Throughout history, the Church has often been criticized for its treatment of women, with many pointing to Scripture as the source of its discriminatory practices. While it is true that certain parts of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, reflect a patriarchal society, the roots of the misogyny within Christian tradition lie not in Scripture but in Greek philosophy—particularly the views of Aristotle. These beliefs, passed down through the ages, have deeply shaped our understanding of gender and the roles of women in both the Church and society.
Aristotle’s Influence on Gender Roles
Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher (384-322 BCE), had a profound impact on Western thought. His writings on gender, in particular, laid the groundwork for centuries of discrimination against women. In his work On the Genesis of the Animals, Aristotle argued that women were “infertile males,” a deviation from the ideal form of humanity. He claimed that men were the active force in procreation, while women merely provided the “material” for reproduction, likening their role to that of a passive vessel rather than an active participant.
He further stated that “the male provides the ‘form’ and the ‘principle of movement,’ the female provides the body, in other words, the material” (On the Genesis of the Animals). According to Aristotle, the woman contributed nothing to the origin of life, and this belief, though rooted in ignorance about human biology, formed the basis for the perception that women were inferior and deficient compared to men.
A False Biological Understanding
This ancient idea that women were passive and deficient was bolstered by a faulty understanding of human conception. In ancient times, it was believed that only the male contributed to the creation of human life. The male was seen as the active force, and the woman, as the passive vessel, played no part in the origin of life. Aristotle’s view that women were simply the “material” upon which male semen acted further reinforced this inequality.
This misinterpretation of biology lasted for centuries, with the belief that women had no role in procreation. Even when microscopes were developed, male scientists continued to see semen as the complete life form, dismissing the role of the female ovum in conception. It wasn’t until 1827 that the scientist Karl Ernst Von Baer discovered and described the female ovum, proving that women were active participants in human procreation. This groundbreaking discovery, however, came too late to change centuries of ingrained beliefs.
Greek Philosophy and Christian Theology
When Christianity emerged within the Greco-Roman world, Greek philosophical ideas, including Aristotle’s views on gender, heavily influenced Christian theology. This philosophy became the intellectual backdrop against which early Christian thinkers developed their theological views, including those on gender and the role of women in the Church. As a result, the idea that women were biologically inferior and had limited roles in society found its way into Christian doctrine, shaping the Church’s views on women’s roles in ministry and leadership.
Thomas Aquinas, a prominent Christian theologian, incorporated Aristotle’s ideas into his own writings. In his Summa Theologica, Aquinas echoed Aristotle’s belief that women were passive participants in procreation and, by extension, inferior to men. He wrote: “In the higher animals, brought into being through coitus, the active power resides in the male’s semen, as Aristotle says, while the material of the fetus is provided by the female.” This dualistic understanding—where the male was associated with rationality and the spiritual realm, and the female with the material and physical realm—continued to shape Christian views for centuries.
The Need for Change
For many centuries, women’s roles within the Church were constrained by these false and harmful beliefs. It wasn’t until the 19th century, with the discovery of the female ovum, that we began to challenge the idea that women were biologically inferior to men. However, this shift in understanding came far too late to undo the deeply ingrained biases that shaped Church teachings and practices.
As Pope John Paul II wrote in 1995, “There is an urgent need to achieve real equality in every area… this is a matter of justice but also of necessity.” The need for change is clear. It is a matter of justice that women be reinstated as deacons and priests, as they were in the early centuries of the Church. It is a matter of necessity that women be fully represented at all levels in diocesan, national, and international committees, commissions, and consultations regarding Church matters.
Moreover, as a matter of justice and necessity, we must revise the language used in our liturgical texts. The archaic use of “man” as a generic term excludes women and distorts the original meaning of Scripture. Hebrew, Greek, and Latin all have specific terms for an individual male and for a general collection of people, and these distinctions should be reflected in modern translations.
Spiritual Abuse and the Church’s Legacy
As I recently completed a module on “Safeguarding Essentials” through the Catholic Church Insurance, I was struck by how the Church’s historical treatment of women fits the definition of spiritual abuse. Spiritual abuse, as outlined in the module, is the misuse of religious beliefs and practices to manipulate, oppress, or punish a person. Examples include distorting Scripture to justify harmful behavior and denying women the sacrament of ordination.
For centuries, women who dared to speak out about their concerns within the Church faced excommunication, loss of job, and even denial of basic sacraments like the Eucharist. The Church has used Scripture and history to justify a male-only priesthood, even though there is no evidence of such a sacrament of ordination for anyone in the New Testament. Women have been excluded from seminary formation, their theological studies underfunded, and their vocations ignored.
The Time Is Now
The liberating God of the Exodus, who hears the cries of the oppressed, laments with us and over us for the centuries of neglect, ignorance, and prejudice that have marked women’s experience in the Church. We are not just calling for the ordination of women as a matter of convenience, but as a matter of justice and necessity. The time for change is now, and it is long overdue.
Let us remember that the roots of gender discrimination in Christian tradition lie not in Scripture, but in faulty philosophical ideas. As we continue to unravel these misconceptions, we must work towards a Church that truly reflects the equality and dignity of all its members, regardless of gender. The journey towards justice for women in the Church has been long, but the time to act is now.
