Ecofeminism: The Feminism of Ecology Essay examples -- Ecofeminism

There are many, different oppressions throughout human society that are intricately woven together and interconnected. Many of these oppressions are formed within a patriarchal, Christian theology and involve the body the body of Earth, the bodies of women, the body of animals. Sallie McFague sets up a model of bodies to help break these connected oppressions. McFagues work emphasizes that the body and its oppressions are what connects Christian theology, feminism, and ecology. Her model focuses on the metaphorical topic that the body of the hide is the body of God (McFague, 1993). To better understand this model, we must first examine how bodies have been viewed and affected within the Christian religion framework of our western horticulture. Christianity has a long tradition of focusing on embodiment. Its basic practices and ideas of incarnation, Christology, the Resurrection, and the Eucharist, even the metaphor of the church being the body of Christ, all involve embodiment in more or less way (McFague, 1993). Yet, with these embodiment characteristics of Christianity, this religion still devalues nature and womens bodies. It has set up a patriarchal framework for western culture of devaluing the body, and women. Western culture and religion have a long, painful history of demeaning the female by identifying her with the body and with nature, while elevating the male by identifying him with reason and spirit (McFague, 1993). This idea reinforces stereotypes that oppress women and separates the body from the mind and soul. Until we reconcile this disconnect of the body and mind, we cannot fully love all bodies this leads to the inability to love the body of the earth (McFague, 1993). Without this love, we cannot fully apprise ... ...hange and Global Warming Introduction. Global Issues. Retrieved from http//www.globalissues.org/article/233/climate-change-and-global-warming-introduction.United Nations Population Funds (2009, November 18). Facing a Changin g World Women, Population, and Climate. State of the Worlds Population, UNFPA. Retrieved from http//www.unfpa.org/webdav/ site/global/shared/swp/englishswop09.pdf.Warren, K. J. (1995). The Power and the Promise of Ecological Feminism. In M. H. MacKinnon & M. McIntyre (Eds.), Readings in Ecology and Feminist Theology (172-195). Kansas City Sheed and Ward.Winerman, L. (2005). The Minds Mirror. Monitor on Psychology, 36. Retrieved from http//www.apa.org/monitor/oct05/mirror.aspx.Young, H. (2013). Why We Wont Stop Global Warming. Aljazeera. Retrieved from http//www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/01/201312094040359963.html.