mary daly

maleness of God

• The belief that God is male reinforces male supremacy, making it appear natural and unchallengeable.

• Daly: “If God is male, then the male is God” – linking masculinity with divinity enshrines male dominance.

• The concept of a male God is a patriarchal invention used to justify male power.

• Solution: Reimagine God as a verb (‘be-ing’ rather than ‘a being’) to challenge rigid structures and oppression.

misogyny in the Bible n church

• Biblical passages (e.g., 1 Corinthians 14:34, 1 Timothy 2:12) reinforce female submission.

• The story of The Fall paints Eve (and women) as the source of sin, internalizing female guilt and inferiority.

• Christianity, through patriarchal hierarchy, enables the "unholy trinity" of rape, genocide, and war.

• Biblical passages (e.g., Numbers 31:17-18) show complicity in violence and oppression of women

liberal Christianity n reinterpretation

• Liberal Christians argue for a symbolic reading of the Bible, seeing it as a product of its time.

• They advocate for gender-neutral interpretations to make Christianity redeemable.

• Daly and Daphne Hampson counter that even symbolic readings still uphold sexist traditions and influence believers subconsciously.

sisterhood n female spirituality

• The Church is irredeemably patriarchal; women must form a feminist ‘sisterhood’ to replace it.

• Sisterhood should function as an ‘anti-church’ with no hierarchy, offering a sacred space for healing from patriarchy.

• Men should reject patriarchal systems that exploit women’s minds and bodies.

• Daly argued that women’s abilities are superior to men’s, advocating for female leadership for a more peaceful, sustainable society.

• Critics argue her views verge on female supremacy and impractical segregation rather than true equality.

• Daly maintained that female spirituality was superior only because men were trapped in patriarchy, but true equality could be achieved in the future