Divine Rage
“I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent” - I Timothy 2:12.
I was taught that everyone was to be loved and treated equally in Christianity. Christ loved everyone and everyone deserved his grace. In time I learned that wasn’t portrayed as equally as I had thought. Submission to men was seen as normal, since they are patriarchal leaders in the family. Women could only receive revelation through their husbands. I was taught the main role of a woman was to birth children and serve her husband. Women should have more say and not need to ask permission to feel divine. I’ve had to suppress those feelings to follow my faith.
This is what I believed until I learned about the divine feminine. Strong, amazing, beautiful women whose stories were changed by society. Women who survived the sexism of their time. Christian women who accomplished great feats, but society and or Christianity did not show them proper respect. Under each image are words that name and describe what these women have undergone. I talk about Mary Magdalene, Bridgett Bishop, Emma Smith, Joan of Arc and Eve. Each image portrays these women showing their strength and divinity. It was amazing to learn about each woman and all the different strengths thy possessed. Especially in their era’s, it was hard to be a woman. Behind each woman I portrayed that they had suffered and it was necessary to rage.
We as women are not a jewel to be shown off, and then shelved. We are not second to men or supporting actors in the family. We don’t always have to be domestic. Our emotions aren’t crazy. We are strong women who have a story. We don’t need a man to connect us to divinity. Women don’t need to sit still and be sweet. We can rage. We don’t need permission. We can and will embrace our divinity.
In turning divine
Becoming divine
Mary Magdalene
Mary is known for her role in the Bible and being a follower of Jesus Christ. She was as much of a leader as the apostle John. Many women look to her as a religious icon and leader at a time when women didn’t hold such high callings. In the bible it depicts that Mary had a close relationship with Jesus Christ, as close as his disciples; she was the first person to see the resurrected Christ. Just as his disciples wrote the gospels about Christ, so did Mary. Except, Christianity won't officially recognize her writings. In 1591 Pope Gregory misidentified Mary as a sinner and prostitute that had 7 demons in her that Christ had to heal her from, “While no pope or other person deserves the singular blame, many theologians have no doubt that Mary Magdalene’s reputation was deliberately altered to suppress women’s leadership in the church in those early centuries. Given the gospel accounts, her importance could not be denied—but her character could be changed to be less threatening.”
I portrayed Mary having quiet strength and divinity. She was strong and led the way for female religious leadership, “Mary of Magdala didn’t ask anybody whether or not she could lead. She simply led, and that’s what women have to do today. Just do it.”
Eve
According to Christianity, Eve was with Adam in the Garden of Eden. God stated not to not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Eve was beguiled by the serpent and partook of the fruit. She then insists that Adam partake as well. Having done so, they are thrown out of the Garden, thus the fall happens. I’ve never enjoyed the narrative around Eve. Christianity teaches that Eve is a temptress and seduces Adam into partaking of the fruit. She is portrayed as a villain in the story, and suggests that women are the fall of man. Eve was the first one to eat of the fruit, she is believed to be less than to Adam. I don’t believe that’s true. I believe Eve knew what she had to do to be able to progress. She knew she couldn’t stay in blissful ignorance in the Garden so she ate the fruit. She took the heroic first step. For generations after, our society portrayed her as easily fooled and not being strong enough to evade the tempter's snare. Women today face the same fate, as they are taught to obey their husbands, and when they don’t they are cast out as “crazy” or not spiritually worthy. Women are shamed when we decide to make the hard decisions. Eve needs to be seen in a new light as all women in religion need too. Not the fall of Adam but the Rise of Eve.
Bridget Bishop
Bridget was the first victim of the Salem witch trials. Bridget was married three times. With her second marriage to Thomas Oliver, she showed signs of physical abuse that the townspeople noticed. After Thomas died and Bridgett inherited his fortune, her step kids then accused her of witchcraft. They said that Bridget had bewitched her late husband and killed him to take his inheritance. Even though it was speculated that her children were actually after the inheritance money. “Her unusual situation of being a thrice-married, twice-widowed woman who also owned property is said to have made her an anomaly amongst her counterpart, and may have painted a target on her back for her being accused.” Because of the rumors, neighbors joined in and accused her of being a witch. During the witch trials she was subject to cruelty of examining her genitals and then hung on an oak tree. Until the very end she claimed her innocence. Finally, Bridget’s story shows how she had no rights or protections under a zealous society and religion.
Emma Smith
Emma played a prominent part in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She married Joseph Smith who is the founder of the church. She helped in the translation of the Book of Mormon and was the first woman leader. She sacrificed much in helping grow the church, moving several times across the country. She bore 9 children but 4 died as infants and 2 died as toddlers. She was the first woman in the church to receive temple ordinances, hosted diplomats, made public appearances and hosted community events.
When plural marriage was introduced in the church and Joseph practiced it, Emma didn’t accept the practice and voiced her concerns to other women. When her husband was killed she didn’t follow the new prophet Brigham Young to the west and was therefore criticized. Brigham Young called her “the devil.” Emma was very misunderstood. She was headstrong and stood for what she believed in even if it went against the teachings of her faith. She was an example to all women about the importance of sharing concerns and standing up against rules she found unjust. Her divine role and perspective was a partnership with Joseph Smith and is often forgotten or overlooked. My hope is for women to have an equal voice in their spirituality that is dominated by the louder voices of men.
Joan of Arc
At the age of 13, Joan started hearing voices and believed it was God. She believed she was charged with a mission to save France from their enemies and crown Charles as King. God told her that in order to save France, she needed to join the military. There was only one problem, she was a woman. In order to fulfill her mission she cut off her hair and hid her identity as a woman. After successfully joining the military, she led a French army to the city of Orléans and they were victorious! After which she was captured and put on trial. Some of the charges made against her were witchcraft, heresy and dressing like a man. Joan had fought for Charles’s right to be on the throne, and he did not come to her aid when she was burned at the stake at only 19 years old. Joan the fearless leader that fought for gender and class equality is now a symbol of freedom and independence.