Krista Tippett’s weekly radio show (available in podcast) Speaking of Faith integrates a wide variety of perspectives on religion, spirituality, mystery, hope and culture. I often appreciate Krista Tippett’s interviews, and was particularly moved by the words of Rabbi Sharon Brous on Thursday’s show Days of Awe. Here is a clip of one of my favorite parts, and one that is particularly insightful for any woman wrestling with patriarchal religion:

Rabbi Sharon Brous, speaking about her relationship with Jewish texts krista-tippett-sharon-brous1.mp3

Of course, the relationship metaphor works so well in this context because (generally speaking) husbands have been able to inflict such pain upon their wives and wives have not had options for resistance. It is dangerous to romanticize being in love with a damaging tradition or person.

How do women (and men) in these patriarchal religious traditions resist powerfully and constructively?

How is the metaphor of tradition as husband or partner helpful and harmful?

Catwoman’s “feminine power” includes her independence, ruthlessness, but always (and often first and foremost) her sex appeal. The fact that a story can claim to discuss empowerment of women and not raise a single concern about this focus on sex appeal is disconcerting.

“This was one of the first female characters we saw on television that really spoke to empowerment,” says Suzanne Colon, author of Catwoman: The Life and Times of a Feline Fatale. “Not only empowerment; a proto-feminism that was very sexy and pretty and female, and yet very take-charge.”

I find this to be another shallow attempt of modern feminism – delighted that women can be strong AND pretty. The notion that this is a novel combination is an example of how little most of us know about feminism.

I believe feminists are just as pretty, strong, weak and ugly now as they always have been. I also realize that many of us have been taught ridiculous things about feminism, including that feminists are unattractive to men, and therefore hate men in their own defense.

I dream of a day when women can proudly claim feminism, without nervous apologies or fear of being labeled feminazis, or, even worse, ugly.