Catholic devotions are famously Mary-centric, even more so than the Orthodox. (Rosary, anyone?) The Southern Baptist liturgical year celebrates the lives of Annie Armstrong (Easter) and Lottie Moon (Christmas) and their determination to serve God no matter what ossified patriarchs got in their way. I see an interesting contrast between alleged "know your place" teaching, and teaching "be like these women who overcame the people who wanted them to stay in their place."
Any form of organization is subject to corruption and misuse, but why patriarchy should be uniquely bad isn't clear. If Darwin's rule is any guide, approximately patriarchal societies seem to be very successful. (Is it still a patriarchy if men run some aspects of society and women rule others?)
Dan McBride wrote
But when the church needs workers, they do not wrack their brains.
They go enlist a lady that the WMU has trained.
It surely is a good thing that the women enter in,
'Cause we'd all be in trouble if we left it to the men!
1 comment:
The Hodensaunee, Six Nations or League of the Long House, had male chiefs who were chosen by the "Matrons of the Tribes". They couldn't be dismissed by those women, but had to consult them before making important decisions. Was that tribal confederacy patriarchal because their leaders were all men, or matriarchal because those leaders were chosen only by women? I don't know if other Iroquoians had a similar system of governance.
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