Today in class we discussed both the importance of women for Jesus, and Jesus' impact on women's rights. We've already said that many of Jesus' very first followers were women, and that were essential in spreading the message after his death. He believed in equality for everyone, and even devised a way for women to be fundamental in spreading his message. My question, then, is what made or inspired him to think this way? I mean, gender equality is still a pretty radical ideal today around the world, so it's almost impossible for me to imagine what it must have been like in his time. Was it purely his hatred of patriarchal structures, or was it maybe a personal influence?
I realize that this question can never really be answered because no one will ever know the thoughts of Jesus, which is most likely why Crossan never even asks the question. Still, it's an interesting thought. What do you think?
I think it was his hatred for the patriarchal society. Jesus hated the patriarchal society and the way women were treated. he believed both men and women should be equal. As for personal influence, you could argue that maybe his father treated his mother with respect and equality and so he thought that every man should do the same.
ReplyDeleteAlso one could argue that God told him, as one of his mission here on earth, to treat both sexes equal.
fair enough, but be careful not to reduce this to some personal quirk. If Jesus hated patriarchy, it was because he understood patriarchy to be inconsistent with God's justice.
DeleteI mean, there are people in our time now that think supposedly radical thoughts, for instance, "Pre-marital sex is acceptable". Whether it is for personal reasons or influence, those thoughts are only considered radical when they do not fit societal norms. But anyways, it very well could have been his hatred for patriarchy, but his mother and Mary Magdelene (from what I remember from Catholic school years ago) seemed to be very important figures in his life. Perhaps he just thought that all humans should be treated the same, regardless of age, gender, or class.
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