Abstract
There has been an extensive project by women Christian theologians, both White (“feminist”) and Black (“womanist”), to recuperate and valorize the stories of women and children, slaves and others in vulnerable positions relative to Biblical power structures. In some accounts this theme calls out Old Testament “texts of terror,” as first developed by feminist theologian Phyllis Trible. In other cases, particularly in womanist texts, there is a recuperation of the relationship with Jesus as well as with stories Biblical women and Black women’s own experiences of suffering and redemption. This paper re-frames the reality of fragility and vulnerability through an examination of how Christian theology institutionalizes them as part of its salvithic grounding. Starting with the expulsion from Eden, we trace pivotal moments when God chooses how to handle His own power relative to the weaknesses of His people. We then explore this concept through the lens of current manifestations of Christian ideologies in political discourses which have a disproportionately negative impact on women, children, and others falling into the Girardian-defined categories of expendable people, or scapegoats. It becomes clear that the never-resolved tension between the powerful and the vulnerable in Christian theology now threatens to undermine the entire Christian project. The paper then explores other pathways for the more powerful to relate to the less powerful. Vulnerability and fragility are inherent to the human condition. As religious and spiritual thought evolves, we are called to embody new and less destructive ways of handling differences in human power.
Presenters
Mary MarcelAssociate Professor, Experience Design, Bentley University, Massachusetts, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2025 Special Focus—Fragile Meanings: Vulnerability in the Study of Religions and Spirituality
KEYWORDS
Fragility, Vulnerability, Feminist, Womanist, Power Differences, Scapegoats, Post-Conventional Theology
