“Is Christianity A Feminine Religion?”

Sunday, August 14, 2016

This past week, I read an essay which presented a contrast between some of Christianity’s character truths which are traditionally understood as feminine (gentleness, caring, meekness, etc.) with the traditionally understood virtues of manhood from virtually every culture in history (toughness, dependability, struggle to overcome, etc.). 

The essay was exploring answers to the question, “Is Christianity an inherently feminine religion?” And the writer’s conclusion was correct: Christianity does call us to uphold the finest examples of gentleness, caring, and meekness; AND it calls us to uphold the finest examples of toughness, dependability, and the struggle to overcome. 

Christianity, it seems then, teaches each gender to fulfill the very best of its own created nature. While some of the characteristics may seem, at first glance, to be mutually exclusive (toughness & gentleness, for example), the single religion of Christianity purports to teach them all simultaneously. How is this possible?

The answer to that question goes back to what the Bible teaches about origins. “God created man in his own image... male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27). Since the whole of humanity is made in the image of God, it naturally follows that the whole of image of God should be able to be seen in us. Just as any invention bears the fingerprints of its designer, humankind bears the fingerprints of our divine Designer. And so our very natures as men and as women are hard-wired in by the Almighty.

This means that we are all responsible for giving the BEST exhibition of our respective natures. Women who truly seek God will strive to be the finest example of God’s nature created within them. Men who truly seek God will strive to be the finest example of God’s nature created within them. Is Christianity a feminine religion? It is not that alone. It is a religion for both men and women who are made in the image of God to fulfill the best of their God-given natures by his power. Do you want to be a godly and feminine woman? Strive to be the kind of woman God calls you to be. Do you want to be a godly and masculine man? Strive to be the kind of man God calls you to be.

- Dan Lankford, minister

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