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Women in the Eyes
of the LordOrthodoxPerspectivesonFemininity
RevdDrDoruCostacheSeniorLecturerinPatristics,SAGOTC
http://www.sagotc.edu.auKogarahFellowship
28/05/12
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WomenintheEyesoftheWorld:Opinions
fromtheAudience
Woman,cookthemeal;feedthewholefamilyfirstandthenrememberthatyoureahumanbeing
Whatistheroleofwomeninachangingsociety?Womenhavetotakeajobandstillfulfillmosthouseholdtasks
Objectivationofwomen,sexualisationoffemininity
Lackofrecognitionandrespect
Womenmercilesslycriticisingotherwomen
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WomenintheEyesoftheChurch:
OpinionsfromtheAudience
Clothingrequirements,asasignofwomensegregation(nopantsallowed)
Superficialassessmentofclothing(aminiskirtisacceptedbutnotthepants)
Marginalisationofwomen;passiveroleintheChurch
Womenarepreventedfromaccessingclericalranks
Anumberoffemininetasksarestillperformedinthe
Church
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SeekingtheLostPieces
Genesis1:26-27 ThenGodsaid,Letusmakeahumanbeingaccording
toourimageandaccordingtolikeness,sothattheymayruleoverthefishoftheseaandthebirdsofthesky,overthelivestockandallthewildanimals,andoverallthecrawlingcreaturesthatcrawlontheground.SoGodcreatedthehumanbeing,accordingtotheimageofGod
hecreatedthem;maleandfemalehecreatedthem.
ManandwomanarecreatedinGodsimageandthusareequalintheeyesof
God.
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Genesis2:18-20
TheLordGodsaid,Itisnotgoodforthemantobealone.Iwill
makeahelpersuitableforhim.NowtheLordGodhadformedoutofthegroundallthebeastsofthefieldandallthebirdsoftheair.Hebroughtthemtothemantoseewhathewouldnamethem;andwhateverthemancalledeachlivingcreature,thatwasitsname.Sothemangavenamestoallthelivestock,thebirdsof
theairandallthebeastsofthefield.ButforAdamnosuitablehelperwasfound.
Namingthings=controlthemandputthemtoworkinonesservice.Thewomanisnotamongthethingsthatcanbenamed/utilisedasatool.
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Genesis2:21-24
SotheLordGodbroughtanekstasisupontheman;andwhile
hewassleeping,hetookoneofthemansribsandcloseduptheplacewithflesh.ThentheLordGodmadeawomanfromtheribhehadtakenoutoftheman,andhebroughthertotheman.Themansaid,Thisisnowboneofmybonesandfleshofmyflesh;sheshallbecalledwomanforshewastakenoutof
man.Forthisreasonamanwillleavehisfatherandmotherandbeunitedtohiswife,andtheywillbecomeoneflesh.
Ishah out of Ish
Thehelperthatwasneededwasnotanothertool;shewassupposedtohelpAdamtorealisehisown,andher,humanity.
Ofoneflesh=ontologicallyequal.6
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SeekingtheLostPieces
Matthew1:1,3,5,6 ArecordofthegenealogyofJesusChristthesonof
David,thesonofAbraham:[]JudahthefatherofPerezandZerah,whosemotherwasTamar,[]SalmonthefatherofBoaz,whosemotherwasRahab,BoazthefatherofObed,whosemotherwasRuth,[]DavidwasthefatherofSolomon,whosemotherhadbeenUriahs
wifeThegenealogyofChristreferstofourwomen,someholier(Ruth),others
less(TamartrickedJudah;Rahabwasaprostitute),andsomevictimsofmaleabuse(Bathsheba).Christacceptedtobebornofamixedlineage
righteousandsinners,forthehealingofallhumanity.
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Luke8:42-48
AsJesuswasonhisway,thecrowdsalmostcrushedhim.Anda
womanwastherewhohadbeensubjecttobleedingfortwelve
years,butnoonecouldhealher.Shecameupbehindhimandtouchedtheedgeofhiscloak,andimmediatelyherbleedingstopped.Whotouchedme?Jesusasked.[]Thenthewoman,seeingthatshecouldnotgounnoticed,cametremblingandfellathisfeet.Inthepresenceofallthepeople,shetoldwhyshehadtouchedhimandhowshehadbeeninstantlyhealed.Thenhesaidtoher,Daughter,yourfaithhashealedyou.Goinpeace.
BleedingandmenstruationasimpurityintheOldTestament;causingonetobecomeanoutcast.Bylettinghertouchhim,ChristshowsthatintheNew
Testamentphysiologyisnolongeranobstacleforholiness.8
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Galatians3:26-29
inChristJesusyouareallchildrenofGodthroughfaith.As
manyofyouaswerebaptisedintoChristhaveclothedyourselveswithChrist.ThereisnolongerJeworGreek,thereisnolongerslaveorfree,thereisnolongermaleandfemale;forallofyouareoneinChristJesus.AndifyoubelongtoChrist,thenyouareAbrahamsoffspring,inheritorsaccordingtothe
promise.Christianidentityisofaspiritualnatureandcannotbeassociatedwithanydivisivecategories,likenationalityandgender.ChristianidentityistheactualfulfillmentofthedivineintentionconcerningourmakinginGodsimageandlikeness.Thusmen
andwomenarenotjustequal;inChrist,theyreceiveaqualitythatisabovegender.
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AmmaSarra(saying4intheSayingsoftheDesert)
accordingtomynatureIamawoman,butnot
accordingtomythoughts
InChrist,biologyandgeneticslosetheir
significance;whatmattersisonescommitmenttoChrist,throughwhichonebecomesChrist-likeand
thustranscendsgenderlimitations.
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LifeofStMarytheEgyptian(Zosimasencountersthesaint)
Zosimasthrewhimselfonthegroundandaskedforherblessing.Shelikewiseboweddownbeforehim.Andthustheylayonthegroundprostrate,askingforeachothersblessing.Andonewordalonecouldbeheardfromboth:Blessme!AfteralongwhilethewomansaidtoZosimas:AbbaZosimas,itisyouwhomustgiveblessingandpray.YouaredignifiedbytheorderofpriesthoodandformanyyearsyouhavebeenstandingbeforetheholyaltarandofferingthesacrificeoftheDivineMysteries.
Holinessandpriesthood;Zosimasthepriestknewwhowassupposedtogivetheblessingandsodid
thesaint.11
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The3rdPaschalSunday(Acts6:1-7;Mark15:43-16:8)celebratestheexchangeoffeaturesoccurringbetweenthoserenewedinChrist:
throughthedeaconsthemenarecalledtopartakeinthefemininecharismaofserving,comprisingthegiftsofhumilityandcompassion
withthemyrrh-bearingwomenallwomenarecalledtothemasculinecharismaofspeakinginpublic,acquiringsocialdignity
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TheTheotokos(God-bearer)MotherofGodisaboveallhumansandallcreation,visibleandinvisible
[]Itistrulyrighttoblessyou,Theotokos,everblessed,mostpure,andmotherofourGod.MorehonorablethantheCherubim,andbeyondcomparemoregloriousthantheSeraphim,withoutcorruptionyougavebirthtoGodtheWord.Wemagnifyyou,the
trueTheotokos.InthepersonoftheTheotokos,womanhoodisrevealedasGods
instrumentforthesalvationofthefallencreation.Furthermore,giventhattheTheotokosisveneratedaboveallcreation,femininityisrevealed
aspotentiallysurpassinganyotherstateattainedbythecreation.
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