DOCSLIB.ORG

Thesis Has Been Completed As a Requirement for a Postgraduate Research Degree of the University of Winchester

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Thesis Has Been Completed As a Requirement for a Postgraduate Research Degree of the University of Winchester UNIVERSITY OF WINCHESTER How do words to and for the divine influence our behaviour to each other? Can these words be changed to contribute to the flourishing of all humankind? Margaret Elizabeth Metcalfe ORCID: 0000-0002-3613-8285 Doctor of Philosophy December 2020 This thesis has been completed as a requirement for a postgraduate research degree of the University of Winchester. DECLARATION AND COPYRIGHT STATEMENT Declaration: No portion of the work referred to in the thesis has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or qualification of this or any other university or other institute of learning. I confirm that this thesis is entirely my own work I confirm that no work previously submitted for credit has been reused verbatim. Any previously submitted work has been revised, developed and recontextualised relevant to the thesis I confirm that some aspects of pp34-69 in the thesis has been published in advance of its submission and is appropriately referenced in the text. I confirm that no third-party proof-reading or editing service has been used in this thesis. Copyright: Copyright © Margaret Elizabeth Metcalfe 2020 How do words to and for the divine influence our behaviour to each other? Can these words be changed to contribute to the flourishing of all humankind? University of Winchester, PhD Thesis, pp1-365, ORCID 0000-0002-3613-8285. This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. Copies (by any process) either in full, or of extracts, may be made only in accordance with instructions given by the author. Details may be obtained from the RKE Centre, University of Winchester. This page must form part of any such copies made. Further copies (by any process) of copies made in accordance with such instructions may not be made without the permission (in writing) of the author. No profit may be made from selling, copying or licensing the author’s work without further agreement. 1 Acknowledgements I am grateful to Lisa Isherwood and Anna King for supervising this thesis. Their engagement with my writing and their thoughtful questioning have been significant in shaping the end result. I am grateful to my family and friends, both for understanding my many absences as I have learnt, thought and written and for providing support, encouragement and opportunities to engage in other aspects of life. This thesis is dedicated to Michael, without whom it would not have been written. For believing in me from the beginning, constant encouragement, endless discussion, clarifying questions and constructive comments – thank you. 2 UNIVERSITY OF WINCHESTER ABSTRACT How do words to and for the divine influence our behaviour to each other? Can these words be changed to contribute to the flourishing of all humankind? Margaret Elizabeth Metcalfe ORCID 0000-0002-3613-8285 Doctor of Philosophy September 2020 There have been many feminist-liberation critiques of the traditional set of words to and for the divine. These critiques have included a concern about the influence of this set of words on behaviour and have called for change from the traditional words. This thesis presents a theoretically robust exploration of how words to and for the divine influence behaviour, analysing the set of words to and for the divine used in the authorised liturgical texts for Holy Communion in the Church of England. The significance of ideology is highlighted, since ideologies are both expressed and maintained in word use and since they promote social practices. Using a feminist-liberation methodology this thesis employs understandings of language processing taken both from psycholinguistics and from Wittgenstein’s philosophy of language to reveal what is present in the case study texts and to indicate how these words influence behaviour. It receives and adopts the contribution of feminist theology in highlighting dualistic structures of language use and the ways in which this enables influence from words to and for the divine to behaviour. Butler’s insights into our constitution in language is read through a model of communication, identity and relationships to show that words addressed to others as well as words addressed to oneself have capacity to constitute us into identities and relationships and so affect our behaviour. For Christians, words to and for the divine constitute us into identities and relationships, influencing our behaviour. Despite multiple barriers to change from the traditional set of words, this thesis proposes that change can come about through enabling congregations to understand how words function and through using new words to and for the divine to destabilise dominant and oppressive ideologies through exploiting their structural weaknesses. The hope of this thesis is that words to and for the divine can contribute to the flourishing of all humankind. [Keywords: words, divine, behaviour, psycholinguistics, ideology, change] 3 Table of Contents List of Figures ...................................................................................................................... 6 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 7 Methodology .................................................................................................................... 27 Chapter 1: Psycholinguistic tools and perspectives and words to and for the divine........... 34 Context ................................................................................................................................... 37 Semantics and semantic processing ....................................................................................... 39 Frequency ............................................................................................................................... 40 Associations ............................................................................................................................ 43 Semantic networks ................................................................................................................. 47 Spreading activation ............................................................................................................... 51 Speed of processing ................................................................................................................ 52 Concrete and abstract words ................................................................................................. 56 Metaphor ................................................................................................................................ 56 Multi-word phrases ................................................................................................................ 63 Non-propositional speech ...................................................................................................... 64 Emotional valence .................................................................................................................. 64 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 68 Chapter 2: Wittgenstein's ways of seeing and words to and for the divine ......................... 70 Relevant aspects of Wittgenstein's philosophical approach to language .............................. 73 Aspects of the uses of language in liturgical texts .................................................................. 79 Describing ............................................................................................................................... 81 Forms of life ............................................................................................................................ 81 Language-games ..................................................................................................................... 83 Pictures ................................................................................................................................... 85 Family resemblances .............................................................................................................. 91 Comparison ............................................................................................................................. 93 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 94 Chapter 3: Thea/ological insights and words to and for the divine ...................................... 97 Sallie McFague ........................................................................................................................ 98 An account of and engagement with McFague’s understandings of language................. 98 Mary Daly .............................................................................................................................. 108 An account of and engagement with Daly’s understandings of language ...................... 109 Elizabeth Johnson ................................................................................................................. 113 An account of and engagement with Johnson’s understandings of language ................ 113 4 Effects of words to and for the divine .................................................................................. 120 Dualistic language - a contribution
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Goddess and God in the World
    Contents Introduction: Goddess and God in Our Lives xi Part I. Embodied Theologies 1. For the Beauty of the Earth 3 Carol P. Christ 2. Stirrings 33 Judith Plaskow 3. God in the History of Theology 61 Carol P. Christ and Judith Plaskow 4. From God to Goddess 75 Carol P. Christ 5. Finding a God I Can Believe In 107 Judith Plaskow 6. Feminist Theology at the Center 131 Carol P. Christ and Judith Plaskow 7. Answering My Question 147 Carol P. Christ 8. Wrestling with God and Evil 171 Judith Plaskow Part II. Theological Conversations 9. How Do We Think of Divine Power? 193 (Responding to Judith’s Chapters in Part 1) Carol P. Christ 10. Constructing Theological Narratives 217 (Responding to Carol’s Chapters in Part 1) Judith Plaskow 11. If Goddess Is Not Love 241 (Responding to Judith’s Chapter 10) Carol P. Christ 12. Evil Once Again 265 (Responding to Carol ’s Chapter 9) Judith Plaskow 13. Embodied Theology and the 287 Flourishing of Life Carol P. Christ and Judith Plaskow List of Publications: Carol P. Christ 303 List of Publications: Judith Plaskow 317 Index 329 GODDESS AND GOD IN THE WORLD Sunday school lack a vocabulary for intelligent discussion of religion. Without new theological language, we are likely to be hesitant, reluctant, or unable to speak about the divinity we struggle with, reject, call upon in times of need, or experience in daily life. Yet ideas about the sacred are one of the ways we orient ourselves in the world, express the values we consider most important, and envision the kind of world we would like to bring into being.
    [Show full text]
  • Carol P. Christ Whatever Happened to Goddess and God-She?
    Journal of the European Society of Women in Theological Research 18 (2010) 43-60. doi: 10.2143/ESWTR.18.0.2056269 ©2010 by Journal of the European Society of Women in Theological Research. All rights reserved. Carol P. Christ Whatever happened to Goddess and God-She? Why do Jews and Christians still pray to a male God? The topic of my essay is: Why do Jews and Christians still pray to a male God? Some might say that this is a question that should be addressed by Jewish and Christian feminists rather than by me, a well-known “pagan” Goddess-worshipper – and to some idolater! On the other hand, I think that having participated for roughly half my life in Biblical religions and having earned a Ph.D. in Jewish and Christian theologies probably qualifies me for the task. When I wrote Why Women Need the Goddess more than thirty years ago,1 I was very much in dialogue with Christian and Jewish feminists. I felt a great kinship with all feminists who were working to change the image of God as a dominating male other. As a former Christian with a strong connec- tion to the Hebrew Bible and Judaism, I thought that the incorporation of female language and symbolism into Judaism and Christianity was a no- brainer. I understood the God of Christianity and Judaism to be a God of love and justice. I considered sexism, like racism, to be unjust. I assumed that once Christians and Jews understood that sexism was unjust, they would set about rewriting traditional prayers and liturgies and the portions of the Bible that were to be read in worship services.
    [Show full text]
  • Feminism and Christianity
    Feminism and Christianity Questions and Answers in the Third Wave Caryn D. Riswold CASCADE Books - Eugene, Oregon Copyright © 2009. Wipf and Stock Publishers. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under U.S. or applicable copyright law. EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) - printed on 8/11/2020 3:39 PM via UNIV OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA AN: 833315 ; Riswold, Caryn D..; Feminism and Christianity : Questions and Answers in the Third Wave 3 Account: omaha FEMINISM AND CHRISTIANY Questions and Answers in the Third Wave Cascade Companions Copyright © 2009 Caryn D. Riswold. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401. Cascade Books A Division of Wipf and Stock Publishers 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3 Eugene, OR 97401 www.wipfandstock.com ISBN 13: 978-1-55635-837-1 Cataloging-in-Publication data: Riswold, Caryn D. Feminism and Christianity : questions and answers in the third wave / Caryn D. Riswold. ISBN 13: 978-1-55635-837-1 viii + 136 p. ; 20 cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. Feminist theology. 2. Feminism—Religious aspects—Christianity. 3. Women and religion. 4. Women in Christianity. I. Title. II. Series. BT83.55 R579 2009 Manufactured in the U.S.A. Copyright © 2009. Wipf and Stock Publishers. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Language, Gender and Religion: an Investigation Into Some Gender
    Language, Gender and Religion: An Investigation into some Gender- Specific Issues in Religious Texts, and the Impact of Language on the Role of Women in Judaism, Christianity and Islam Lejla Mezit Supervisor Anne Karin Ro This Master’s Thesis is carried out as a part of the education at the University of Agder and is therefore approved as a part of this education. However, this does not imply that the University answers for the methods that are used or the conclusions that are drawn. University of Agder, 2011 Faculty of Humanity and Education Department of Foreign Languages and Translation SAY: "If all the sea were ink for my Sustainer's words, the sea would indeed be exhausted ere my Sustainer's words are exhausted! And [thus it would be] if we were to add to it sea upon sea." (Qur’an 18: 109) 0.1_SUMMARY Name: Lejla Mezit Title: Language, Gender and Religion: An Investigation into some Gender-Specific Issues in Religious Texts, and the Impact of Language on the Role of Women in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Master Thesis in English University of Agder Spring 2011 The thesis begins by providing background information about the concept of gender within the linguistic, feminist and religious context. Possible definitions of the difference between sex and gender are offered and the position of gender issues in the realm of language is discussed. In continuation an introduction to religious feminism and its different types is given. Before the discussion of the core of the thesis, a presentation of the research investigation included in this work is given.
    [Show full text]
  • Brief History of Scriptural Authority Crisis in the ELCA: the Formation of Lutheran CORE and the North American Lutheran Church the Rev
    Brief History of Scriptural Authority Crisis in the ELCA: The Formation of Lutheran CORE and the North American Lutheran Church The Rev. Mark C. Chavez Director, Lutheran CORE The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is deeply divided. Many believe that sexual issues have caused the division, especially the decisions of the 2009 ELCA churchwide assembly, but that perception is misleading. Disagreement on sexual issues is just one of many symptoms of a much deeper division and crisis in the ELCA. The division is centered on the crisis of the authority of God’s Word over all matters of faith and life, particularly the authority of Scripture – the Bible. The crisis is evident in many other Christian churches in North America. Even Christian churches who do uphold the authority of Scripture face a significant cultural challenge. The Barna Group reported in December 2009 that just thirty-four percent of adults in the United States believe that there are absolute moral truths. The denial of absolute truth directly contradicts the Biblical worldview. For 2,000 years nearly all Christians have believed that the Bible is God’s revelation of absolute truth. They have confessed that absolute truth is incarnate in God the Father’s only Son, Jesus Christ, who said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, ESV). However, the underlying assumption in North American culture – especially at almost all colleges, universities and seminaries – is that there are no absolute truths, particularly moral truths. It is not just higher education that teaches and reinforces this worldview.
    [Show full text]
  • Contemporary Women's Spirituality
    CONTEMPORARY WOMEN’S SPIRITUALITY PARW 6500, FALL 2011 INSTRUCTORS Arisika Razak, CNM, MPH [email protected] 415-575-6198 (office) 510-379-8722 (cell) Office hours: Wednesday 3-5 pm and by appointment Alka Arora, Ph.D. [email protected] 415-575-6139 (office) Office hours: Tuesday 10:30–1, Thursday 3:30-6:30 and by appointment COURSE DESCRIPTION This course provides an introduction to some of the leading multi-cultural and multi-denominational voices of the contemporary Women’s Spirituality movement in the USA and throughout the world. It explores the spiritual practices, ethical beliefs, cultural experiences and libratory efforts of diversely gendered multi-cultural populations through an interdisciplinary lens incorporating religious studies, women’s studies, ethnic studies, queer studies, and philosophy. It reviews the foundational worldviews and gender ideologies of those in mainstream, marginalized, and alternative religious traditions. This course values both scholarly and experiential forms of knowing, and builds a community of learning that safely explores our differences, our commonalties, and our varied cultural and spiritual lineages. Course themes include: Z Reclaiming our heritage: multicultural, trans-historic explorations of women’s contributions to myth, ritual, spirituality and religion Z Language, metaphor, and storytelling in patriarchal, matristic, and libratory traditions Z Earth-based spiritualities, indigenous wisdom, ecofeminism, and liberation Z Women’s sensualities, sexualities, and identities Z Embodied and transpersonal ways of knowing: subjectivity, interiority, spiritual experience, and connection Z Spirituality in action: womanist/feminist/mujerista ethics, culture, activism and politics Z Alliance building, multicultural awareness, resistance to cultural hegemony and appropriation, unlearning oppression COURSE GOALS • To provide an introduction to some of the leading multi-cultural and multi-denominational voices of the women’s spirituality movement in the USA and the world.
    [Show full text]
  • All Material and Artwork in TBP Is Copyrighted and Belong to the Author\Artist Or Their Publisher
    Reminder! All material and artwork in TBP is copyrighted and belong to the author\artist or their publisher. You must contact them for permission to reprint. Sometimes I can help locate them, but TBP cannot grant reprint permis- sion on Her own. Please respect the authors and artists. Issue 41 Fall 10,007th year of the Goddess $10.00 CAN $7.50 USA “VIRGO” by Elizabeth Kyle Knowing, I’m not going anywhere…I’m A Life Complete coming home. If I had but 30 days to live, how would I complete my life? People ponder the idea of an “other-worldly” afterlife, What would be on my “to do” list but I know where I’ll be… of projects to finish, contacts to make? I’ll dart among the tall grasses with the ring- There would be just this one thing… necked pheasants, blithely soar with the sparrow hawks, I’d go home – nestle in with the lichen that sprout in to the place of my birth, where I am damp nooks rooted still, at Red Rock Falls; like the sturdy cottonwoods I’ll be there, eternally refreshed by the rising mist I’d lean into the prairie wind and let it blow from the frothy, tumbling waters away any remaining hurt or regret, And every spring wisps of cotton will gather still clinging on, tenaciously, like so many at my feet, and dead leaves I’ll scoop up copious handfuls and toss them to the wind, I’d let my arms float out in a wide embrace, to watch them meander, carefree, back arch my back, tilt my head to the sun, to the ground and sprawl – claiming my place amid the Indian grass For the downy seeds will not venture far and the wild roses in the ditches from home; Like me, they will sink into the rich earth… I’d visit my mother’s grave, and gingerly deeply, gratefully, touch that contentedly.
    [Show full text]