Feminist Theology 101

All About Eve

We often hear about Abraham, the Biblical father of Jews, Christians and Muslims, but not so much about his wife, Sarah. We hear God described as a Lord, a King, a white-bearded disciplinarian in the sky…but rarely is God called a mother, a nurturer or a woman. And then there’s Eve, who, according to the standard interpretation of the book of Genesis, sprung forth from Adam’s rib: the original second-class citizen. Feminist theology is trying to change these kinds of views. Our guests are Mary Hunt, co-editor of “New Feminist Christianity: Many Voices, Many Views” and Judith Plaskow, author of “Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective.”

We’re Not the Same, But That’s Okay

Somewhere around the 1960s, it became fashionable to think of all religions as alike at their core – different paths up the same mountain, to the same God. But this warm and fuzzy view of religion has a problem: call it the Kumbaya Effect. Stephen Prothero, author of “God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World – and Why Our Differences Matter” says it fails to recognize the fascinating and, indeed, irreconcilable differences among the world’s faiths, creating a “pretend pluralism” that does more harm then good. 

In case you missed it- hear our eight-part series with Prothero on the world’s religions.  A staff favorite!


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