Comments on: Modern Day Slavery http://agnosis.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/modern-day-slavery/ Meanderings of a theistic agnostic. Sat, 15 Mar 2008 15:20:03 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: agnosis http://agnosis.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/modern-day-slavery/#comment-30 agnosis Sat, 13 Jan 2007 00:29:56 +0000 http://agnosis.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/modern-day-slavery/#comment-30 Evan, The feminism of Jesus is very nominally represented in the canonical gospels. The lack of credibility of some of the non-canonical gospels keeps them from being considered in a discussion of "biblical egalitarianism," but I find the different views about Jesus and women in them to be interesting. I think Gentile/Hellenistic/Pauline Christianity differs from Jesus' views. I'm not familiar enough with the specific arguments of biblical egalitarianists to give a fair hearing, but I think they're focus is more functional than ontological. I'm not sure how they get around Peter saying that women are "weaker vessels." If that was a purely physical statement, it would be a waste of ink, but I think it's more ontological. Incidentally, the word "feminism" is only valid due to the gender inequality that exists today in some social circles. Feminism has and does take a variety of forms and emphases, so biblical egalitariansim is in some sense feminist. However, Jesus never instituted a new socio-religious institution and thus seems to have operated to some degree within the current Judaic, patriarchal mentality. Evan,
The feminism of Jesus is very nominally represented in the canonical gospels. The lack of credibility of some of the non-canonical gospels keeps them from being considered in a discussion of “biblical egalitarianism,” but I find the different views about Jesus and women in them to be interesting. I think Gentile/Hellenistic/Pauline Christianity differs from Jesus’ views. I’m not familiar enough with the specific arguments of biblical egalitarianists to give a fair hearing, but I think they’re focus is more functional than ontological. I’m not sure how they get around Peter saying that women are “weaker vessels.” If that was a purely physical statement, it would be a waste of ink, but I think it’s more ontological.

Incidentally, the word “feminism” is only valid due to the gender inequality that exists today in some social circles. Feminism has and does take a variety of forms and emphases, so biblical egalitariansim is in some sense feminist. However, Jesus never instituted a new socio-religious institution and thus seems to have operated to some degree within the current Judaic, patriarchal mentality.

]]> By: evantomlin http://agnosis.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/modern-day-slavery/#comment-29 evantomlin Fri, 12 Jan 2007 20:47:22 +0000 http://agnosis.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/modern-day-slavery/#comment-29 Agnosis, Thanks for the fascinating post. Feminism is something I know little about, and it is a pleasure to learn something new. Just out of curiosity... How do you conceptually distinguish between the feminism of Jesus (as referenced above) and those who argue for biblical egalitarianism? Regards, Evan Agnosis,

Thanks for the fascinating post. Feminism is something I know little about, and it is a pleasure to learn something new. Just out of curiosity…

How do you conceptually distinguish between the feminism of Jesus (as referenced above) and those who argue for biblical egalitarianism?

Regards,

Evan

]]> By: agnosis http://agnosis.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/modern-day-slavery/#comment-27 agnosis Tue, 09 Jan 2007 10:58:57 +0000 http://agnosis.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/modern-day-slavery/#comment-27 There are a number of places in the gospel records that show Jesus' openness and compassion for women. A feminist perspective in the Greco-Roman world, and especially in the patriarchal Jewish world, doesn't have to be one which advocates for the attainement of something as much as one which refuses to treat women by the accepted social norms. Because feminism is seen as a radical idea or movement today, doesn't mean that it was equally radical then. Jesus' feminism is part and parcel of his contradicting many social norms such as eating with "sinners and tax collectors" and allowing children to come to him after a teaching session. If you need specifics, I'll try to locate some for you. There are a number of places in the gospel records that show Jesus’ openness and compassion for women. A feminist perspective in the Greco-Roman world, and especially in the patriarchal Jewish world, doesn’t have to be one which advocates for the attainement of something as much as one which refuses to treat women by the accepted social norms. Because feminism is seen as a radical idea or movement today, doesn’t mean that it was equally radical then. Jesus’ feminism is part and parcel of his contradicting many social norms such as eating with “sinners and tax collectors” and allowing children to come to him after a teaching session. If you need specifics, I’ll try to locate some for you.

]]> By: Raymond Lam http://agnosis.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/modern-day-slavery/#comment-24 Raymond Lam Mon, 08 Jan 2007 03:48:42 +0000 http://agnosis.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/modern-day-slavery/#comment-24 Where are the parts in the Gospels where Jesus shows feminist leanings? Personally I don't believe the Gnostic Gospels nor the Gospel of Mary Magdalene. I don't believe that Jesus was married to Mary either. Although Michael Baigent made a good point in his book The Jesus Papers that much of the Church's hostility towards women was due largely to the doctrines of perpetual virginity. Where are the parts in the Gospels where Jesus shows feminist leanings?

Personally I don’t believe the Gnostic Gospels nor the Gospel of Mary Magdalene. I don’t believe that Jesus was married to Mary either. Although Michael Baigent made a good point in his book The Jesus Papers that much of the Church’s hostility towards women was due largely to the doctrines of perpetual virginity.

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