1.+Culture-Gender-Communication

 "The Creation of Adam." Michelangelo, 1511. Sistine Chapel, Rome. Is God a straight male? How gender identity is defined and communicated within religious culture   

   //In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.// John 1:1 (Holy Bible NIV).

But whose word and whose God was it? And what have the words, symbols, and nonverbal communication of religious cultures throughout the ages created regarding gender? How have those influences shaped how we think of our gendered-selves today? 

The Culture Gender & Communication Group, have chosen to focus on the intersection of religious culture with gender and communication. Religion is an extremely rich and broad topic, "among the foremost of institutions that conserve society...[and] the most powerful transformative force...prior to the modern era" (Falk, xv). In this project, we will be looking into how various forms of communication throughout the ages have contributed to a gendered representation of God(s) in the United States. We will explore how religious communication around gender has liberated, witnessed and empowered people and how it has oppressed, denied and subordinated them. We will be focusing on the Judeo-Christian tradition, but also hope to look at some differences between faith traditions regarding gendered communication.

//Language structures people's understanding of reality...Language has the power to liberate, witness and empower as well as to oppress, deny and subordinate.// (DeFrancisco & Palczewski, 107). 

If we are to believe the theory of linguistic relativity, then an exploration into how the verbal and nonverbal language of religion has contributed to our understanding and identification of gender should provide us with some important insights into how we see ourselves, how others perceive us and how we perceive others, both within and outside of our religious cultures. The United States is often referred to as a Christian nation. Where does the separation of church and state begin and end? We are told that the Christian right has become a political power in the US, that fundamentalism is on the rise, that radical Islam is our greatest threat, that the Middle East - home to three major world religions - is the hottest political spot on the planet. If religion is playing such an important part in our world today, it is equally important to know what gendered aspects of religion are involved, how they came into being and what effect they are having today. <span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 13pt; font-family: Georgia,serif;">

<span style="font-size: 130%; font-family: Georgia,serif;">What People Think: //Is God a straight male?//

<span style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Georgia,serif;">"God doesn't have a gender 'cause I don't think God is a sexual being, and I think gender is more a sexual thing than anything else. I couldn't imagine God being a female. He's masculine; He's strong. You want to give 'it' a pronoun." //<span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(64, 64, 64);">Female, California, 27. (Norton). //<span style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Georgia,serif;">

"God's whatever you want God to be. It changes. Sometimes I view God as a palm tree and a sunny beach." //<span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(64, 64, 64);">Male, South Carolina, 25. (Norton). //<span style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(64, 64, 64);">

"He is a Spirit. Spirit creatures are all direct creations. They are themselves neither "male or female" since the angels do not create other angels by sexual activity." <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(64, 64, 64);">//Male, New Mexico, 56. (Yahoo! Answers)// //.// <span style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Georgia,serif;"> "God is an ultra-being in the form of a man. There's enough evidence to indicate that God is a male and that we are made in the image of God." //<span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(64, 64, 64);">Male, Florida, 46. (Norton). //<span style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Georgia,serif;">

"God doesn't exist. Divinity is in us all; it's an individual kind of thing. So I guess 'God' is a gay man, among other things." //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 90%; color: rgb(64, 64, 64);">Male, Rhode Island, 26. (Norton). // <span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 13pt; font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"> <span style="line-height: 150%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Georgia,serif;"> "God's a man. Definitely. I don't know where straight or gay comes into the picture." //<span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(64, 64, 64);">Female, Washington, 52. (Norton). //<span style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Georgia,serif;">

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(64, 64, 64);">"The concept of God as our heavenly Father permeates the Scripture so thoroughly that to believe otherwise would be to twist the meaning of much of the Bible beyond recognition. I humbly submit that whatever "male" might mean in the spirit realm, I believe God is male." //<span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(64, 64, 64);">[|Doug Heacock], Kansas. (Faith Forum). //

<span style="font-size: 132%; font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We encourage you to explore the pages by clicking on the links below, then visit our most recent **Discussion on any page** to //add your voice. We look forward to hearing what you have to say.// <span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 13pt; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 24pt; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Themes and Questions Explored

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 13pt; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Polytheism to Monotheism <span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 13pt; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> What happened to the female representation from Greek and Roman gods and goddess to a male-rule Christianity, Islam and Judaism? <span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia,serif;">

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; line-height: 115%; font-size: 12pt;"> Liberation & Oppression <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 13pt;"> <span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 13pt; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Who has been liberated by religious communication about gender? Who has been oppressed? Who has been witnessed, denied, and empowered? Who has been subordinated?<span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia,serif;">

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Lingering Challenges <span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 13pt; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Why was the popular novel by Dan Brown //The DaVinci Code// denounced by the Vatican? What messages do religious language and symbolism in government (In God we Trust, etc.) despite a separation of church and state, convey to US citizens? How come Catholic priests can't get married? Is it because women are seen as ‘unclean’?

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Shifts Toward Inclusion What are welcoming congregations and how is that movement changing gendered communication within them? What happens as women assume leadership roles in religious communities? What other issues are forcing religions and congregations to consider change?

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia,serif;">

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 13pt;">References

<span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Falk, N. (1985). "Introduction." In Y. Y. Haddad & E. B. Findly (ed.), __Women, Religion and Social Change__ (pp. xv-xxi). New York: State University of New York Press.

DeFrancisco, V., & Palczewski, C. (2007). __Communicating Gender Diversity: A Critical Approach__. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Heacock, D. (2008). "Faith Forum: Is God Male or Female?" Lawrence Journal-World and News. Retrieved 30 June 2009.

Norton, A. (2009). Is God a straight male? [Interview].

__The Holy Bible, New International Version__. International Bible Society (gen. ed.). (1987). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Yahoo! Answers. (2009). "Yes or No, Is God Straight?" Religion & Spirituality. Yahoo. (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081203113456AA9akQw). Retrieved 24 June 2009.

<span style="line-height: 19px; font-size: small; font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); text-align: center; display: block;">Casey Crowe | Pam Steager | Aaron Norton | Monica Pinto