Gender Games

As God’s redemptive community on earth, the Church’s main responsibility is to practice and perpetuate the New Humanity. St. Paul gave a partial description of the New Humanity when he said there is “neither…male nor female…but we are all one in Christ.” Gender distinctions and traditional gender rolls are deep-seeded in our western culture. As a part of the Church in a western context, I am deeply invested in the way we practice gender distinctions and gender rolls in the Church, if we practice them at all.

Over the last few weeks several personal experiences have raised the issue in me again. Most likely I am more aware of these experiences as a result of the birth of my first child. (Thank you, Kathryn, for helping me see that last night.)

Experience #1: While at Kathryn's house one night for cell I noticed a book on her shelf called What Paul Really Said About Women by John Temple Bristow. Since I'm a Bible person (as I think most of you are) and am always interested in understanding Paul outside of my former fundamentalist perspective, I was greatly intrigued. Kathryn lent the book to me (as she so generously does) and I started pecking away at it during my morning commute to Center City.

Experience #2: Joseph Rogers and I work together at the Mental Health Association of SE PA and frequently catch lunch or afternoon tea together. While at the T-Bar near 12th and Sansom we started chatting about why men have nipples. He pondered why humans haven't evolved far enough to share in the responsibility of caring for our infants, i.e. breastfeeding. I found it interesting that my Christian brother saw the trajectory of gender equality heading toward no distinction in the sexes, even biologically (my words, not his).

Experience #3: The Colbert Report is one of my favorite TV shows. A few weeks ago he interviewed Kathy Kay, co-author of Womenomics, in his typical satirical fashion. As she described her book I was intrigued by her basic assumption: women work differently than men. Though she made some interesting points on the show I was thoroughly disappointed when I surveyed the book at Barnes and Noble a few nights ago. The drive for individual recognition, corporate respect, and upward mobility which her book depends on is, in my good-faith assessment, worldly.

Experience #4: One thing I love about our housemate Britani is the collegiate aura she brings to our home. In college I was one of the serious people. You know...the books, the good beer, the distain for sophomoric, career-oriented people, etc. When Britani comes home she brings some of her college conversations with her and allows me to put in my two-cents. Recently we’ve rehearsed our distain for the feminist approach to make females equal to males by “beating men at their own game.” Who ever said women had to be better at being men than men are at being men?

From these and other situations I have made a few observations:
1) The Church has played major role in propagating gender distinctions and, for much of its history, the inferiority of women.
2) St. Paul had much to say about women. As a single man, maybe he said a little too much.
3) There are those among us who view all gender distinctions as either modern social constructs or pre-evolved conditions.
4) Keeping in mind that economic considerations are at the very heart of modern global relations, we find some who view gender distinctions as paramount to understanding the economic world of today.
5) In some Christian circles new efforts are being made toward finding gender dignity which honors distinctiveness without showing preference to one or the other.

From here I look to you, my cell, to shed any light you have on the subject. Also, feel free to poke at what I wrote a little if I was unclear or unfair.

Peace to you all.