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The Christian Concept of the Nature of Motherhood and Its Implications in a Contemporary Context

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The Christian Concept of the Nature of Motherhood and Its Implications in a Contemporary Context The University of Notre Dame Australia ResearchOnline@ND Theses 2018 The Christian concept of the nature of motherhood and its implications in a contemporary context Christine Fisk The University of Notre Dame Australia Follow this and additional works at: https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theses Part of the Religion Commons COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Copyright Regulations 1969 WARNING The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any further copying or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act. Do not remove this notice. Publication Details Fisk, C. (2018). The Christian concept of the nature of motherhood and its implications in a contemporary context (Master of Philosophy (School of Philosophy and Theology)). University of Notre Dame Australia. https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theses/211 This dissertation/thesis is brought to you by ResearchOnline@ND. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of ResearchOnline@ND. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Christian Concept of the Nature of Motherhood and its Implications in a Contemporary Context Christine Lillian Fisk A thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy School of Philosophy and Theology The University of Notre Dame Australia 2018 1 Declaration of Authorship This thesis/dissertation is the candidate’s own work and contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any degree or diploma in any other institution. To the best of the candidate’s knowledge, the thesis/dissertation contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference is made in the text of the thesis. ______________________ __________________________ Candidate’s Name Candidate’s Signature Date: 2 Abstract The contemporary context presents countless ideologies and conflicting views about what femininity is and what it is not. In particular, the modern pursuit of equality and autonomy has resulted in the perception of motherhood as inconvenient in some quarters or, worse yet, inconsequential. This thesis considers the question as whether or not motherhood is separable from womanhood, and if there is indeed any inherent value to motherhood. The intent of this thesis was to go beyond the variety of views of what motherhood is to the two primary female figures in Scripture – Eve and Mary - to discern what they revealed about the nature of motherhood, and to then apply said conclusions into the contemporary context. In doing so, it will become evident that motherhood is indeed an essential part of who woman is. The living out of her vocation to motherhood in the various spheres of her life is thus the means by which woman discovers herself and reaches her potential as a human person. This study on the nature of motherhood contributes to the wider theological discussion of what womanhood is and how woman is called to practically live out her faith today. 3 Table of Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 5 The Contemporary Context ......................................................................................................... 5 A Study on the Christian Concept of Motherhood ....................................................................... 9 The Question at Hand ............................................................................................................... 13 1. “In the beginning” ...................................................................................................... 15 1.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 15 1.2. The Creation of Humanity .................................................................................................. 17 1.2.1. In the Image of God He Created Him ................................................................................. 17 1.2.2. Male and Female He Created Them ................................................................................... 24 1.2.3. Go Forth and Multiply ........................................................................................................ 34 1.3. Eve: Mother of All Life ....................................................................................................... 39 1.3.1. And the Man Called His Wife Eve ...................................................................................... 41 1.3.2. Original Sin ........................................................................................................................ 44 1.3.3. Negative Connotations: Femininity as a Representation of Evil ........................................ 49 1.4. Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 53 2. “And Blessed is the Fruit of Your Womb”: Motherhood in the New Testament ....... 55 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 55 2.2. Mary and The Blessed Motherhood of Mary ....................................................................... 56 2.3. Mary and Eve ..................................................................................................................... 65 2.3.1. From the New Adam, the New Eve ..................................................................................... 65 2.3.2. Eve, Mary, and the Vocation of Motherhood ...................................................................... 80 2.4. The Fruit of Her Womb, Jesus, and the Light He Sheds on Motherhood ............................ 85 2.4.1. Christ as Son, Mary as Mother ........................................................................................... 87 2.4.2. Christ Reveals Woman to Humanity ................................................................................... 92 2.4.3. Christ Reveals Woman to Herself ....................................................................................... 97 2.5. Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 101 3. The Implications of the Scriptural Christian Concept of Motherhood in a Contemporary Context .................................................................................................. 104 3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 104 3.2. Logical Implications ......................................................................................................... 105 3.2.1. A Duality of Sexes, Not of Nature ..................................................................................... 105 3.2.2. We Love Because He First Loved Us ................................................................................ 110 3.2.3. The Blessedness of Motherhood ....................................................................................... 114 3.3. Practical Implications ....................................................................................................... 120 3.3.1. Barrenness – “Give me children or I will die”: The Plight of the Barren Woman ........... 120 3.3.2. Every Woman is Called to Be A Mother ........................................................................... 124 3.4. Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 146 Overview ................................................................................................................................. 148 So Where to From Here? ........................................................................................................ 151 Bibliography .................................................................................................................. 153 4 Introduction Today the reality of motherhood is greeted with an immense array of conceptions and ideologies. Unsurprisingly, literature also reveals that the position and role of woman in family and in society are topics at the forefront of discussion today.1 There is readily available a vast amount of theological research on the dignity of women and the great value of new life, as well as a common disregard for the two in the contemporary context. Yet, there is an apparent need for research on the Christian concept of motherhood itself and its relationship to femininity. The Contemporary Context There are many prolific factors operating on a variety of levels that have led to the existence of the range of the extant views and conceptions regarding motherhood. In the research undertaken for this thesis, the views most prominent today were based on interpretations of feminism, individualism, dualism, and consumerism. None of these ideologies can be said to be distinct from each other and all, to varying degrees, were revealed as having formative roles in what appears to be a growing division between the concepts of femininity and motherhood. It is generally agreed that radical social changes have powerfully altered the self- understanding of women.2 The majority of the world has or is experiencing the conclusion of the patriarchal order of society which upholds the male as the
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