Jesus was a feminist: (Following the model of Jesus)

Mirza Tirta Kusuma Chicago

To appreciate how radical and to what extent Jesus' attitude and behavior toward women is, at least as it is portrayed in the Gospels, it is useful to know the position of women in the culture of the time at which Jesus lived.

Women in the ancient world, both in Jewish and Greek society were generally excluded from public life. They were inferior to men socially, legally and religiously. There was a proverb among Jewish and Greek men, even in their Morning Prayer at the synagogue to bless God "who has not made me a Gentile . . . a slave or a women."

Into the above prevailing attitude Jesus was born. In his time women counted little in society. In the Jewish tradition, women are in every respect inferior to men.

Jesus violated the Jewish custom by talking with women and by allowing a woman of the street to wash and anoint his feet in a public place (Matt. 26:7ff). The prohibition of divorce by Jesus considerably enhanced the position of women in society of his time, which was weak both socially and legally.

In the Gospel of Mark, we can see Jesus' behavior toward women, which was in stark contrast to the typical behavior of the rabbis. He never said nor did anything that would indicate that women should be treated inferior to men. Jesus even freely associated with women (Mark 1:30-31; 3:31-35; 5:25-34; 7:24-29; 15: 40-41). Women were included along with men in Jesus' ministry of teaching, preaching and healing. This inclusion of women was a radical departure from the thinking of the time. For Jesus, women, just like men, are called to do the will of God. Women also are mentioned explicitly when Jesus discusses the costs and rewards of discipleship. (Mark 10:29-30)

The story of the Samaritan Women can be seen also as an example of Jesus' attitude or views of women. Jesus' willingness to talk with and help this woman is proof of his rejection of certain rabbinic teachings about women and the uncleanness of Gentiles. Thus, even from the beginning, Jesus showed his concern for women and his willingness to violate the common view of the Sabbath and the standing rules about the uncleanness of a sick person in order to help them.

In other words, the story demonstrates Jesus' continual rejection of certain Old Testament and rabbinic distinctions about clean/unclean, and certain Sabbath rules, which prevented him from helping women and others in need. It also removes the rabbinic basis for excluding women from the synagogue/temple worship and periodic feast and functions of faith.

Women also were the first to bear witness to Jesus' appearance and message in the resurrection event. The gospel of Matthew records two appearances of the risen Jesus, one of which is his appearance to the women who were worshiping him and he instructs them to communicate to the disciples that they will see him in Galilee (28:9-10).

Although there were no clear reasons given for the subordination of women at that time, that was the reality.

Thus, although Jesus proposed the Christian ideal of individual allegiance to God regardless of sex, race, tribe or nation, by emphasizing the equality of all people, unfortunately, in the history of the Christian church, women have often been assigned to a secondary role.

The history of Christianity, then, can be seen as a continuous process of gender shuffling. Women have never been visible in the history. The Catholic magisterium exacerbated the condition. The teachings and even the very existence of the Roman Catholic magisterium made scripture reading unnecessary for the Catholic faithful.

This attitude came from the assumption that scripture reading was too dangerous for lay people. And indeed, every rereading of the scriptures (whatever religious scriptures they are) has led to a revolution in religious institutional life. Especially for women, by rereading the scriptures they discovered that men and women had been equally called to discipleship, and even to apostleship.

Christianity has inherited the structures of dogma, theology, creeds, liturgy and commandment, which all build on the foundation that assumes the irrelevance of women's fidelity and wisdom. Thus, for women to rediscover the inclusion of women in the teachings of the scriptures means that much of Christianity will have to be rethought.

Being Christian is to follow Jesus Christ as the Way (immitatio Christi). To follow Jesus Christ as the Way means to be with him where he is and to do what he did and is doing. Orthopraxy has priority over orthodoxy, and both need to be contextually performed.

Concerning Jesus' attitude to women, there are ample examples from the Gospel stories elaborated above showing that Jesus would, for all intents and purposes, be labeled a "feminist". His treatment of women with a revolutionary equality even shocked the masculine prejudice of his disciples.

While Christianity is not a monolithic religion, in order to understand Jesus' mission and teaching, it is not enough to understand the Gospel literally. In addition, what is needed for a new understanding is to transcend beyond our apparently limiting sociological and historical necessity. We are often unaware of the extent to which we are bound by sociological, cultural and historical circumstances, which make us see them as being absolute

There is no justification either in the words or in the acts of Jesus Christ for the exclusion of women from any spiritual office. That standard is available in the Gospel and the examples from Jesus. For this reason one way to create further understanding of women and men relationships is to go back to the scriptures and the teaching of Jesus. Only then, can we transcend ourselves beyond our socio-cultural, socio-historical even socio- psychological necessity.

In the current moment, Christians who call for the exclusion of women in the ministry and apostolic vocation are not compelled to be followed. There are plentiful grounds for determining that Jesus did not apply this kind of prohibition. Christians also should understand the Bible holistically. One cannot deduce from one verse without having dialog or consultation with other verses. When they maintain that women should be excluded, one must wonder whether Christian or political concerns provide their motivation.

If the latter is the case, that is maintaining the power or authority, religion in this case will appear as a superstructure, as an instrument of oppression and deception.

Although Jesus was not a "Christian" (the term had not been coined until after his death), but a Jew acting in specifically Jewish tradition, interestingly enough is that Christians to claim to be followers of Jesus, whereas many Jews do not. Therefore, Christians had far more reason to be like Jesus, a feminist.

What is needed is a creative effort to develop a theological anthropology, which studies the dynamics of human personality, and to develop a theology of the women-men relationship. And Jesus was a person who proposed the ideal of the individual allegiance to God regardless of sex, race, tribe or nation.

He emphasized the equality of all people in God's eyes. Thus Jesus stands as a great example of the person we all should be.

The writer is a Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Scholar at Catholic Theological Union Chicago. She can be reached at mirzatk@yahoo.com.