genderroles

Sunday, November 28, 2004

Prophet, Priest, and Queen

In my theology class this semester, my instructor briefly brought up the "scandal of particularity", that is, the idea that God, in a human form, had to limit himself to a particular gender, race, time period, etc. In actuality, God is outside and beyond all these limitations. So men, don't be so smug to assume that this choice God made to send the Son as a male somehow elevated the gender for all time. I believe Maria had the best insight in her comments on my last post: sending a woman messiah to deliver the message would have slowed down the entire process of bringing the kingdom. But just so you understand that by choosing a man for the "job", God did not in the least consider women less competent, notice who our role model for being a disciple is and consider who God chose to be the first person to be resurrected, body and soul, into heaven: his mother, Mary. Not Peter, not Paul, not John.

Anyway, this shouldn't deteriorate into an argument on which gender is "better". I asked a legitimate question in my last post. I don't feel I received any responses of a deeply thoughtful, intellectual nature. Let's try again, shall we?

As far as the whole "prophet, priest, and king" deal... I am equally anointed, as is every other Christian, through my baptism. My Church limits my "priestly" participation, but no more so than anyone else who does not choose to be ordained. In this regard, I am as much a priest as all other baptized Catholics, male and female, and have a responsibility to celebrate liturgically and bring this practice to others.

So, I'm still left considering, could Christ have been a woman? Are there "negative repercussions" of that possibility? And why does this question threaten men?

3 Comments:

  • im am a little taken aback.... you know... rather than talk about the what ifs, why not look at the real. Jesus was male. His mother Mary, female. both had their roles. they were different ones. both were brought to heaven, and as you said yourself, Mary was the first to go body and soul. this puts Mary in a place of very high standings. God made us in his image, Man and Woman alike. Equal, but different, both made in Gods image, but not the same. they are two halves of a whole. each plays a different role, and Jesus, came as Son in order to fullfil the role laid out by the Father.

    By Blogger Eric Michael Peterson, at 10:49 PM  

  • Hmm, if Christ were a women, then would be able to drive better?

    By Blogger Kendrick Novak, at 8:53 AM  

  • im sorry, i did not understand what you had intended by this "question" untill i had talked to you two nights ago. I am sorry. All the same my previous comment stands on its own, not as any kind of response to your post, but as just that, a comment, in this case, on nothing at all. if you want to, and i am sure you will, chalk it up to my own stupidity. I can understand why you have a question, but i do not have a response for you. I guess you could say that it was just Gods devine will.... and about a "female" jesus saying mother... hmm... not sure on that one.... john was out in the deasert preaching father, and the jews much the same... so that one is up in the air i guess.

    By Blogger Eric Michael Peterson, at 12:03 AM  

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