In his letter to Corinthians, Apostle Paul writes that women should be submissive and silent in churches, which also characterizes the approach to women in the Christian tradition. From the very spread of Christianity, female oppression was aimed to reflect and support the social division between men and women. This patriarchal way of life determined different areas of life, including family relationships, politics, social views, and so on. However, it is curious to discover the underlying reasons that were used for considering that women should be submissive and that it is the only correct way to organize society and religion.
One of the explanations is provided by St. Augustine in Genesis, which distinguishes between the human soul and body. According to this theologian, Christianity identifies the secondary position of females, focusing on their capacity to be baptized and redeemed. He states that God created men and women equal in terms of their souls, but their physical nature is different (Ruether, 2015). A sexual body of a female is regarded as the one who is inherently prone to sin. Therefore, she is created to be submissive to men, serving for the purposes of childbearing and sexual roles. This point of view explains why Christian churches encourage the subordination of women.
Furthermore, John Chrysostom claims that the bodily beauty of women is always accompanied by a white-washed tomb that is full of filth. These words reflect the misogyny of the author, who makes his conclusions based on gender inequality and perceives women as those who are born to serve men. In turn, Origen claims that the eyes through which God looks to the world are male since they cannot be feminine and carnal. Accordingly, modern feminists believe that Christianity supports gender inequality for thousands of years. However, little attention is paid to the fact that earlier civilizations were based on female domination, such as those of Egypt or Mesopotamia. The nations of these civilizations prayed for Mother Goddess. It would be interesting to learn more about the shift of domination to men after the collapse of these ancient cultures.
One of the reasons for female subordination in Christianity is the protection that is to be provided by fathers, brothers, and husbands. It seems that they were expected to ensure that women and families in general have all the necessary to live a worthy life. Regarding the modern life, this interpretation loses its relevance since women have great opportunities to make money and care for themselves and their children. Also, a wife and husband make a contribution to the family budget, which promotes trust and understanding in the family.
It is possible to note the modern churches that do not seek to support some form of domination but focus on the recreation of communities, where men and women are viewed as equal human beings. One can state that these churches lead to the integrity of communities since it is no longer required to fight against injustice. At the same time, such an approach allows for standing together against social and political systems that oppress people. God’s Words and His divine wisdom help in empowering both men and women to become stronger and aware of the need to unite. Although the initial and subsequent Christian traditions were based on female oppression, it is possible to address this social inequality and adopt a new integrative approach in churches.
Reference
Ruether, R. R. (2015). Sexism and misogyny in the Christian tradition: Liberating alternatives. Buddhist-Christian Studies, 34, 83-94.