Fertile Journey Through Genesis: Introduction - Part 1
For the last several months I have been slowly reading through the book of Genesis. It has been an incredibly healing journey as I re-read this text through the eyes of a woman struggling with her own fertility. Prior to this reading, I hadn't realized what a prominent role women played in the beginnings of our faith and our world. So often, what is preached is on the fathers of the faith - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. And yet there are so many incredible women whose stories are outlined in Genesis. Women, who like myself, desire to become a mother and yet find the road to motherhood quite difficult.
As I conclude this slow reading through Genesis I have decided to go back through it again. This time blogging and purposely listening for God's story of blessing of fertility for the land and wombs of His people. In many ways these two are symbolic of each other - the land in its dryness pointing to the barrenness of the womb and the womb in its fullness pointing to the fruitfulness of the land. So often in the biblical text the blessing of each is closely linked together.
I realize that this task puts me in the category of feminist theologian. A category I never expected to find myself in, as I had always considered it a title only given to the most progressive or liberal of thinkers. What I realize now is that it isn't a title that infers a certain political standing, rather it is a title that recognizes a certain perspective or approach in reading Scripture. Rather than denying one's femininity and hearing the story through a masculine lens as we are so often taught, feminist theology is embracing ones femininity and allowing oneself to see and hear the story from one's own place as a woman.
Regarding the "theologian" title - this is one in seminary I tried to deny. My professors mentioned that we would become theologians as a result of our training. All I wanted to become is a faithful and good pastor. Yet, as God is continually clarifying my calling, and has done so even more through my reading of the story of Joseph in Genesis, I realize that I am indeed a trained theologian. And so I look forward to this adventure of re-reading the text and writing from the perspective of a feminist theologian, knowing that along the journey I will make mistakes, but it will be well worth it.
As I conclude this slow reading through Genesis I have decided to go back through it again. This time blogging and purposely listening for God's story of blessing of fertility for the land and wombs of His people. In many ways these two are symbolic of each other - the land in its dryness pointing to the barrenness of the womb and the womb in its fullness pointing to the fruitfulness of the land. So often in the biblical text the blessing of each is closely linked together.
I realize that this task puts me in the category of feminist theologian. A category I never expected to find myself in, as I had always considered it a title only given to the most progressive or liberal of thinkers. What I realize now is that it isn't a title that infers a certain political standing, rather it is a title that recognizes a certain perspective or approach in reading Scripture. Rather than denying one's femininity and hearing the story through a masculine lens as we are so often taught, feminist theology is embracing ones femininity and allowing oneself to see and hear the story from one's own place as a woman.
Regarding the "theologian" title - this is one in seminary I tried to deny. My professors mentioned that we would become theologians as a result of our training. All I wanted to become is a faithful and good pastor. Yet, as God is continually clarifying my calling, and has done so even more through my reading of the story of Joseph in Genesis, I realize that I am indeed a trained theologian. And so I look forward to this adventure of re-reading the text and writing from the perspective of a feminist theologian, knowing that along the journey I will make mistakes, but it will be well worth it.
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