Female Figures in Religion

The feast of Mary, the Mother of God, tempts Pope Francis to begin the year talking about women, not just Mary. I am always fearful that gender stereotypes will take over, but Francis seems to get beyond that by condemning violence against women and then calling for women to be “fully included in decision-making processes.” The “But” comes when he says, “when women can share their gifts, the world finds itself more united, more peaceful.” Too much focus on the special characteristics of women takes focus from women entitled to full equality and participation, just as Francis shifts in this example.

Similarly, I continue to wonder what La Croix International was thinking in its two series on women that I discussed once before. Each series is now complete. The best I can say is that each is truly interfaith, though the selection of topics seems to me to be truly random and the research sporadic. This week I will put a few notes about those “Female figures in religion” I did not write about before. Next week, I’ll tantalize you with “Women, the future of God?”

The “Female figures in religion” are one-pagers by a variety of authors with few outside sources.

Mary, ‘a woman’ at risk of idealization

Indigenous movements pregnant with Pachamama This discussion focuses on appropriation of this image by “indigenous movements to defend their land, languages, and culture” against “industrial interests, often American.”

Eve, source of the world’s misfortunes?

The lay ‘confessor’ French Catholic Menie Gregoire, a popular radio host, who, in talking about sexuality as early as 1973, became “the first radio psychologist” and eventually “the voice of moderate feminism.”

First female French rabbi Pauline Bebe, founder of a “liberal” Jewish community on the Ile-de-France (I’m thinking about the fire at Notre Dame) after “mockery, sexist remarks” where she served first. She had to go to London to be educated and ordained. Her story will resonate with many in WOC.

Suzanne Aubert, pioneer in New Zealand was the founder of several religious communities, lastly the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion. Her “power and autonomy disturbed the local ecclesiastical authorities.” That power seemed to have come from her healthcare ministry, including  “potions” which were very popular; she’s now been put forward for sainthood.

Sarada Devi, the Holy Mother of Hindus who “did nothing in particular,” except be an extremely prayerful pupil of her husband, the “famous Hindu mystic Ramakrishna.”

Amina revives the Sufi brotherhood in Morocco is a sixth-generation descendent of the founder. Amina El Kadiri reopened his tomb and revitalized this institution by leading it in service of the poor, education, and dialogue, especially with the Jewish community in Essaouira.

Emmanuelle Seyboldt, a breath of fresh air was elected as the first woman president of the National Council of the United Protestant Church of France. An active pastor, a divorced and remarried mother, she advocates openness:

“To be a Church of witnesses, we must go beyond our walls, beyond our cozy ecclesiastic environment.”

Emmanuelle Seyboldt

Annie Deddens writes on living an authentic Catholic life as a woman in her blog, Catholic Wife, Catholic Life. This young Ohio woman’s life is not my Catholic life, but she’s followed by tens of thousands. Alexis Buisson, the author of the profile, notes that “in one of her most commented-on posts,” she wonders about her place in the pro-life movement “as a wife but not (yet) a mother.” Ecumenism extends to Catholic fundamentalists, I guess.

Lauriane Savoy champions the cause of women in theology as she prepares a doctoral thesis linking feminism and theology at the University of Geneva. She chose her mother’s Protestant faith over her father’s Catholicism because “I found it incomprehensible and unfair that a priest can only be a man.”

#MeToo Movement for Church is the title applied to the profile of Togolese Sister Mary Lembo, who defended her thesis at the Gregorian about how the “asymmetrical relationship between priests and nuns puts the latter at the receiving end of abuse.” Right on, sister! She has ministered to young women and consecrated religious, both of whom she characterizes as naïve and vulnerable; she trains them to be empowered.

You can link to all the articles in the series by going to the last one. I began with Pope Francis because I think we all need female figures in religion beyond Mary and Eve; while I am heartened by some of these, I hope you wonder with me about some others.