Religion Essays Feminist Theology

Religion Essays Feminist Theology It has been argued that alternative spirituality movements and alternative religions offer contemporary women greater possibilities of participation in religion and of expression oftheir religiosity. All feminist scholars of religionhighlight the wrongs which have been done to women through the neglect offemale religious experience. They subject misogynistic views of womens natureand their place in the world to critical examination. Feminist theologians therefore, seek to address the injustices whichthey perceive in patriarchal religious traditions, and to offset theirandrocentric bias by making a specific feminist contribution to the study ofreligious traditions. It is this critique of patriarchy and patriarchal religious traditions that has opened the way for the alternative spirituality movements and alternative religions that for some women, provides new and radically different ways for women to express their spirituality. These take vary forms and include the Wiccan movement, the most extreme element of which rejects any forms of patriarchal discourse and any involvement of women in religious practices that involve male participation, the Goddess movement and Eco-spirituality. Thispaper will investigate the view that the development of what has been callednew age religion and alternative spirituality movements offer contemporarywomen greater participation in religion and in expressing their religiositywith examples from the Goddess movement and from the Eco-feminist movement. Feminisms influence on the Emergence of Different Spiritualities Fromthe late 1960s onwards what became known as feminist theology emerged. Womencriticised what they saw as the male-centred theology of patriarchal religionand this led feminist theologian Rosemary Radford-Ruether to write: The uniqueness of feminist theology lies not inits use of the criteria of experience but rather in its use of womensexperience, which has been almost entirely shut out of theological reflectionin the past. The use of womens experience in feminist theology, therefore,explodes as a critical force, exposing classical theology, including itscodified traditions, as based on male experience rather than on universal humanexperience (Ruether, 1992:13). Thiswas an expression of what these feminists had been saying for years, that womenneeded to find ways in which they could speak of their own religiousexperiences and as women express their spirituality in terms that feltcomfortable for them. For many women this meant a complete rejection oftraditional religion and a move towards specifically women-centredspiritualities eg Carol Christs 1986 Womenspirit Rising. Goddess Movements Hanegraff(1996) contends that new spiritualities such as the Goddess Movement are rootedin the ancient pagan traditions of occultism and witchcraft. He contends thatthis has influenced the development of New Age womens spiritualities ingeneral, although he regards the term spiritualities as diffuse. He claims thatwomens spirituality, Goddess movements and Wicca tend to blend in together,although it could be argued that there may be some women who own a goddessspirituality who may not subscribe to Wiccan views. This is particularly thecase with the womens spirituality movement that lies within theJudaeo-Christian tradition (see for example Plaskow, 1989). This movement isalso evident in other traditions such as Islam and Hinduism and the idea is todiscover neglected elements within the tradition that express womens religiousexperience. Some women say that these elements have been deliberately neglectedor covered up by the male interpreters of patriarchal religions (see SchusslerFioren za 1984, Mernissi, 1991 and Gupta 1991). While they emphasise thattranscendence can be seen as goddess rather than a god and worshipped as suchthey do not equate this with pagan Goddess worship (Hanegraff, 1996). However,Hanegraff contends that the boundaries between these things are extremelyblurred and that in some cases in the historical traditions there is so muchemphasis on the primacy of experience that the result is no concrete idea ofwho or what the goddess that is being worshipped and in some areas the experientialnature can take extreme forms. Thus he argues: spiritual growth leads to connection with a Higher Power-theGod/Goddess within and without, Christ, Allah, Buddah and All-That-is. Thistheology easily assimilates all personal perspectives on God as equallyvalid.prominence over others is rejected as reflecting a limitedconsiousness..and is lacking in authentic religious experience (Hanegraff, 1996:185). Hanegraff contends that this reflects a view thatsays that those who hold it are not sure who or what God is. However, this maybe a reaction to the reification of God concepts that takes place inpatriarchal thinking, most particularly within the Judaeo-Christian tradition(Daly, 1982). Yet Goddess worshippers within the traditions are conscious ofthe importance of symbolism. Feminists say that it needs to berecognised that symbolism is important to women because they themselves havebeen symbolised. As Daly argues women have been presented with masculineconcepts of themselves which are symbolic of mens fear of the feminine. Thisis evident in maternal and virginal representations in Christianity, and in thedistorted images of Kali in Hinduism (Gupta, 1991). Women do need to find theirown way of relating to the religious symbolic and perhaps this means that theyare nervous of committing the same mistakes as patriarchal tradition andreducing transcendence to an object. King (1995 contends that although symbolscan be male, female, or androgynous, most of the worlds religious traditionshave taken the male as normative and used the symbolism to uphold maledominance in the religious and social structure. In the same way Carol Christ(1980) has argued that masculine symbolism has been so damaging for women thatthe only response women can make is to adopt purely feminine symbols and toworship the Goddess. It is her view that this is the only way that women canassert their own gendered identity in a patriarchal society. Thus she writes, Religioncentered on the worship of a male God creates moods and motivations thatkeep women in a state of psychological dependence on men and male authority,while at the same time legitimating the political and social authority offathers and sons in the institute of society (1980:275). Goddessworshippers Hanegraff (1996) argues are concerned to express the fact that thewhole of reality is permeated by the Goddess while at the same timeinvestigating the historical roots of Goddess worship both with and without thetraditions. King (1995) maintains that along with the Goddess movement there isalso a lot of work in the area of ecology, or eco-feminism, particularlyRuethers 1992 work, Gaia and God. Eco-Feminism The work ofeco-feminists such as (Mcfague, 1987, Ruether, 1992 et al) stems from a newconcern for global issues and the way in which human beings have treated theearth. Ruether uses the Gaia principle taken from science, and takes theposition that the earth is our sacred mother we come from it and return to ityet throughout history humankind have damaged the earth and other forms of lifethat exist here. Sallie McFague 1987 has argued that patriarchal the religionsthat have oppressed women have also dominated the earth. They have taken thebiblical saying that man should have dominion over the earth and all that is init so literally that they have come close to destroying Gods gifts. McFaguerefers in her work to the earth as Gods body, the earth, she maintains is ametaphor for the body of God. In Models of God (1987)McFague argues that the metaphor of the world as Gods body would not just helpto repair the relationship that human beings have with the earth, but wouldalso help to dispel some of the hierarchical images of God that exist withinthe Christian tradition. Thus she writes, The metaphor of the world asGods body puts God at risk (McFague, 1987:73). God is seen asvulnerable when God is such an intimate part of creation. The earth, therefore,is among the oppressed. It suffers with us and if the world is seen as the bodyof God, then God may be seen as suffering with Gods people. McFagues Modelsof God are metaphors that allow both the transcendental as well asthe ethical nature of God to emerge. Hanegraff (1996) maintains that: The ecological crisis has beencreated by a society based on fundamentally flawed presuppositions. Humanityhas to change its way of thinking perceiving and acting, and then it willhopefully still be possible to heal the world (Hanegraaf, 1996:118). Conclusion Clearlyalternative spiritualities seem to be the way forward for many women to expresstheir religiosity, nevertheless, there are still women who, despite patriarchaloppression, remain with their inherited faith traditions and struggle to freeit from patriarchal restraint. It would seem to me that there has always beensome concern for the female in religious imagery e.g. the person of Mary inCatholicism and the many Goddesses of Hinduism. In a sense there have alwaysbeen these alternatives and I would say that the emergence of second wavefeminism in the late 1960s and their critique of all things patriarchal is whathas brought these alternatives to the fore. The higher profile of thesespiritualities is necessary so that all women feel able to choose how theyexpress their spiritual experiences. Bibliography Christ,C (1980) DivingDeep and Surfacing, Women Writers on a Spiritual Crest, Beacon Press,Boston Daly, M (1982) BeyondGod The Father, 2nd EditionThe Womens Press, London Fiorenza, E(1984) In Memory of Her, SPCK, London Gupta, L (1991)Kali the Saviour, in Cooey, P, Eakin, W, McDaniel, J (eds.) (1991) AfterPatriarchy: Feminist Transformationsof World Religions,Orbis, New York Hanegraaff (1996) New AgeReligion and Western Culture New York, Brill. King, U (ed.)(1994) Feminist Theology From the Third World, SPCK, London McFague, S(1987) Models of God, SPCK, London Plaskow, J(1993) We are also your sisters: The development of womens studies inreligion, Womens Studies Quarterly, XXI, 12 p. 9-21 Ruether, R(1992} Gaia and God, SCM, London

Environmental Resources Worksheet Essay

Using the assigned readings from Week Four, write a 50- to 75-word response to each of the following questions. Your responses will be assessed according to the accuracy of the content. Minerals 1. How do minerals affect society? Minerals have aided in the continuous growth of developing nations and also, â€Å"had abundant mineral deposits that enabled them to industrialize† (Berg, 2013). However, as a consequence of industrialization, â€Å"these countries largely depleted their domestic reserves of minerals so that they must increasingly turn to developing countries† (Berg, 2013). Also, minerals affect the global economy. For example, China â€Å"controls more than 90 percent of the global supply of rare earth metals, has also reduced its exports to other countries, in a move that could affect market prices† (Berg, 2013). 2. What is the difference between metallic and nonmetallic minerals? Provide two examples from each category and discuss their uses. Minerals are divided into two categories: metals and nonmetallic minerals. Metals are â€Å"malleable, lustrous, and good conductors of heat and electricity†, while nonmetallic metals â€Å"lack these characteristics† (Berg, 2013) . Gold is a metal used for currency and iron is a metal used for steel buildings. Gypsum is a nonmetal that is used for drywall. Silicon is another nonmetal that is used for electronic devices. Mining 1. How are minerals extracted from the Earth and processed? There are two ways to extract minerals from the Earth, either surface mining or subsurface mining. Surface mining is done when minerals are closer to the surface. Subsurface mining is used when the minerals are too deep to be removed by surface mining. Smelting is the â€Å"process in which ore is melted at high temperatures to separate impurities from the molten metal† (Berg, 2013). 2. What are the different ways minerals can be mined? Provide a brief  description of at least three types of mining. What effect does extracting minerals have on the environment? Other than land damage, extracting minerals causes air pollution of the air, soil, and water. Also, it destroys vegetation and causes soil erosion. Possibly most importantly it affects the water supply. Mineral extraction â€Å"exposes large areas of dissolved toxic substances to precipitation, greatly accelerating polluted runoff† (Berg, 2013). Soil 3. What is your definition of soil? What is soil composed of? Why is soil important to the environment? Soil is the uppermost layer of the Earth and supports life on earth. Soil is composed of four parts: mineral particles, organic matter, water, and air. Soil is very important to the environment because various organisms depend on soil for life and â€Å"supports virtually all terrestrial food webs† (Berg, 2013). 4. What types of organisms are found in soil? Determine the relationship between soil and organisms. Ants, moles, snakes, and earthworms are just a small number of the many organisms that are found in soil. Essentially, organisms and soil depend on each other to remain balanced. Organisms that live in soil provide â€Å"ecosystem services, such as maintaining soil fertility, preventing soil erosion, breaking down toxic materials, and cleansing water† (Berg, 2013). 5. What is soil erosion? How can soil become polluted? What effect does soil erosion and pollution have on the environment? Soil erosion is the â€Å"wearing away or removal of soil from the land† (Berg, 2013). Being that soil erosion reduces the amount of soil in an area, vegetation growth can become very limited. As a result, it disrupts the balance of the ecosystem by eliminating food sources. 6. What is the purpose of soil reclamation? Soil reclamation can be executed by â€Å"(1) stabilizing the land to prevent further erosion and (2) restoring the soil to its former fertility. To stabilize the land, the bare ground is seeded with plants that eventually grow to cover the soil, holding it in place† (Berg, 2013). Once the soil is returned back to its original state, the land can be used again. Forestry and Rangeland Resources and Management Strategies 7. Differentiate between government-owned and public lands. Which government agencies are involved with government-owned lands? What is the purpose of government-owned lands? Government owned lands â€Å"provide vital ecosystem services that benefit humans living far from public forests, grasslands, deserts, and wetlands† (Berg, 2013). These places include national parks and provide protection for endangered species and flood and erosion control. Public land is available for recreational purposes such as hiking, swimming and boating. 8. Why is the forest an important ecosystem? What is your definition of forest management? What is its purpose? Describe the concept of sustainable forestry. The forest is an important ecosystem because it â€Å"provides many goods and services to support human society† (Berg, 2013). They also provide employment for millions of people worldwide. Forest management is the managing of timber production. The purpose of forest management is to produce as much timber as possible. 9. What effect does the harvesting of trees and deforestation have on forests and the environment? Is there a preferred method for harvesting trees? Explain. Both the harvesting of trees and deforestation result in â€Å"decreased soil fertility† (Berg, 2013). The vital minerals that are needed by soil are washed away because there are no trees to absorb them. Also, this takes away food sources and shelter for various organisms. This disrupts the delicate balance of ecosystems. Selective cutting, is when a small group of mature tress are individually cut or in small clusters. This means that the rest of the forest is left undisturbed. However, this method is expensive and does not generate timber needed quickly enough. 10. What is a rangeland? Describe rangeland degradation and desertification. What effect does degradation and desertification have on the environment? Is there a preferred method for harvesting trees? Explain. Rangelands are â€Å"grasslands, in both temperate and tropical climates, that serve as important areas of food production for humans by providing fodder for livestock such as cattle, sheep, and goats† (Berg, 2013). Degradation is â€Å"both a natural and a human-induced process that decreases the future ability of the land to support crops or livestock† (Berg, 2013). Desertification is progressive degradation that produces desert-like conditions on land that was used previously and was plentiful. 11. What is  overgrazing? What effect does this have on rangelands? What strategies can be employed for managing and conserving forests and rangelands? Overgrazing is a â€Å"situation that occurs when too many grazing animals consume the plants in a particular area, leaving the vegetation destroyed and unable to recover† (Berg, 2013). When rangelands are overgrazed, â€Å"plants die, the ground is left barren, and the exposed soil is susceptible to erosion† (Berg, 2013). The rangelands have to be taken care of by practicing techniques that are environmentally friendly. Agriculture 12. What is the difference between industrialized and subsistence agriculture? What effect do these methods have on the environment? Industrialized agriculture are modern â€Å"agricultural methods that require large capital inputs and less land and labor than traditional methods† (Berg, 2013). Subsistence agriculture supports on the farmer and their family with little reserves. Industrialized agriculture causes pollution and lowers an ecosystem’s biodiversity. Subsistence agriculture relies on more human and animal labor and has a much smaller impact on the environment. 13. What is one agricultural challenge, other than soil erosion, that society faces? Explain your answer. One agricultural challenge that society faces is the lost of agricultural land. Countries are starting to expand and grow rapidly. With so much space being needed for expansion, this takes land that could have been used for agricultural purposes. The loss of rural land means that food will have to travel longer and use more resources to do so. 14. How would you describe sustainable agriculture? How does it affect the environment? In regards to agriculture, what are the advantages and disadvantages involved with genetic engineering? I would describe sustainable agriculture as agriculture that is better for the environment and leaves less of a footprint on the Earth. It also promotes high diversity. It has minimal long term impacts on the environment by using less pesticides and using biological diversity instead (predator-prey relationship). The advantage of genetic engineering is that any organism can be used and it takes less time to engineer another breed. The disadvantage is that there is yet to be seen what long term effects  genetic engineering has on the environment or on humans. Works Cited Berg, L. (2013). Visualizing Environmental Science (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Use of Exaggeration in Hard Times - 1545 Words

Dickens has cleverly used exaggeration in Hard Times, in the form of caricature and farce to criticize the theory of utilitarianism; the popular way of living in the Victorian age. Utilitarianism comes under the theory of consequentialism which dictates that one should always judge an action from its consequences, and follow the course which benefits the majority. By exaggerating his characters he essentially uses them to represent varying views on utilitarianism; ie; what it implies not only as the basis of society but also at the personal level. Through this hyperbolic representation of his characters he emphasizes what they each stand for; for example Thomas Gradgrind’s staunch belief in Fact’s as opposed to Sissy Jupe, who is the†¦show more content†¦These emotions also hint at Louisa’s potential for being a sensitive, loving and mature person (revealed in her loyalty to her family when she does not escape with Mr Harthouse). However, all in all, Lou isa’s role in the novel is a tragic one; to represent the failure of utilitarianism in its most dangerous form. Another character in the book who champions the utilitarian approach to life is Joseph Bounderby. While Mr Grandgrind seems to be the one who holds this ideology together, Joseph Bounderby represents it. A dear friend of Mr Gradgrind, he is introduced as a ‘big, loud man, with a stare, and a metallic laugh.’ He is a man whose greatest inspiration, pride and assets are himself; ‘ A man with a pervading appearance on him on being inflated like a balloon, and ready to start.’ The element of exaggeration in Bounderby’s character exists in his bloated self importance. He thrives on his identity of a self made man; claiming that if he could rise above poverty and attain success so could any other poor man. As h exclaims to Mrs Gadgrind, or anyone whose willing to listen; â€Å"Here I’m Mrs Gradgrind, anyhow, and nobody to thank for my being here, but myself.† His ego is amplified by his repetitive reminder of his rise from nothing to a à ¢â‚¬Ëœbanker, merchant, manufacturer and what not.’ But as it turns out even Mr Bounderby is aShow MoreRelatedImmigration : The Ongoing Question1419 Words   |  6 PagesUnited States and therefore all of them should be deported. Using Juvenalian and Horatian satire, satirists poke fun of illegal immigration through the satirical devices of parody, irony, and exaggeration in order to bring light to this very important issue facing the United States of America. One example of the use of Juvenalian satire and parody bringing light to illegal immigration can be seen in Daniel L.’s satirical work. 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Christian Circles Today Philippians 4 I Can Do All...

In many Christian circles today Philippians 4:13 â€Å"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.† is often misquoted because many Christians do not bother to look at the context around this verse. Some Christians use this verse as a pep talk to themselves when they cannot see how they can possibly accomplish all that they agreed to do. Or many well-meaning, but miss guided Christians often use this verse to try to â€Å"soften† the blow of telling someone they have another Christian duty for them to add to their already hectic and overcrowded schedule. Then if a person who does not have any background would read this verse by itself or hear someone quote it they may take it to mean what they want even if it is out of God’s will they can do because God will give them the strength. If you stop and read the context around Philippians 4:13 you see that Paul is thanking the Philippians for their concern of his affairs and at the same time telling them that he has learned how to be content when life is bad and he feels defeated and when life is going smoothly. He is not implying he has learned the secret to coercing God into providing him with strength no matter what he wants to accomplish or do. Paul is also showing that while he is glad that the Philippians are concerned about his needs he is not dependent on them but dependent on God who is with him when he is defeated and when his life is going great. He also makes clear that he is not thanking them so that they sendShow MoreRelatedA Great Leader - The Messiah5208 Words   |  21 Pagesmeaning at each stage of Old Testament revelation is necessary for understanding messianic prophecy. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people (Isiah 55:4) . It can be cross-referenced with Ezekiel 34:24, â€Å"And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD has spoken it and Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth