Can I say thank you a hundred times? As a devout Christian and an advocate of the feminist movement, I find this interpretation of the Bible to be a much-needed counterpoint to "religious misogyny." When engaging in discussions with people who particularly reference the "Proverbs 31" woman and the concept of submission, I always emphasize that the Bible was composed during a predominantly patriarchal era. It is crucial to recognize the influence of this era on the writers of the Bible and seek further insight before forming our beliefs solely based on these texts.
I do believe one can be a Christian and a feminist. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.🫶🏽
Absolutely! Christianity and feminism are not warring ideologies.
I have been meaning to talk about the idea of the Proverbs 31 woman and submission. I feel like submission is highly misunderstood today, and that’s why there’s a lot of pushback against it.
Great topic for discussion bible states that a man shall leave his mother and cling to his wife and the two becomes one flesh..then in 1st Corinthians 7:4 it states the wife body no longer belongs to her but to her husband and likewise the husband body no longer belongs to him but to his wife and it continues that neither should deprive each other except permission for prayer to avoid Satan temptation.. wives have a duty to fulfill their husbands needs and likes the husband to do the same to his wife leaving no room for infidelity ...be blessed....
That's a very good question. One thing I always try to do and urge people to do is to separate the theatrics of Christianity from the nature of the God we claim to serve. Christianity, as a religion, has so many facets, many of which are cultural biases and some not even God-like. So, while the performance of Christianity may seem to advocate for patriarchy, as you said, it does not mean that God is patriarchal. The Bible was written by men; yes, they were inspired by the spirit of God, but they were still human, and they wrote relatively about what made sense in their communities at the time.
However, I find my reconciliation in Jesus, coming to earth in the form of a man—the only man in the Bible with equal status to God. In all his dealings on earth, I cannot point to one action that might suggest he was a misogynist or pro-men. He included women and never made any woman feel less than men of the time. In the book of Deuteronomy, there is a bunch of laws that Moses laid out and some of these I find particularly offensive to women. Jesus broke many of these laws on several occasions and there's one I like to talk about; an adulterous woman was brought to Jesus and according to Moses, she should be stoned. But instead, he convicted the men who brought her and freed her afterwards (John 8). So, while patriarchal cultures may have seeped into Christianity—as with most religions—it does not mean that the God we worship is patriarchal. As Christians, our purpose is to express the nature of God, so I don't see why being a child of God and a feminist should be mutually exclusive.
I encourage you to read Ephesians 5:21-33 that establishes what God expects in a marriage. That a patriarchy is only acceptable if the man submits to God. Also many women are empowered through the Bible like Deborah, the first female judge, or Esther, God used to save the Jews. There are so many examples showing how God loves and empowers women. Lastly, while I don’t think the Bible advocates for modern/societal gender roles, they aren’t inherently bad. They should never be used to weaken or be stereotypical. It just means that there is a role people are better equipped at doing. Roles should be communicated in a relationship and never assumed.
If we were to look at this outside of the Bible, common sense would say to not submit to a man who is leading you nowhere, or even somewhere dangerous. The Bible doesn’t advocate for blind belief or submission, and neither does our humanly reason (which we Christians believe came from God). But to speak to your assertion about not using the Bible to justify, asking questions about the logic behind submission is natural and healthy both biblically and not.
Because I believe it is the Word of God according to 2 Timothy 3:16-17. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
This book is a book I believe is holy and must be obeyed whether I feel comfortable with it or not. If you are still confused or disagree with that, it’s fine but if you don’t mind, I encourage you to ask God directly. He encourages questions according to Matthew 7:7““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”
If by gender roles you mean things like housekeeping, cooking, cleaning, raising kids etc - the Bible does not either cover, describe or prescribe any of that. The only take it gives is submission, love and mutual humility.
And yes, the Bible actually does describe a sort of patriarchy (the highest being the God-head) but it is neither an oppressive nor an entirely social one. It’s also very spiritual and metaphorical. It’s a very opposite semblance of modern patriarchy that is weaponized to dehumanize.
I don’t believe there’s anything flawed with either the Proverbs 31 woman analogy (which I actually believe supports the feminist ideal of female independence) or the concept of submission - I think there’s a need for Christians to understand it instead of either discard or misinterpret it, because it’s very crucial to correct theology and understanding the relationship between Christ and the church.
Submission is not oppressive, rather it is a model for Gods relationship with the church - his bride , which is seen as a metaphoric model throughout the Bible in Hosea, Songs of Solomon etc. It’s a very important spiritual symbol and cannot exist under abuse.
The proverbs 31 woman also co-exists with the Judges women, the Ruth woman, the Esther woman, the Corinthians and Galatians women (church matriarchs) and is not one or either, but all. It provides a wholistic view of the Christian woman that is multifaceted, entrepreneurial, leading, determined, preaching, submitted to God (and to her God-fearing husband) and soft/loving all at the same time. Biblical femininity, if you will.
I love this and I also wholly agree! I think we’ve predispositioned ourselves to find contrasts in everything, but I love that you said “submission is not oppressive.”
I’ve also been thinking about how men were told to “love their wives like Christ loved the church.” Truly a model for God’s relationship with the church.
Yeah! I like to see submission as the highest form of love, as opposed to subjugation. Subjugation is a dominant party degrading, forcing and demanding obedience and worship from a lesser party.
Submission is someone willfully and knowingly deciding to give up himself/herself to another in humility - to be cherished, to be lead, to be protected, to be loved. It is an act of free will. This does not happen without the presence of trust or security. Submission is saying I trust you enough with my entire life.
And this is Christ’s relationship with us, and us with him.
One of the reasons why I don't like feminism or I don't agree with a Christian being a feminist is because it deviates from Christianity. Why shame men or become a hater of men because we have been oppressed. A lot of ladies have gone extreme with feminism. Why the gender war? Is God unjust for creating man and woman? These are ugly spirits going under the disguise of feminism and misogynism. That's my belief. God doesn't favour one over the other. Also I don't believe in feminism, no matter how attractive it looks.
I agree with you. Feminism has become something else lately. But at the heart of it, for those who truly understand that it’s not a gender war, is a fight for equality and equity for all. Women have been suppressed for far too long, but in our fight for freedom, we aren’t trying to bring men down. We can all co-exist and thrive.
Yes that's the issue I have with feminism, it's actually Jesus that gave women liberty. It was evident in his relationship with women. And I understand that women have been suppressed for too long but feminism will not solve misogynism. It won't.
It’s 2025 so choose to ignore this but I just came across the conversation today and wanted to add on and respond to your statement.
Firstly, you’re right feminism won’t fix, solve, or rid of misogynist, there will always be misogynist. That said feminism has and continues to be a tool and movement that has assisted women in gaining rights, healthcare, and basic human decency in societies. Yes the modern day poster feminist has given all feminist a bad rep but it’s good to note they don’t represent feminism. And it’s because of feminism that women have rights to vote, freedom of speech, bank accounts, safe healthcare, etc.
Jesus gave us liberty and made us in his image but men are women’s biggest oppressors and continue to be. We need feminist to advocate for women who can’t do so for themselves. Humanity isn’t mirroring Christ unfortunately.
I say this as a Christian woman but I don’t like men so I am bias in that, but not because I’m a feminist- it’s because I’ve witness the violence of women in the hands of men and disregard of women as if we are a different species. I love God and I love Jesus, I also love the male role models in my life but I also know the God-fearing men in my life who protect women are not the same men of the world and society.
Excuse any grammatical errors I may have made, it’s in the AMs and I’m half sleepy when I wrote this.
That was my summary of my thoughts, I tried to make it cohesive breaking it up. Overall although I agree with you on some points, I think we need to begin with distinguishing a feminist from a misandrist. And although true, feminism won’t solve misogynistic ways of many men, feminism is still needed. It is thanks to feminism that many women have basic human rights in many parts of the world. Because at its core, feminism is the advocacy of women and Jesus first hand exhibits that in the Bible.
that’s it, many women have gone extreme with feminism but the actual movement does not involve man-hating. love the article but it’s misleading to use man-hating as the basis of feminism in this essay; the term ‘misandry’ or ‘third-wave feminism’ could have been used
Thank you for sharing this piece. I must admit, I struggle with some of these verses that seem controversial. It's crucial to consider the context of the writing to gain a proper understanding. I hold onto the belief that God doesn't favor one gender over another and that He calls us to be kind to others. In my interpretation of those verses, I also recognize that my actions and how I treat people are my choice. So, if someone acts in a misogynistic way and uses scripture as a defense, it’s a reflection of their own intentions rather than the true message.
Well said! Just because some people, Christians even, act misogynistic and use Scripture to justify their bad behavior doesn’t mean that God’s word in itself is inherently misogynistic. God has no favourites.
Im so happy I got to read this because many times when I share my stance on feminism. People are somewhat quick to say Christianity and feminism can not exist together as one will have to to bow for the other and I m always torn and in between. Reading this was so timely and I appreciate it❤️
Glory to God on how well read you are. The logical way you presented this argument is beautiful. Even your topic sinks its teeth into readers and brings us here immediately and for good! Thanks be to God who made it such that your mind and pen captured these truths.
God is pro-women. Hallelujah!
I was clarified on the Greek word “laleo” meaning chatter. First I’m hearing of it
This is refreshing. You have just empowered me with the right tools for elevating the quality of my bible study. Thank you. These questions are game changers!
Hi eniola, you have no idea how much I needed this.
As a feminist and devout Christian myself I have struggled against the misconception that feminism and Christianity are contradictory and it is precisely what made me seek God personally.
Most of the information you shared here are things I've already researched on and know but sometimes the ideologies of this world overshadow that knowledge.
There are bible verses that seem to subordinate women, like those from Corinthians you've discussed. There are also stories of powerful women;
Deborah and Jael, who display strength in their own right;
Esther, Rahab and Ruth, who are bold in a different way;
Tamar, the Concubine of the Levite, Dinah and other women, whose stories and characters are more complex.
The bible is a spiritual/religious text but it is also historical and cultural as you said.
This means there are more layers to what we read than what appears at a glance, and women in the bible (though named less often than men) are not all depicted as the same submissive type -
the question 'What does it all mean?' is not easily answered. I'm still learning myself, and you've touched on something important here.
I like how you presented your ideas❤️🔥 I will insist that you can definitely be a Christian and a feminist 👌🏿 like you have done it takes a lot of deep research and dedication to sift through the context but I’m glad there can be balance🌹
Awesome, amazing, brilliant, extraordinary. This is it sis. When I read the title I almost didn't read because I felt I would disagree with you but it's incredibe because we hold the same thoughts. Thank you for being diligent in research. Go feminist for Jesus❤️❤️❤️❤️
Lol, yeah. The goal of the post was to debunk the title. I don’t believe both ideologies are mutually exclusive. We all just need some clarity to see that we are fighting for the same thing at the end of the day.
Can I say thank you a hundred times? As a devout Christian and an advocate of the feminist movement, I find this interpretation of the Bible to be a much-needed counterpoint to "religious misogyny." When engaging in discussions with people who particularly reference the "Proverbs 31" woman and the concept of submission, I always emphasize that the Bible was composed during a predominantly patriarchal era. It is crucial to recognize the influence of this era on the writers of the Bible and seek further insight before forming our beliefs solely based on these texts.
I do believe one can be a Christian and a feminist. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.🫶🏽
Absolutely! Christianity and feminism are not warring ideologies.
I have been meaning to talk about the idea of the Proverbs 31 woman and submission. I feel like submission is highly misunderstood today, and that’s why there’s a lot of pushback against it.
Great topic for discussion bible states that a man shall leave his mother and cling to his wife and the two becomes one flesh..then in 1st Corinthians 7:4 it states the wife body no longer belongs to her but to her husband and likewise the husband body no longer belongs to him but to his wife and it continues that neither should deprive each other except permission for prayer to avoid Satan temptation.. wives have a duty to fulfill their husbands needs and likes the husband to do the same to his wife leaving no room for infidelity ...be blessed....
How do you reconcile the fact that Christianity advocates patriarchy and gender roles while feminism seeks to abolish patriarchy and gender roles?
That's a very good question. One thing I always try to do and urge people to do is to separate the theatrics of Christianity from the nature of the God we claim to serve. Christianity, as a religion, has so many facets, many of which are cultural biases and some not even God-like. So, while the performance of Christianity may seem to advocate for patriarchy, as you said, it does not mean that God is patriarchal. The Bible was written by men; yes, they were inspired by the spirit of God, but they were still human, and they wrote relatively about what made sense in their communities at the time.
However, I find my reconciliation in Jesus, coming to earth in the form of a man—the only man in the Bible with equal status to God. In all his dealings on earth, I cannot point to one action that might suggest he was a misogynist or pro-men. He included women and never made any woman feel less than men of the time. In the book of Deuteronomy, there is a bunch of laws that Moses laid out and some of these I find particularly offensive to women. Jesus broke many of these laws on several occasions and there's one I like to talk about; an adulterous woman was brought to Jesus and according to Moses, she should be stoned. But instead, he convicted the men who brought her and freed her afterwards (John 8). So, while patriarchal cultures may have seeped into Christianity—as with most religions—it does not mean that the God we worship is patriarchal. As Christians, our purpose is to express the nature of God, so I don't see why being a child of God and a feminist should be mutually exclusive.
There's a twist to this comment.
It's not balanced
Hello,
I encourage you to read Ephesians 5:21-33 that establishes what God expects in a marriage. That a patriarchy is only acceptable if the man submits to God. Also many women are empowered through the Bible like Deborah, the first female judge, or Esther, God used to save the Jews. There are so many examples showing how God loves and empowers women. Lastly, while I don’t think the Bible advocates for modern/societal gender roles, they aren’t inherently bad. They should never be used to weaken or be stereotypical. It just means that there is a role people are better equipped at doing. Roles should be communicated in a relationship and never assumed.
Also 1 Corinthians 11:3 is a good representation of the first point. A man can not be submitted to unless he submits to Christ.
Why must a man be submitted to because of a book?
If we were to look at this outside of the Bible, common sense would say to not submit to a man who is leading you nowhere, or even somewhere dangerous. The Bible doesn’t advocate for blind belief or submission, and neither does our humanly reason (which we Christians believe came from God). But to speak to your assertion about not using the Bible to justify, asking questions about the logic behind submission is natural and healthy both biblically and not.
Because I believe it is the Word of God according to 2 Timothy 3:16-17. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
This book is a book I believe is holy and must be obeyed whether I feel comfortable with it or not. If you are still confused or disagree with that, it’s fine but if you don’t mind, I encourage you to ask God directly. He encourages questions according to Matthew 7:7““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”
very good question.
If by gender roles you mean things like housekeeping, cooking, cleaning, raising kids etc - the Bible does not either cover, describe or prescribe any of that. The only take it gives is submission, love and mutual humility.
And yes, the Bible actually does describe a sort of patriarchy (the highest being the God-head) but it is neither an oppressive nor an entirely social one. It’s also very spiritual and metaphorical. It’s a very opposite semblance of modern patriarchy that is weaponized to dehumanize.
I don’t believe there’s anything flawed with either the Proverbs 31 woman analogy (which I actually believe supports the feminist ideal of female independence) or the concept of submission - I think there’s a need for Christians to understand it instead of either discard or misinterpret it, because it’s very crucial to correct theology and understanding the relationship between Christ and the church.
Submission is not oppressive, rather it is a model for Gods relationship with the church - his bride , which is seen as a metaphoric model throughout the Bible in Hosea, Songs of Solomon etc. It’s a very important spiritual symbol and cannot exist under abuse.
The proverbs 31 woman also co-exists with the Judges women, the Ruth woman, the Esther woman, the Corinthians and Galatians women (church matriarchs) and is not one or either, but all. It provides a wholistic view of the Christian woman that is multifaceted, entrepreneurial, leading, determined, preaching, submitted to God (and to her God-fearing husband) and soft/loving all at the same time. Biblical femininity, if you will.
I love this and I also wholly agree! I think we’ve predispositioned ourselves to find contrasts in everything, but I love that you said “submission is not oppressive.”
I’ve also been thinking about how men were told to “love their wives like Christ loved the church.” Truly a model for God’s relationship with the church.
Yeah! I like to see submission as the highest form of love, as opposed to subjugation. Subjugation is a dominant party degrading, forcing and demanding obedience and worship from a lesser party.
Submission is someone willfully and knowingly deciding to give up himself/herself to another in humility - to be cherished, to be lead, to be protected, to be loved. It is an act of free will. This does not happen without the presence of trust or security. Submission is saying I trust you enough with my entire life.
And this is Christ’s relationship with us, and us with him.
Love this concept so much!! Biblical feminism—if we can call it that—should be propagated as much as modern feminism. Many have been misled.
One of the reasons why I don't like feminism or I don't agree with a Christian being a feminist is because it deviates from Christianity. Why shame men or become a hater of men because we have been oppressed. A lot of ladies have gone extreme with feminism. Why the gender war? Is God unjust for creating man and woman? These are ugly spirits going under the disguise of feminism and misogynism. That's my belief. God doesn't favour one over the other. Also I don't believe in feminism, no matter how attractive it looks.
I agree with you. Feminism has become something else lately. But at the heart of it, for those who truly understand that it’s not a gender war, is a fight for equality and equity for all. Women have been suppressed for far too long, but in our fight for freedom, we aren’t trying to bring men down. We can all co-exist and thrive.
Yes that's the issue I have with feminism, it's actually Jesus that gave women liberty. It was evident in his relationship with women. And I understand that women have been suppressed for too long but feminism will not solve misogynism. It won't.
It’s 2025 so choose to ignore this but I just came across the conversation today and wanted to add on and respond to your statement.
Firstly, you’re right feminism won’t fix, solve, or rid of misogynist, there will always be misogynist. That said feminism has and continues to be a tool and movement that has assisted women in gaining rights, healthcare, and basic human decency in societies. Yes the modern day poster feminist has given all feminist a bad rep but it’s good to note they don’t represent feminism. And it’s because of feminism that women have rights to vote, freedom of speech, bank accounts, safe healthcare, etc.
Jesus gave us liberty and made us in his image but men are women’s biggest oppressors and continue to be. We need feminist to advocate for women who can’t do so for themselves. Humanity isn’t mirroring Christ unfortunately.
I say this as a Christian woman but I don’t like men so I am bias in that, but not because I’m a feminist- it’s because I’ve witness the violence of women in the hands of men and disregard of women as if we are a different species. I love God and I love Jesus, I also love the male role models in my life but I also know the God-fearing men in my life who protect women are not the same men of the world and society.
Excuse any grammatical errors I may have made, it’s in the AMs and I’m half sleepy when I wrote this.
Ok so?? Try and summarize let me understand.
That was my summary of my thoughts, I tried to make it cohesive breaking it up. Overall although I agree with you on some points, I think we need to begin with distinguishing a feminist from a misandrist. And although true, feminism won’t solve misogynistic ways of many men, feminism is still needed. It is thanks to feminism that many women have basic human rights in many parts of the world. Because at its core, feminism is the advocacy of women and Jesus first hand exhibits that in the Bible.
Feminism hasn’t become something else. That’s what they call misandry. There is a huge difference
Lol. I hope you know that it is very different when people see it especially on twitter, I have seen hateful tweets. Let's stop exaggerating
that’s it, many women have gone extreme with feminism but the actual movement does not involve man-hating. love the article but it’s misleading to use man-hating as the basis of feminism in this essay; the term ‘misandry’ or ‘third-wave feminism’ could have been used
Yep
Thank you for sharing this piece. I must admit, I struggle with some of these verses that seem controversial. It's crucial to consider the context of the writing to gain a proper understanding. I hold onto the belief that God doesn't favor one gender over another and that He calls us to be kind to others. In my interpretation of those verses, I also recognize that my actions and how I treat people are my choice. So, if someone acts in a misogynistic way and uses scripture as a defense, it’s a reflection of their own intentions rather than the true message.
Well said! Just because some people, Christians even, act misogynistic and use Scripture to justify their bad behavior doesn’t mean that God’s word in itself is inherently misogynistic. God has no favourites.
Thanks for sharing your insightful thoughts, Eniola.
It's essential to remember, as you have wisely pointed out, that Feminism and Christianity are not inherently incompatible.
This is so amazing
Thank you! ❤️
I love the way you presented you argument 👏🏽. So clear and non offensive, it just pulls you in 🫶🏽
Thank you! 😊
Im so happy I got to read this because many times when I share my stance on feminism. People are somewhat quick to say Christianity and feminism can not exist together as one will have to to bow for the other and I m always torn and in between. Reading this was so timely and I appreciate it❤️
So glad it was a timely piece! 🥰
I honestly do not know how I came about your writing but I always really enjoy them.
Thank you for this!
Thank you for engaging! I’m glad you’re here 🤗
Glory to God on how well read you are. The logical way you presented this argument is beautiful. Even your topic sinks its teeth into readers and brings us here immediately and for good! Thanks be to God who made it such that your mind and pen captured these truths.
God is pro-women. Hallelujah!
I was clarified on the Greek word “laleo” meaning chatter. First I’m hearing of it
Thank you 😊
This is refreshing. You have just empowered me with the right tools for elevating the quality of my bible study. Thank you. These questions are game changers!
Hi eniola, you have no idea how much I needed this.
As a feminist and devout Christian myself I have struggled against the misconception that feminism and Christianity are contradictory and it is precisely what made me seek God personally.
Most of the information you shared here are things I've already researched on and know but sometimes the ideologies of this world overshadow that knowledge.
This served as a reminder for me. Thank you
I’m so glad I could help!
Thank you for sharing and well written!
There are bible verses that seem to subordinate women, like those from Corinthians you've discussed. There are also stories of powerful women;
Deborah and Jael, who display strength in their own right;
Esther, Rahab and Ruth, who are bold in a different way;
Tamar, the Concubine of the Levite, Dinah and other women, whose stories and characters are more complex.
The bible is a spiritual/religious text but it is also historical and cultural as you said.
This means there are more layers to what we read than what appears at a glance, and women in the bible (though named less often than men) are not all depicted as the same submissive type -
the question 'What does it all mean?' is not easily answered. I'm still learning myself, and you've touched on something important here.
I like how you presented your ideas❤️🔥 I will insist that you can definitely be a Christian and a feminist 👌🏿 like you have done it takes a lot of deep research and dedication to sift through the context but I’m glad there can be balance🌹
Awesome, amazing, brilliant, extraordinary. This is it sis. When I read the title I almost didn't read because I felt I would disagree with you but it's incredibe because we hold the same thoughts. Thank you for being diligent in research. Go feminist for Jesus❤️❤️❤️❤️
Lol, yeah. The goal of the post was to debunk the title. I don’t believe both ideologies are mutually exclusive. We all just need some clarity to see that we are fighting for the same thing at the end of the day.
This is light; in deed and indeed!
So, thoughtful and deep
Thank you 🥰
At least, not a feminist the way it is being done now.
Exactly