Rosemary Radford Ruether
Encyclopedia
Rosemary Radford Ruether (born 1936) is an American feminist scholar and theologian.
, to a Roman Catholic mother and Episcopal
father. She has reportedly described her upbringing as free-thinking and humanistic
as opposed to oppressive. Ruether's father died when she was 12 and afterwards Ruether and her mother moved to California.
She is married to the political scientist Herman Ruether. They have three children and live in California.
.
(1958), an M.A. in Ancient History (1960) and a Ph.D. in Classics and Patristics
(1965) from Claremont Graduate School in Claremont, California
.
She currently is Visiting Professor of Feminist Theology
at Claremont School of Theology
and Claremont Graduate University
. She formerly was Carpenter Professor of Feminist Theology at the Pacific School of Religion
and Graduate Theological Union
, and also taught at the Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
. Ruether is the author of many books on feminism, the Bible and Christianity.
She has for thirty years been considered a pioneer in the area of feminist theology in North America
, with a particular focus in modern feminist theology and liberation theology
, especially in Palestine and Latin America. She has also been an outspoken critic of war since the Vietnam era and continues this work today.
" (however, she noted in July 2008 that a critic "accused me of teaching that ‘God is Gaia,’ a view which I do not take" ). Ruether is an advocate of women's ordination
. In 1984 she was one of 97 theologians and religious persons who signed A Catholic Statement on Pluralism and Abortion
, calling for religious pluralism
and discussion within the Catholic Church regarding the Church's position on abortion
. Since 1985 Ruether has served as a board member for the pro-choice
group "Catholics for Choice" (CFC).
In 2005 Ruether explained to an audience at Loyola Marymount University
in Los Angeles her view that "Christianity is riddled by hierarchy and patriarchy
". This created a social order in which chaste women on their wedding night were "in effect, raped by young husbands whose previous sexual experience came from exploitative relationships with servant women and prostitutes. . . . Modern societies have sought to change this situation, allowing women education, legal autonomy, paid employment and personal freedom. But the sexual morality of traditional puritanical patriarchal Christianity has never been adequately rethought."
She is a signatory to the 2004 9/11 Truth Statement, which called for a "Deeper Investigation into the Events of 9/11".
Biography
Ruether was born in 1936 in Georgetown, TexasGeorgetown, Texas
Georgetown is a city and also the county seat of Williamson County, Texas, United States with a population of 47,400 at the 2010 census. Southwestern University, founded in 1840, is the oldest university in Texas and is located in Georgetown, about 1/2 mile east of the historic square...
, to a Roman Catholic mother and Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
father. She has reportedly described her upbringing as free-thinking and humanistic
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
as opposed to oppressive. Ruether's father died when she was 12 and afterwards Ruether and her mother moved to California.
She is married to the political scientist Herman Ruether. They have three children and live in California.
.
Academic activities
Ruether holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Scripps CollegeScripps College
Scripps College is a progressive liberal arts women's college in Claremont, California, United States. It is a member of the Claremont Colleges. Scripps ranks 3rd for the nation's best women's college, ahead of Barnard College, Mount Holyoke College, and Bryn Mawr College at 23rd on the list for...
(1958), an M.A. in Ancient History (1960) and a Ph.D. in Classics and Patristics
Patristics
Patristics or Patrology is the study of Early Christian writers, known as the Church Fathers. The names derive from the Latin pater . The period is generally considered to run from the end of New Testament times or end of the Apostolic Age Patristics or Patrology is the study of Early Christian...
(1965) from Claremont Graduate School in Claremont, California
Claremont, California
Claremont is a small affluent college town in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population as of the 2010 census is 34,926. Claremont is known for its seven higher-education institutions, its...
.
She currently is Visiting Professor of Feminist Theology
Feminist theology
Feminist theology is a movement found in several religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and New Thought, to reconsider the traditions, practices, scriptures, and theologies of those religions from a feminist perspective...
at Claremont School of Theology
Claremont School of Theology
Claremont School of Theology is a graduate school located in Claremont, California, offering Master of Art, Masters of Divinity, Doctorate of Ministry and Ph.D...
and Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University is a private, all-graduate research university located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
. She formerly was Carpenter Professor of Feminist Theology at the Pacific School of Religion
Pacific School of Religion
Pacific School of Religion is an ecumenical seminary located in Berkeley, California. It maintains covenantal relationships with the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church and the Disciples of Christ, providing all necessary expectations for candidates to their ordained ministries....
and Graduate Theological Union
Graduate Theological Union
The Graduate Theological Union ' is a consortium of nine independent theological schools, and eleven centers and affiliates. Eight of the theological schools are located in Berkeley, California. The GTU was founded in 1962. It maintains the Graduate Theological Union Library, one of the most...
, and also taught at the Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Garrett–Evangelical Theological Seminary is a graduate school of theology of the United Methodist Church located in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1853, Garrett-Evangelical is on the campus of Northwestern University and continues many associations with the university...
. Ruether is the author of many books on feminism, the Bible and Christianity.
She has for thirty years been considered a pioneer in the area of feminist theology in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, with a particular focus in modern feminist theology and liberation theology
Liberation theology
Liberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions...
, especially in Palestine and Latin America. She has also been an outspoken critic of war since the Vietnam era and continues this work today.
Viewpoints
Ruether describes herself as an "ecofeminist" and has referred to God in the feminine as "GaiaGaia (mythology)
Gaia was the primordial Earth-goddess in ancient Greek religion. Gaia was the great mother of all: the heavenly gods and Titans were descended from her union with Uranus , the sea-gods from her union with Pontus , the Giants from her mating with Tartarus and mortal creatures were sprung or born...
" (however, she noted in July 2008 that a critic "accused me of teaching that ‘God is Gaia,’ a view which I do not take" ). Ruether is an advocate of women's ordination
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
. In 1984 she was one of 97 theologians and religious persons who signed A Catholic Statement on Pluralism and Abortion
A Catholic Statement on Pluralism and Abortion
A Catholic Statement on Pluralism and Abortion, alternatively referred to by its pull quote "A Diversity of Opinions Regarding Abortion Exists Among Committed Catholics" or simply "The New York Times ad", was a full-page advertisement placed on October 7, 1984 in The New York Times by Catholics for...
, calling for religious pluralism
Religious pluralism
Religious pluralism is a loosely defined expression concerning acceptance of various religions, and is used in a number of related ways:* As the name of the worldview according to which one's religion is not the sole and exclusive source of truth, and thus that at least some truths and true values...
and discussion within the Catholic Church regarding the Church's position on abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. Since 1985 Ruether has served as a board member for the pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
group "Catholics for Choice" (CFC).
In 2005 Ruether explained to an audience at Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
in Los Angeles her view that "Christianity is riddled by hierarchy and patriarchy
Patriarchy
Patriarchy is a social system in which the role of the male as the primary authority figure is central to social organization, and where fathers hold authority over women, children, and property. It implies the institutions of male rule and privilege, and entails female subordination...
". This created a social order in which chaste women on their wedding night were "in effect, raped by young husbands whose previous sexual experience came from exploitative relationships with servant women and prostitutes. . . . Modern societies have sought to change this situation, allowing women education, legal autonomy, paid employment and personal freedom. But the sexual morality of traditional puritanical patriarchal Christianity has never been adequately rethought."
She is a signatory to the 2004 9/11 Truth Statement, which called for a "Deeper Investigation into the Events of 9/11".
Writings
- The Church Against Itself, New York, 1967, Herder and Herder.
- Gregory of Nazianzus. Oxford: 1969, Oxford University Press.
- Faith and fratricide: the theological roots of anti-Semitism. New York 1974, Seabury Press, ISBN 9780816422630.
- Sexism and God-Talk: Toward a Feminist Theology, Beacon Press (1993) ISBN 0-8070-1205-X
- Gaia and God: An Ecofeminist Theology of Earth Healing, Harper-Collins (1994) ISBN 978-0060669676, ASIN 0-06-066967-5
- In Our Own Voices: Four Centuries of American Women’s Religious Writing (ed. with Rosemary Skinner Keller), Harper-Collins (1996) ISBN 0-06-066840-7
- Introducing Redemption in Christian Feminism (editor), Continuum (1998) ISBN 1-85075-888-3
- The Wrath of Jonah: The Crisis of Religious Nationalism in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Augsburg Fortress (2002) ISBN 0-8006-3479-9
- Integrating Ecofeminism Globalization and World Religions", Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. (2005) ISBN 0-7425-3529-0
- Goddesses and the Divine Feminine: A Western Religious History, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 2005, University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-23146-5
- America, Amerikkka: Elect Nation & Imperial Violence, Equinox (2007) ISBN 1-84553-158-2