One of the enduring fights among the faithful is the “proper” role of women within Christianity. People really get heated when they talk about it. I have made no secret how I feel about women in ministry. You can get a pretty good understanding of my view in my post, “Skirts in the Pulpit.”
But even though I support women in ministry, I cannot get behind feminist theology that views every single biblical story as a story of oppression and abuse.
Case in point: a Twitter account popped up not too long ago that seeks to tell the story of every woman in the Bible through a feminist lens. I like the concept of telling the stories of people whose voices are not always heard. The problem is that the feminist lens falsely colors the stories and the new interpretation does damage to the text of Scripture which, in all honesty, is actually a sacred text that contains a high regard for women.
I have never written a blog post about a specific Twitterer before but I guess there’s a first time for everything, so let’s look at a few of these feminist renderings of biblical women with a few comments. Then let me know what YOU think.
Hannah: because when I pray differently than you, you judge me and say I must be a drunk. #YesAllWomen #YesAllBiblicalWomen
— YesAllBiblicalWomen (@AllBibleWomen) May 27, 2014
This one interests me. Hannah, Samuel’s mother, was praying desperately for a child. When the priest, Eli, saw her lips moving but couldn’t hear her voice, he thought she was intoxicated (see 1 Sam. 1:9-18). So the feminist lens judges Eli as being misogynistic.
I take issue with this for two reasons:
1) Eli isn’t concerned about her gender, only about her appearing intoxicated before God. Once Hannah explains the situation Eli replies, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the petition you’ve requested from Him.” Yup – he’s a real woman-hater. 😐
2) When Jesus’ disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, some who overheard sneered and accused them of being drunk. Peter has to stand up and say, “We’re not drunk. It’s only 9 a.m.!” In both stories gender isn’t the issue. The issue is the appearance of drunkenness.
The feminist re-interpretation damages the text.
How about:
Lois and Eunice: We were women of great faith, but you only know us because of our son/grandson Timothy.
— YesAllBiblicalWomen (@AllBibleWomen) May 27, 2014
This tweet assumes that there is something wrong with these women being remembered as the mother/grandmother of Timothy, as if they are being slighted for not having a more fully-developed story.
The problem is that there are many names in the Bible—men and women—who are only given a brief mention. How about Simon the Cyrene? How many Christians actually know who he is without looking him up? He’s the man who carried the cross of Jesus but he only gets one sentence. Just because the Bible doesn’t give pages and pages to a biblical character does not mean that the character is ignored or slighted. The feminist reading is creating a false dilemma.
The feminist re-interpretation damages the text.
Okay, just one more, because the tweets are starting to get my blood boiling…
Hagar: Because you think you own me, use my body without my say, and when I finally gain my voice, set me loose to die #yesallbiblicalwomen
— YesAllBiblicalWomen (@AllBibleWomen) May 28, 2014
In the ancient world, carrying on the family line was of extreme importance. When Sarai couldn’t give Abram children, Hagar (an Egyptian slave) was taken to be a surrogate mother in order to provide offspring. Later on, Hagar and her child were removed from the family and sent into the wilderness. It is a tragic story, to be sure.
The problem is that it’s not misogynistic violence against women. From beginning to end, Sarai is the one who mistreated Hagar. It was Sarai’s idea to use Hagar as a surrogate. It was Sarai who asked to remove Hagar and Ishmael. The feminist reading doesn’t admit that it is a WOMAN who is mistreating Hagar. It plays fast and loose with the text, ignoring certain elements in order to make the case for the Bible promoting female oppression.
The feminist re-interpretation damages the text.
The Bible illustrates many women who are terrific people of faith: Deborah, Jael, Huldah, Anna, Mary, Junia, Philip’s daughters…and on and on. So why go to the trouble to make up these problems? It’s about promoting a non-biblical agenda rather than reading Scripture honestly.
Don’t make up stuff in the Bible just because you have an axe to grind.
- Burn the Ships! A New Year’s Devotion - December 30, 2023
- These Things Could Fill You With Joy: An Advent Devotional - December 17, 2023
- An Advent Devotion: I Want to Be Happy — Joy - December 3, 2023
Agreed. I consider myself a feminist, and it makes me a bit crazy to hear women talk about how misogynist the Bible is. I always want to ask if they would just read Jesus’ interactions with women, coming with no assumptions. Or if they ever have. We all need to approach scripture without preconceived ideas of what it does and does not support.
From the creation of man and women as equal partners to their restoration in the end, the Bible runs counter to the culture around it in terms of how it treats women. If only the church would follow suit.
Yes! The Bible is incredibly counter-cultural in how it views and treats women. The ONLY reason women are diminished is because of SIN and the fall. It has nothing to do with God’s creative design. (Okay, I’m ready for the Christian misogynists to come attack me now)