filled to the top with obligations and things to sort out, the idea of seeing everyone on Saturdays is sometimes exhausting. To make small talk when something is heavy on my heart is not my forte; yet I have no desire to tell people one by one "Oh yeah, well, my life is going haywire right now so I'd rather just sit here and say nothing, thank you" -- who wants to be the one to rain on everyone's parade?
I'm often reminded of the words of a girl I knew in college. After asking me if I was okay, and hearing me respond with saying I was struggling to keep my head above water, she replied with "Well I just want to have fun!" I'm often nervous of hearing that if I confess my heart to my friends here. It is strange to know a group of people I trust with my life but not with my feelings! And for that I take full responsibilty, for what kind of community can I expect if I don't stick my neck out?
For the sake of space I will finish with this: We should start doing something. I heard recitation of prayer thrown out there, singing a few worship songs, sitting down to update everyone on what's going on in our lives. I'm on board for any of that.
To any of our group reading, I love you all deeply and hope we can find solidarity soon.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead
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