Women's Role In Christianity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Women's Role In Christianity - Research Paper Example In the early Christianity, there was no separation in the description of roles of men and women. But as the time passed by and the rights of religion started changing, there started arising negative aspects of Christianity, which said men and women are not equal and that women are inferior to men (Witherington & Witherington, pp.19-22). In the ancient Greece and Rome in Christian societies, men considered women as inferior to them and they treated them as some property possessed by them. In those days, women teachers used to preach about the second coming of Christ and that this world will end very soon. At that time, Christian churches started enjoying the cuff, which lead to patriarchal thought in Christianity emphasizing on unequal treatment of men and women. This cuff remained for next two thousand years and proved to be very brutal for women. People slaughtered women pitilessly giving them the names of witches. This atrocity continued until twentieth century, only after that the re was a change in this activity (Laporte, pp.15-16). This change was only possible because of initial protest of women for women rights in 1960s. This movement brought an intense change in the role of women in Christianity and women’s rights highlighted (Kung, pp.12-13). A feminist theology emerged containing prose on women’s role in Christianity and expressed God through a feminine image. Women started experiencing social, political, and cultural freedom and equality after 1960s but the patriarchal thought did not disappear completely. Its shadows still prevailed in the form of sexual dualism. This idea suggested that men and women are not only biologically different but men are more religious and stronger than women are. Whereas women were more poignant and instructive than men were. This concept was prevailing since the Greek times and only first women protest of 1960 had courage to challenge these thoughts. There aroused another concept called Marian Devotion rega rding women and it proved to be controversial because Catholics appreciated this phenomenon where as protestants were in strong opposition. Many people assumed that this was strengthening the feminine view of God while others said that it was in fact damaging the feminine movement because it was destructing womanhood of women. The sexual and civilizing rebellion of the 1970s and 80s specifically desired to get rid of elevated pedestals of probity emotionally involved in womanhood (Kung, pp. 16-20). There appeared two parallel movements one as a religious and other as societal. These two movements were modern and conventional in nature. The goddess reverence, â€Å"Jesus’ movement, and Marian devotion influenced the liberal feminist theological movement† (Kung, pp. 16-20). Whereas the religious rights in Christianity works on the key of sexual dualism. The religious right strives to discover morals only within customary tradition and they refuse to accept the amendment of any kind to a customary manner. The religious right resists the liberal reproductive rights of women particularly the right of abortion and homosexuality. It also does not accept the cloning technology look for reinstatement of traditional family principles standing on the patriarchal system. In the beginning, the religious rights were only supporting the faith but then they augmented their presence in important matters of the society, such as culture and politics so they that they affect the society with their opinions. It is very likely that religious rights have abhorrence for women because they doubt that women will