Feminist Theory
Mary Daly – Christianity

Christianity as myth

        a new/dif way of thinking of Christianity

        for some – blasphemous? 

        insulting/challenging your faith?

Don’t mean to belittle Christian faith

but ask that we try to be intellectual about Christianity

to see it not as ultimate truth but as a culturally specific tradition, with rituals that evolved over time and in response to changes in theology

Bible/Gospels – word of God – or writings selected for political/theological reasons

Apochrypa – books not included

treatment of things/events/people in Christ’s life changes over time

interpretation of their significance changes

applies both to Catholicism and Protestantism

Changes in Catholic theology more obvious b/c church more centralized; process of “theology bldg” more overt

        a) their very existence

b) currently – w/in Meth church – debate over status of gays, gay marriage

So all religions, theologies – flexible, changing

Many influenced by each other –

Christianity, e.g., incorporated the local feasts, “saints” into its calendar

        All Soul’s Day/Halloween

Cult of the Virgin – incorp’d local goddess worship – riots when church was going to expunge her – 1500s

argues that it coopted certain symbols from pre-existing religions

criticizes its choice of symbols, Deities, cosmology

E.G.????

1) Creation myth – original sin, “birth” of Eve from Adam; Lilith

2) symbol of the cross – taken from Tree of life – Odin’s tree, etc., woman as tree of life,

3) trinity – goddesses originally

now all male

usurps this power from women!!

1) virgin birth – mary as vessel – passive

        “immaculate conception”
        Mary conceived without “orig. sin”

2) resurrection – Christ goes into earth like Perephone to Hades – re-emerges on his own power – re-born

baptism as symbol of re-birth – performed by MEN

Eternal life!!

 
5) S and M???

grotesque?  necrophilia?  crucifixes in chruch – vs. Buddhist copulations!!