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Reconsidering Ecclesiology: Feminist Perspectives Durham E-Theses Reconsidering ecclesiology: feminist perspectives Knödel, Natalie How to cite: Knödel, Natalie (1997) Reconsidering ecclesiology: feminist perspectives, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/4729/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: e-theses.admin@dur.ac.uk Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk Reconsidering Ecclesiology: Feminist Perspectives Natalie Knodel The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without the written consent of the author and information derived from it should be acknowledged. Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Durham Department of Theology 1997 JAN 1998 Natalie Knodel Reconsidering Ecclesiology: Feminist Perspectives Doctor of Philosophy 1997 ABSTRACT The predominant model in feminist theologians' critique of theology and praxis of the church has been that of women-church based on the concept of base ecclesial communities developed by liberation theology. The first part of this thesis challenges the women-church model by arguing that even though women-church asserts that women are church, its shortcomings lie in its lack of use of the ecclesiological tradition as well as its unawareness of the dimension of gender for ecclesiology. A feminist reader-response critique of four traditional ecclesiologies shows that women have so far not participated in the process of writing ecclesiology, but that women need to reclaim the ecclesiological tradition became they participate in the church. An analysis of the use of liberation theology for feminist ecclesiology demonstrates that the ecclesiology of liberation theology, even though it points out that the reality of human beings being church shapes the theology of the church, remains unaware of the dimension of sexual difference. Chapter five discusses 'gendered ecclesiology* as pointing to the importance of sexuality for the rewriting of ecclesiology. In order to write an ecclesiology conscious of the fact that the church consists of sexuate human beings feminists need to reclaim the communion of saints, Mariology and most importantly the relationship between Christ and the church. Chapter six concludes that feminist theologians are not to develop one particular ecclesiological model as the most apt one, but to redefine the ecclesiological debate fi-om the perspective of women being church. In order to do that it is necessary to reclaim the power centres of patriarchal ecclesiological discourse: sacramental celebration, the word of God and the presence of Christ. The church as the community that embodies the body of Christ becomes the space where the stories of women's lives tell and perform the story of Christ. Table of Contents Acknowledgements 3 Declaration 4 Chapter 1 Introduction: For the first time in history? From women-church to feminist ecclesiology 5 1.0 Introduction 5 1.1 Outline of the Argument of the Thesis 6 1.2 Setting the Scene: Women-Church 10 Chapter 2 Feminist Theologians Reinvent The Church. Critical Discussion of the Ecclesiologies of Elisabeth Schtissler Fiorenza, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Letty Russell and Rebecca Chopp 27 2.0 Introduction 27 2.1 Elisabeth Schiissler Fiorenza 28 2.2 Rosemary Radford Ruether 40 2.3 Issues in Roman Catholic Feminist Ecclesiologies 50 2.4 Letty M. Russell 54 2.5 Rebecca Chopp 65 2.6 Issues in Feminist Ecclesiologies in Reformed Traditions 73 Chapter 3 'Reading of a Church that Women Are Not'. Feminist Critical Readings of the Ecclesiologies of 'Lumen Gentium', Karl Barth, Paul Tillich and Jiirgen Moltmann 77 3.0 Methodological Introduction 77 3.1'Lumen Gentium' 88 3.2 Karl Barth 106 3.3 Paul Tillich 123 3.4 Jiirgen Moltmann 13 9 3.5 Concluding Remarks 154 Chapter 4 Moving Beyond Base Communities?! Reflections on the Use and Significance of the Liberation Theological Paradigm for the Construction of Feminist Ecclesiologies 157 4.0 Introduction 157 4.1 The Church of the People: Base Communities 159 4.2 Liberation Theology: Does it Provide an Ecclesiology for Women? 167 4.3.1 Women's Themes in Feminist Liberation Theology 173 4.3.1.1 Mary as the Prototype of the Church in Liberation Theology 173 4.3.1.2 The Admission of Women to the Ministerial Priesthood in Liberation Theology 17 8 4.3.1.3 Women's Issues in the Documents of the Conferences of CELAM 181 4.4 Moving on fi-om Liberation Theology 185 Chapter 5 The Church as 'feminine' or women being church? Reconsidering gendered ecclesiology 194 5.0 hitroduction 194 5.1 Gendered Ecclesiology 197 5.1.1 New Testament Origins 19 8 5.1.2 Claude Chavasse 199 5.1.3 Monica Migliorino Miller 202 5.2 Towards a Sexuate Ecclesiology 214 5.2.1 Reclaiming the Communion of Saints 218 5.2.2 Reclauning Mary 221 5.2.3 Reclaiming Christ 225 5.2.3.1 Rosemary Radford Ruether 226 5.2.3.2 Rita Nakashima Brock 227 5.3.3.3 James Nelson 228 5.2.3.4 Robert Beckford 229 5.3 Breaking the Binary: Reclaiming Christ as a Sexual Human Being as the Basis for a Sexuate Ecclesiology 230 5.4 Concluding Remarks 236 Chapter 6 Conclusion: What is Feminist Ecclesiology? 239 6.0 Introduction 239 6.1 Redefining the Ecclesiological Debate 240 6.2 Reclaiming the Power Centres of Patriarchal Ecclesiology 244 6.2.1 Reclainung the Church of the Word 244 6.2.2 Reclaiming Sacramental Celebration 245 6.2.3 Reclaiming the Presence of Christ 250 6.3 Does Feminist Ecclesiology Develop a New Church ? 251 6.3.1 Sisterhood as Antichurch? 251 6.3.2 Restoring the Vision of Christian Origins? 254 6.3.3 Feminist Ecclesiology: Dissent or Authenticity ? 257 6.4 Embodying Christ's Story: An Ecclesiology Feminist, Sexuate and Sacramental 258 List of Unpublished Archived Sources Cited 268 Bibliography 269 Acknowledgements If writing a thesis can be compared to being on a journey, then doing the acknowledgements is like preparing an album of photographs of those whom I met on this journey. At the end of three years of doctoral research there are many people to thank without whose support and critical encouragement the writing of this thesis would never have taken place. Professor Aim Loades has been a supervisor beyond compare. Her inspiring encouragement and generous support in every possible respect have helped to trigger and sustain my own creativity. Among the other members of staff in the Theology Department in Durham Dr. Alan Ford, Dr. Stephen Barton, Dr. Colin Crowder, Dr. Sheridan Gilley, Dr. Loren Stuckenbruck and Dr. Stuart Weeks deserve particular thanks and recognition. They as well as my postgraduate friends made the Theology Department a worthwhile place to be. I thank Dr. Mike Eraser, Dr. Bridget Nichols, Lena Lybask and Jan Geldbach (and Maike) among many others for their interest in my work and for friendships which helped me through many a crisis along the way. Margaret Parkinson not only brewed many early morning cups of tea and always had time for a friendly chat, but also helped in her imique way to mount the hurdles of imiversity bureaucracy. I thank Prof David Brown and Dr. Elaine Graham for examining the thesis with interest and fairness. Prior to this particular journey Tuija Mannsfrom, Friedlinde Langer, Dorthe Schaferbarthold, Daniel Kroger, Andreas Biehgk and Christoph Rossdeutscher challenged me to think about women, theology and feminism long before this thesis was conceived. I thank Rosemary Radford Ruether, Kathleen McPhillips, Susan Ross, Susan Parsons, Eleanour McLoughlin, Aime Borrowdale, Pamela S. Anderson, Anne-Louise Erikson and Carol Cook for their willingness to discuss my work with me and for making pieces of unpublished work available. During my research trip to the United States in Summer 1996 Valerie Gerrard Browne and Sr. Carolyn Farrell from the Women and Leadership Archives at Loyola University, Chicago as well as Chuck Elston from Marquette Memorial Library, Milwaukee provided access to the Women- Church Archives and the Archives of the Women's Ordination Conference. Meeting Susan Soric and the women of'Womengathering', however, made this trip into much more than archival research. On the technical side, special thanks to Giles for patient proof-reading and doubling the nimiber of commas in the text and to Stuart, Jan and Mike for their help in a near-disasfrous computer crisis. My parents and grandparents encouraged me to make unorthodox decisions and supported me in every possible way as I carried them out. It is to them that this thesis is dedicated and to Giles who at the end of a long journey became partner and faithful companion all along. Declaration I confirm that no part of this thesis has been submitted for a degree in this or any other vmiversity. I also confirm that the thesis conforms to the word limit set out in the Degree Regulations. The Copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without her prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. Chapter 1 Introduction: For the first time in history? From women-church to feminist ecclesiology 1.0 Introduction Femuiist theologians who discuss the topic of ecclesiology, the theological reflection of the church on its own being, can approach then critical endeavour from two perspectives which are both equally relevant.
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