Religion (including Christianity) has contributed significantly to the subjugation of women and women’s bodies, both historically and today. In that regard, my obligation and responsibility deepen as I am not only a white man, but also a Christian and a priest in the Episcopal Church.
If Lent can be retrieved as a practice for liberating humanity from the chains of oppression, then ending this war on women must take priority. This will involve attending carefully to the propaganda machine (both secular and religious), mobilizing people to vote when appropriate, repenting where necessary, and recommitting ourselves to the hard work of creating a different world, a world where all can thrive and flourish.
I believe the peculiar character of Christianity, for all its severe faults and foibles, can still help us achieve a better world where all can thrive and flourish. ... Let’s create a great toolbox for planetary thriving! At the very least, let us commit ourselves to ensuring that no one ever again has to see a panel of all men making decisions about women’s bodies. That would be a small but nonetheless significant step on the Lenten road toward new life.
This Sunday, Dr. Johnson will return to the Rector’s Forum to team up with our own Juliana Serrano, a member of the local Planned Parenthood Board of Directors, to equip us to both theologize and organize to end the war on women.
Sunday, March 4th | In the Rector's Forum at 10:15 a.m.| live streaming here
Jay Emerson Johnson is a theologian and Episcopal priest, a faculty member of the Pacific School of Religion. His current research and writing interests involve the intersections of critical social theory and Christian traditions. Jay is a popular retreat leader and facilitator of adult education programs, both in the San Francisco Bay Area and around the country. Jay also maintains a blogging site: Peculiar Faith.
This post has been somewhat of a revelation to hollister uk.
ReplyDelete