Feminist Theology

Definition and Meaning

Feminist theology takes women's experience as the starting point for theological reflection. From this perspective, it critically examines the male-centeredness found in biblical interpretation, doctrine, and church institutions. Its principal themes include the following:

• A critique of patriarchy (a system in which men monopolize authority in the family and society)
• Questions concerning the language and titles used to refer to God
• The status and leadership of women within the church

Feminist theology is not a single, unified school. It spans a broad range, from moderate interpretive movements that seek to recover the place of women within the biblical text to positions that substantially reconstruct traditional doctrine.

Biblical and Historical Background

Feminist theologians frequently appeal to two texts. The first is Genesis 1:27, which states that male and female were created together in the image of God. The second is Galatians 3:28, which declares, "there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Feminist theologians also draw attention to the roles of women in the early church, such as Phoebe, Junia, Priscilla, and Mary Magdalene. This movement has also produced readings of Vashti, who refused the king's summons (Esther 1), as a figure who stood against unjust power.

Concerning the role of women in the church, the interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:13–15 and Ephesians 5:21–25 is particularly contested.

Historically, The Woman's Bible, published in the late nineteenth century by the American women's rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others, is regarded as a forerunner of the movement. Feminist theology became established as an academic discipline alongside the women's movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Rosemary Radford Ruether, Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, and Phyllis Trible are known as its representative scholars. The field subsequently branched into further strands, including womanist theology, which begins from the experience of Black women, and Asian feminist theology.

Practice in Korean Churches

In Korea, the Korea Association of Women Theologians is reported to have been founded in 1980. Research has since continued, centered in seminaries and universities. A distinctive feature of Korean feminist theology is that, through its engagement with minjung theology, it has focused on Korean women's experiences of suffering and han (恨).

The degree of acceptance varies by denomination.

• Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea and Korean Methodist Church: These denominations began ordaining women as pastors relatively early. Their seminaries also tend to treat feminist theology as a regular academic discipline.
• Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap): This denomination permitted women's ordination in the 1990s. However, discussions about expanding women's leadership coexist with caution toward feminist theology as a whole.
• Conservative Presbyterian denominations such as the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Hapdong) and the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin): These denominations do not ordain women as pastors. They and a considerable portion of the evangelical community criticize feminist theology for weakening the authority of Scripture. They also criticize tendencies to alter the names and titles of God revealed in Scripture.

Positions are divided even within evangelicalism. Complementarianism holds that men and women are equal but have different roles in the church and the home. Egalitarianism holds that no distinction should be made in church offices and roles either.

In response to these criticisms, feminist theologians counter that what they take issue with is not the Bible itself but the patriarchal interpretations that have been imposed upon it.