Gender Construction in quot;Book of Showingsquot; Essay

As truly as God is our Father, so truly is God our Mother, and he revealed that in everything, and especially in these sweet words where he says:... I am he, the power and goodness of fatherhood; I am he, the wisdom and the lovingness of motherhood(Damarosch,478). In todays society it is commonplace, even routine to think of Christian divinity in terms of male gender. How amazing it seems then, to be presented with medieval language which portrays God as a female gendered divinity. Where did the idea arise to portray God as feminine? And what purpose does it serve? This essay seeks to examine whether Julian of Norwichs gender construction of the divine is subversive and radical in light of the reduced power of women in medieval†¦show more content†¦Validated by church scholars such as St. Augustine, who pushed for more masculine representation in the divine and divine offices, women are edged out of influence, God is seen as distant (hence the need for mediators), and of cou rse the masculine representations of God as father, brother, Lord, and protector are generally used over female representations. Considering the historical background, it seems rather amazing and refreshing to witness Julian of Norwichs take on the gender of the divine. Julians image of Jesus as Mother, though expanded upon in specific chapters (58-61), is found throughout the text. Throughout, Julian presents a divinity whose chief characteristics are protecting, nurturing, and sustaining (Long,1). These characteristics, as mentioned by Long are those which are ascribed to motherhood. Beginning in chapter 58, Julian portrays God as a powerful father, wise mother, and loving husband. I contemplated the work of all the blessed Trinity, in which contemplation I saw and understood these three properties: the property of the fatherhood, and the property of the motherhood, and the property of the lordship in one God (Damrosch,477). Yet, after having just stated the three properties of the Trinity, leading readers to suppose all three properties are equal, Julian spends considerably more time expounding on the second person, who is ourShow MoreRelated Double Standard Of Masculinity In Gender Role Socialization Essay2420 Words   |  10 Pageswell as in informal settings. Many wonder what it means to be masculine, and if we can really assign a definition to such a subjective term. After all, shouldnt ones own perception be the determinant of what constitutes masculinity? This self-construction would be the ideal in our society, but unfortunately, it represents a false b elief. Masculinity has certain characteristics assigned to it by our culture. In this paper I will explore the many facets of masculinity and demonstrate how certainRead More Advertising in the Media Essay2174 Words   |  9 Pagestelevision reinforce the mainstream ideology of contemporary culture? How do they shape the society? Can the media help break the barriers of gender roles? Consumer minds’ can be changed, opinions molded. I believe advertising in the media today is slightly changing, however will not drastically change. The commercials and advertisements still implant the usual gender roles to our society today. Will the media ever change? The methodology used was researching, analyzing, and observing magazine ads, plusRead MoreExistentialism vs Essentialism23287 Words   |  94 Pagesphenomenological view to the world with his descriptions of knowledge: This heart within me I can feel, and I judge that it exists. This world around me I can feel, and I likewise judge that it exists. There ends all my knowledge, and the rest is construction. While the rest of philosophy is often focuses on how things are and how we are able or unable to perceive the truth in the world, phenomenology counts that our perceptions and internal experience are what matters. Existentialism mirrors thisRead Morebullet theory7360 Words   |  30 Pagesaudience is passive. Viewers are sitting ducks with no chance to avoid or resist the impact of the message. Mass media, in this view, is dangerous because people believe the message since there is no other source of information. It is a amp;quot;crude model,amp;quot; adds Media Know All, since it leaves out any attempt by the audience to consider or challenge the data. Theory Information, the theory claims, passes into the audience membersamp;rsquo; consciousness as a mass or single entity, without