Beloved Daughters: 100 Years of Papal Teaching on Women

by Richard Leonard

Overview

Over the 100 years since Rerum novarum, the popes have spoken about women on more than forty occasions. This book is the first study, in any language, of that teaching. From speeches to encyclicals, Richard Leonard takes the reader through twenty-seven of the most important papal documents concerning women, including Pope John Paul II’s significant statements, Mulieris dignitatem and Ordinatio sacerdatalis.

Writing in an easy and accessible style, Leonard shows how the popes have had very different things to say about women, depending on whether they were issuing Catholic social teaching or reflecting on the role of Mary.

He examines why such papal teaching about women has met with scepticism and hostility from women and men inside and outside the Catholic Church. He demonstrates why there is such an outstanding contrast in approach to Christian womanhood taken by the papal teaching office and that of leading Catholic feminist theologian, Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza.

This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what the popes have said about women and why they say what they do.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781863550451
Publisher:	David Lovell Publishing
Publication date:	12/11/2017
Pages:	146
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.31(d)

About the Author

FR RICHARD LEONARD is a Jesuit priest. He has degrees in arts and education, as well as a Master's degree in theology. He did graduate studies at the London Film School and has a PhD from the University of Melbourne. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Catholic University and has lectured on faith and culture all over the world. He is the author of nine books including the religious best sellers Where the Hell Is God?, Why Bother Praying? and What Are We
Doing on Earth for Christ's Sake?

Table of Contents

Contents

Foreword – Elizabeth C. Johnson csj vii

Preface 1

Introduction

Reading Papal Teaching 5

Part 1

From Rerum novarum up to Mulieris dignitatem

Chapter 1

Women in Catholic Social Teaching 14

Chaper 2

Women in Mariologolical Teaching 32

Part Two

Women in Mulieris dignitatem and Ordinatio sacerdotalis

Chapter 3

The Teaching of Pope John Paul II on Women 40

Part Three

What have woman gained and lost in this teaching?

Chapter 4

Reactions to the Teaching 56

Part four

Interpreting the sources: papal versus feminist

hermeneutics

Chapter 5

The Hermeneutics of Pope John Paul II 78

Chapter 6

The approach of Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza 87

Chapter 7

Jesus and Women: A Case Study of Applied Hermeneutics 95

Chapter 8

Towards a Fruitful Dialogue 114

Conclusion

Finding a Middle Ground 121

A Select Bibliography 127

Index of Papal and Church Documents xx

Editorial Reviews

This book traces the development of papal teaching up to its current promise and ambiguity … Papal teaching now affirms the equality of women and men by nature in creation and grace in Christ. In so doing it departs from centuries of theological tradition. At the same time it asserts an existential difference between women and men that mandates separate social roles and thereby inequality in practice.

Elizabeth Johnson csj

From the Publisher