Jesus Movement: Inclusion of Women and Restoration of Women’s Dignity

Rosemary Radford Reuther says that that Jesus’

message of the Kingdom comprises an explicit rejection of all hierarchical structures of dominion, especially patriarchy. Thus, the Reign of God, as envisioned by Jesus, is not only other-worldly, but also, it will come on this earth when structures of domination and subjection have been overcome, when all dwell in harmony with God. Jesus movement provided the idea that God loves all people, regardless of gender, throughout his ministry. Jesus welcomed women, interacted with them and later, spread the gospel. According to A. Briggs, “The fact of suffering is nothing new to women, for they have always borne their young ones in pain and lived their days in frequent tears before man’s
aggressions.” Jesus, in recognition of this plight of women, attended to their various needs
and thus ensured both their physical and spiritual well-being. He interacted with them
throughout His ministry at different levels.”

Many Womanist theologians have expressed discomfort with the “maleness” of Jesus since maleness is often used to justify oppression. Samuel George argues that the significance of the maleness of Christ therefore has been one of the most central issues for feminist. Natalie K. Watson in her book, Feminist Theology, opines that Christology in a feminist theological paradigm challenges an understanding of the incarnation and the life, and death, and the resurrection of Jesus that is too spiritualized and ignores the realities of women’s live. As such it takes further the concept of Jesus Christ as liberator, developed by liberation theologians such as Leonardo Boff, and applies it to the particular situations of women. At the same time, feminist theologians realize that existing liberation Christologies envisage Jesus as a hero of liberation who is beyond the vulnerability that is essential to being human.

Nam Sung Kang argues that the Bible tells us that God created humankind in God’s image as male and female. The striking thing about the crated beings in Genesis chapter one is the goodness of their created appearance. God’s perspective was that He declared that everything was beautiful. There was harmony. God expected people to continually live in harmony and peace.

According to Judith Soares, for the women at the well, it meant the beginning of a
process of self-reflection towards self-liberation and social change. Although all the apostles
were men, which could be considered “gender bias,” it is interesting that the first evangelist
recorded in biblical history was a women whose mission has been totally ignored.