Feminism and Faith: Is there a place for Religion within the Feminist Movement?

By: Caroline Dauchess

For my Spanish 436 class I had the opportunity to volunteer in the local Harrisonburg community. I came across an organization called Hope Distributed which feeds the local community. Hope Distributed acts as a grocery store throughout the week, and a clothing store on the weekends. People always leave with full carts and thankful hearts. After setting up and preparing to open the doors, all the volunteers gathered in a circle to say a prayer of thanksgiving for all the people we were about to encounter and feed. At the end of the prayer we asked that the people we were about to serve would feel the love and acceptance of their neighbors and community. I was so taken aback by this prayer.

In recent years there has been so much tension and stigma regarding religious views on feminism. There are many misconceptions that Christianity is anti-feminist because their views on life issues and the role of women in society. It feels as if you have to choose one or the other, are you a feminist or are you a Christian? After hearing and praying for all the people suffering from poverty in Harrisonburg I remember thinking “this is it, this is what Christianity is about”. Both men and women came to the center, but a majority were women. We assisted women from all different walks of life, some teenagers, mothers with their children, expecting mothers, working women, and elderly women. It didn’t matter what your beliefs were or what walk of life you were in, you were welcome with open arms at Hope Distributed. I couldn’t help but wish that the love and acceptance that was shown during my time volunteering could be shown to every woman that encounters Christianity.

Being a young, twenty-first century Christian woman I was hesitant to call myself a feminist because I didn’t know how faith and feminism could mix. In my social movements class we talked throughout the semester about intersectionality. I learned that intersectionality combines my Christian identity with my feminist beliefs. Every person has different perspectives on certain issues, Christians included. I learned that I can bring my experiences, successes, and failures to my collective identity of Christianity. Now I can easily say that I am a feminist. I think that older generations, especially Christians, grew up with the beliefs in traditional gender roles such as women having a lot of children and being caretakers of the house. Don’t get me wrong, this is very important and admirable work, but it should not be the stopping place in society for women. I found that in fact both religious and feminist beliefs can complement each other and work together to promote the dignity of women and their roles in society. So often I think that people have a misconception that you cannot be a feminist and a Christian, and that could not be more wrong. To any woman who has experienced hostility, negativity, or criticism from those who are Christian I apologize. Christianity is not about judgement, but rather it is about love and acceptance. Especially during my years at college, I have found that people have negative views of Christianity because of a negative encounter they had, or the misunderstanding of the beliefs of Christianity. During my time on campus and through the conversations I have had with others, especially other women, I have tried to show the love and support the church has for women. Hope Distributed reminded me of the eternal charge given to every person that walks this earth, both Christian and non-Christian, and that is to lovingly walk hand-in-hand with your neighbor, not behind or in front of them. I hope that more people, women especially, can experience the love, acceptance, and support that the volunteers from Hope Distributed show to their neighbors every week.

I became curious and found many Christian organizations which work specifically with women. One organization which stuck out to me was Global Ministries. I was impressed with their drive to live out their mission, which aims at helping women out of abusive relationships and into universities, the work field, and politics. Global Ministries connects women to the bigger identity of Christianity, but they provide resources for women allowing them to mobilize. The women helped by Global ministries will be able to take their lessons learned and experiences to other women they encounter. After learning about intersectionality and discovering Christian organizations dedicated to helping women, I realized that Christian feminists exist, you just have to look for them.

Hope Distributed reminded me of a bible verse from my favorite book of the bible, the book of Romans. The quote goes “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; and cling to what is good.” My hope for everyone I encounter is that they can feel the sincerity of my love and support for them, and most importantly, the love that God has for them. In a world full of much hate and corruption, I choose to hate what is evil and cling to what is good; and I invite you to join me.