Difficult Realities.

If you were ever wondering why the priesthood continues to think woman are somehow less than men, remember in their catechism and seminary, for centuries they have stumbled across text like those following. The church continues to be shaped by cultural bias that women were inferior to men both by nature and by law.

St Thomas Aquinas reflects this attitude: As regards the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten, for the active power of the male seed tends to the production of a perfect likeness in the masculine sex; while the production of a woman comes from defect in the active power....Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica Text like these by Great Theologians like Thomas, though valuable at some age past is intolerable now.

Jesus welcomed women as disciples:”Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women.... Mary, called Magdalene, ..Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward and Susanna,and many others, who provided for them out of their means” Luke 8:1-3. I might say this alludes to the women were the cooks and supplied the food only and did not teach? Again this language is ineffective for the world we live in today. The Clergy has an obligation to rectify this and not use “ IT IS GOD'S WORD “and cannot be changed!

In Light of Women is short text, 72-page book incorporating 24 full-color icons, The images painted by Mary Jane Miller are juxtaposed with text that includes history, their religious context and my own reflections inspired by my meditation and thoughts during 25 years of dedication to this ancient technique and prayer form. I spent many years noticing that women been portrayed throughout church history, as saints being the mother of Jesus or sinners like harlots and hysterical women. I believe there is more to be said about their presence and wisdom.
Many of us accept that the divine spirit guided the writers of the Bible, it was the mind of man inspired by God the same way we would be inspired today. The Holy Spirit did not descend and ascend back to the heavens only once, we are inspired humans walking in a divine likeness, we leave words and images everywhere, all inspired by God's spirit. Changing the slant and interpretation of words and image does in no way wipe out the influence the Bible story and the profound effect it has had on humanity. Christians are still on a learning journey, often a tortuous one, towards a greater understanding of the entity we call God.

Part of learning to be a great Christian Woman is being prepared to acknowledge that parts of the Bible are considerably misogynistic, not because the men who wrote the words were ignorant of women participating, but because in a context typical of first century Judea women were not simply discriminated against, but often enough brutalized. Seen in this light, the passage by the Apostle Paul saying 'women should learn’ becomes actually quite revolutionary. Given that the instruction was issued within a society which didn’t educate women seems Christ was indeed trying to balance the behavior with a new mind. Women have been waiting for nearly 2,000 years to be given an equal but different place in the kingdom, before they die. I would like to contribute to that end before I die.

The book was designed and written for study groups focusing on Women’s Biblical studies, I do hope you will consider contacting me with any questions you may have.
Thank you for your time and attention, peace