This is so interesting, thank you! I'm a British evangelical (pentecostal) Christian in the UK so I have very limited understanding of what you mean by Orthodoxy but every word you spoke about feminism resonates with me. I feel that Christianity in no way is at odds with feminism, after all, social justice is woven into the scriptures.
Lovely piece — it just baffles me how patriarchal thinking can be justified in an Orthodox understanding of the incarnation. Your list of the characteristics of your feminism seems so much more in line with Orthodox incarnational theology than any biologically-essential theories of hierarchy — which seem to be spreading and gaining legitimacy in Orthodox circles.
The *real* point is the primacy of Gerwig’s Little Women, the only natural hierarchy I truly believe in.
I doubt people understand what they mean they say that Orthodoxy is "not feminist". Personally, I think of cultures that are honor-bound, meaning that women should seclude themselves from men and that men must supervise the conduct of women so that their behavior will not sully men's honor. This means on a practical level that women have little autonomy. In-laws (esp mothers-in-law) dictating every part of the daughter-in-law's lives, women not having the most basic rights that you enumerated in your post. All so that men can have status and feel respected. How is this Orthodox? And yes, I know this fairly extreme and most cultures are not like this (at least any more) but this was the type of culture that Christinaity chipped away at in the West for many, many centuries. Feminism comes from Christianity.
This is so interesting, thank you! I'm a British evangelical (pentecostal) Christian in the UK so I have very limited understanding of what you mean by Orthodoxy but every word you spoke about feminism resonates with me. I feel that Christianity in no way is at odds with feminism, after all, social justice is woven into the scriptures.
Thank you for this. I agree with you completely and I'm sooo glad I found this newsletter!
awwwww I'm glad you found it too!
Lovely piece — it just baffles me how patriarchal thinking can be justified in an Orthodox understanding of the incarnation. Your list of the characteristics of your feminism seems so much more in line with Orthodox incarnational theology than any biologically-essential theories of hierarchy — which seem to be spreading and gaining legitimacy in Orthodox circles.
The *real* point is the primacy of Gerwig’s Little Women, the only natural hierarchy I truly believe in.
THE BEST LITTLE WOMEN
I doubt people understand what they mean they say that Orthodoxy is "not feminist". Personally, I think of cultures that are honor-bound, meaning that women should seclude themselves from men and that men must supervise the conduct of women so that their behavior will not sully men's honor. This means on a practical level that women have little autonomy. In-laws (esp mothers-in-law) dictating every part of the daughter-in-law's lives, women not having the most basic rights that you enumerated in your post. All so that men can have status and feel respected. How is this Orthodox? And yes, I know this fairly extreme and most cultures are not like this (at least any more) but this was the type of culture that Christinaity chipped away at in the West for many, many centuries. Feminism comes from Christianity.