Biblical Literature: Issues of Gender, Sexuality and Contemporary Ethics Part I

Focusing on the status of women in Catholicism, Natural Moral Law and bodily autonomy and scriptire

When examining Biblical literature for issues of gender and sexuality, what is the most significant for contemporary ethics and praxis is the view of the role of women as mothers, which has particularly restricted contemporary women's reproductive rights. Throughout this discussion, I will explore the reproductive role women hold within the Bible and its effect on contemporary ethics, in the case study of Poland.

Firstly, in part I, I will explore women's traditional status in Catholicism, reflecting on women as virgins and mothers. I will argue that these traditional gendered roles are social constructions that suppress women, referring to Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex.

In part II, I will focus on Natural Moral Law and its prohibition of unnatural contraception, but its promotion of Natural Family Planning, which is not consistent with Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body and implications of bodily autonomy.

This is a contradiction that needs to be solved, which I will attempt in part III, where I will examine women's bodily autonomy and the juxtaposition of this with narrowing women's roles. I will then argue that Biblical literature and John Paul II's teachings of the opposition for contraceptive rights and respect for women's bodies can be radically used as pro-choice arguments for abortion with reference to Rosemary Radford Ruether.

I. THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN CATHOLICISM

Biblical literature defines the women's role as either a virgin or a mother. The Gospel of Luke, in the annunciation of Mary, characterises the role of a woman with close union with motherhood. As the 'woman' of the Bible, Mary links a woman and the whole human family as the Mother of God. The Son of God was born that of a woman, which is a significant point in Christian history. In this way, the woman represents the whole human race, representing all of humanity, both men and women. As Mary's (the woman) union with the living God can only belong to the 'woman', the union between mother and son, Mary truly becomes the Mother of God.

Mary's crucial role in the conception, birth, and death of Christ emphasises the essential meaning of Virgin Mary's motherhood. This is especially apparent in the annunciation where Mary claims, in Luke 1:38, 'You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said'. Through stating she was a servant of the Lord, Mary illuminates her complete awareness of being a creature of God and gave herself up to Him. From the first moment of her divine motherhood, Mary takes her place within Christ's messianic service as a servant of God. In light of this reflection of Mary's role within the Bible, the Catholic Church heavily determines Mary's vocation, the Mother of God and women as mothers in a complete expression of dignity and vocation.

The Virgin Mary's declaration as the Queen of Poland in 1656 solidified Poland's status as a Catholic nation, and the figure of the Virgin Mary and her maternal sacrifice solidified women's primary purpose. This is illuminated in the institutional view of the traditional role of women in Poland's Radio Maryja (RM), founded by Father Rydzyk. The Virgin Mary, as the personification of the Church, whom RM claims to protect. Broadcasts on Rydzyk's media channels on marriage and relationships routinely objectify women and deprive them of their agency. RM guests have stated husbands have a right to demand sexual intercourse from their wives without considering him an aggressor or a potential rapist.

Such comments stem from the view of women in the Catholic Church as mothers who serve the Lord through their wombs and procreation. What is extremely worrying is that Father Rydzyk is known for his close relations with the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party in Poland, receiving more than 165 million złotych (£33.1 million) in state funding for different projects, who hold traditional views on gender roles.

This demonstrates Poland as one of the most religiously homogeneous countries of the European Union and one of the European countries where religion plays a crucial role in its social and political life. From these traditionalist views of the role of women in the Church and family, matters related to the protection of women's rights, for instance, domestic violence and the right to abortion, are jeopardised.

In this way, the traditional Biblical conception of the role of women can harm women rather than protect them, which is undoubtedly not the aim of the Church, but the institutional construction of gender in society.

The gendered roles are a social construction by institutions that suppress women rather than being innate. Simone de Beauvoir characterises women as the 'Other' in opposition to men as the male sees her essentially as a sexed being. In this way, women are subjected to the role of servant and motherhood. Though Simone de Beauvoir blames the patriarchal society for subjecting women to the status of 'the other', I will argue that it is institutions that subject women to the role of motherhood. This is as women are not born feminine but shaped by external processes inflicted upon them by society through being conditioned into accepting passivity, dependence, repetition and inwardness, which flatten her into an object and a life of housework, childbearing and sexual slavishness.

A biological explanation cannot be provided of what it is like to be a woman. By this, I argue that just because women naturally give birth does not mean that that is their only purpose. It is institutions, such as the Church and its interpretation of the Virgin Mary's role, that project the role of motherhood as their primary purpose in life.

Therefore, as de Beauvoir famously maintains, 'one is not born, but rather, becomes a woman'. Women are characterised as the 'Other', in opposition to men, due to their biological nature, which is very different to gender. The mother does not make her child; it is only her flesh that engenders flesh.

Consequently, women are effectively denied of their humanity in the profoundly imbalanced gender roles through the dangerous misconception that motherhood is enough, in all cases, to fulfil a woman.

Biblical literature often portrays Mary Magdalene as an apostle of Jesus and is especially connected with His death and resurrection. Referring to someone as an apostle implies an acceptance of the person's authority and so illustrates women were thought of as mothers and authoritative figures. As Mary is the first person to see Jesus after His resurrection in John 20:14-18, the information He entrusts her with, that no one else has heard, is of lasting importance and shows the significance of women disciples in Biblical literature. This illustrates Jesus showed respect and honour to women. However, the worth of Mary Magdalene in the Bible itself has been reduced throughout history by society.

Mary Magdalene is often depicted as a sinner in New Testament interpretations, hymns, sermons and Christian art and that her sin is sexual in nature. This interpretation has often been made because Mary was a woman, and therefore, the 'devil's gateway' becomes the justification for artistic descriptions of her as a beautiful, desirable female figure.

The identification of Mary Magdalene as a 'sinner' illuminates de Beauvoir's claim that women are subjected to the role that society places upon them and how women are denied their autonomy. It is highly likely that because Mary was not portrayed as a mother in Biblical literature, she broke free from what was deemed the purpose of femininity.

Therefore, Biblical literature cannot be used to deem the purpose of what being a woman is because the Bible describes women as both mothers and apostles. Instead, institutions govern the role of gender, consequently degrading the autonomy of women.

Stay tuned for part II on Natural Moral Law.

Find Out More:

Diane Apostolos-Cappadona. In Search of Mary Magdalene: Images and Traditions. New York: American Bible Society, 2002.

John Paul II. “Mulieris Digitatem of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II on the Dignity and Vocation of Women on the Occasion of the Marian Year.” Apostolic Letter. (1988):pp1-3.

Judith Hartenstein. ‘Mary Magdalene the Apostle: A Re-Interpretation of Literary Traditions?’ Lectio difficilior 1 (2007).

Judith, Butler. “Sex and Gender in Simone de Beauvoir's Second Sex.” Simone de Beauvoir: Witness to a Century, Yale French Studies No. 72, (1986), pp. 35-49.

Konrad Pedziwiatr. “Chapter 8: Church and State Relations in Poland, with Special Focus on the Radio Station Mary.” In Religion, Politics and Nation-Building in Post-Communist Countries edited by Greg Simons and David Westerlund, pp163-179. New York: Routledge, 2015.

Lidia Kurasinska. “This New Political Party in Poland wants to ‘Re-Christianise’ Europe.” Open Democracy. Feb 27, 2019.

Luke 1:26-38.

Megan Chandler and Genevieve Edwards. “Constructing Polish Exceptionalism: Gender and Reproductive Rights in Poland.” The Ohio State University: (2014).

Simone de Beauvoir. The Second Sex. Translated by Constantine Borde and Sheila Malovany-Chevallier. London: Vintage, 2011.