Patriarchy
Oh, that dreaded word. To anyone outside of the church it means a system in which men hold all the power and women are in perpetual subordination. And we all talk about the "patriarchal order" with tears in our eyes and then wonder why that confuses non-members.
Anyone who has read anything about feminism knows that Feminists feel about the word Patriarchy the way that most 70 year old Tea-Partiers feel about the word Communism. There's a lot of anger there, distrust, hate. It's pretty much an expletive. Like the way Maggie Gyllenhall says, "Tax Man!" in Stranger Than Fiction.
But should this word conjure such emotions, within the context of the church? Is that what it means, more or less, that men get all the power... forever?
Add this to the list of spiels I would love to go on in Sunday school if I had the time/attention/interest of the class. The great thing about a blog is that I don't have to care so much about your time/attention/interest. ;)
We worship a God whose entire work and glory is to bring us up to His level so that He can enjoy our company as His equals. Apparently equality is important to Him. And His prophets spend a lot of time talking about Justice (Alma 42), so I think that is kinda a big deal to Him as well. It seems incompatible with His nature that His system would be one of the eternal oppression of women. So then what is patriarchy?
James E. Faust said, "Every father is to his family a patriarch and every woman a matriarch as coequals in their distinctive parental roles," No man may enter into the patriarchal order of the Melchizedek Priesthood (the priesthood after the order of the Son of God) without being sealed to a woman. In other words, patriarchy does not exist without matriarchy. The patriarchal order is the order of family government in eternity.
After this life, we do not know if there will be branches, wards, stakes etc. I personally, believe that there will not be. But we know that there will be families. Valerie Hudson Cassler (hereafter, VHC) states in Women in Eternity, Women of Zion that, "All relationships that form the order of the eternal family grow out of the relationship of equality that exalted beings have with one another through Christ... The patriarchal order arises out of and embodies these relations of equality." In other words, when we are all partakers of the Word of Christ and become His joint heirs and heirs of all the Father hath, there is no place for hierarchy. We are all equals in relation to each other, and in relation to God.
107 And then shall the angels be crowned with the glory of his might, and the saints shall be filled with his glory, and receive their inheritance and be made equal with him. (D&C 88:107)
In the movie Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln famously quotes the Greek philosopher Euclid, stating, "It is a self evident truth that two things that are equal to the same thing are equal to each other." I would add that it is a self evident truth that two beings who are equal in value, power and glory to the same Being, are equal to each other. To me, that is the heart and soul of True Patriarchy. It is the Divinely ordained system in which a man and a woman work in their different roles, but with a divine mandate to assist each other, to bring as many of His children to the joy which He offers us, so that we may all be made equal and enjoy a heavenly association of brother, sisters, peers, families, friends.
So why the term patriarchy and not matriarchy or oligarchy or... dun, dun, dun... communism? Because the kingdom is maintained by the guardianship of righteous priesthood holders who guard the doors so that only the worthy may enter. And when they have entered, all exist in perfect equality. VHC states, "The purpose of guardianship is to create a realm wherein [it] need not be exercised." She defines patriarchy as, "The order established by men, by virtue of ...their priesthood power... to create a space where the full equality of men and women in the work of God may have its expression." So in a way, the point of the Priesthood is to create and protect the kingdom, and women and family are the kingdom. Their roles would be mutually pointless without the other.
Anyone who has read anything about feminism knows that Feminists feel about the word Patriarchy the way that most 70 year old Tea-Partiers feel about the word Communism. There's a lot of anger there, distrust, hate. It's pretty much an expletive. Like the way Maggie Gyllenhall says, "Tax Man!" in Stranger Than Fiction.
But should this word conjure such emotions, within the context of the church? Is that what it means, more or less, that men get all the power... forever?
Add this to the list of spiels I would love to go on in Sunday school if I had the time/attention/interest of the class. The great thing about a blog is that I don't have to care so much about your time/attention/interest. ;)
We worship a God whose entire work and glory is to bring us up to His level so that He can enjoy our company as His equals. Apparently equality is important to Him. And His prophets spend a lot of time talking about Justice (Alma 42), so I think that is kinda a big deal to Him as well. It seems incompatible with His nature that His system would be one of the eternal oppression of women. So then what is patriarchy?
James E. Faust said, "Every father is to his family a patriarch and every woman a matriarch as coequals in their distinctive parental roles," No man may enter into the patriarchal order of the Melchizedek Priesthood (the priesthood after the order of the Son of God) without being sealed to a woman. In other words, patriarchy does not exist without matriarchy. The patriarchal order is the order of family government in eternity.
After this life, we do not know if there will be branches, wards, stakes etc. I personally, believe that there will not be. But we know that there will be families. Valerie Hudson Cassler (hereafter, VHC) states in Women in Eternity, Women of Zion that, "All relationships that form the order of the eternal family grow out of the relationship of equality that exalted beings have with one another through Christ... The patriarchal order arises out of and embodies these relations of equality." In other words, when we are all partakers of the Word of Christ and become His joint heirs and heirs of all the Father hath, there is no place for hierarchy. We are all equals in relation to each other, and in relation to God.
107 And then shall the angels be crowned with the glory of his might, and the saints shall be filled with his glory, and receive their inheritance and be made equal with him. (D&C 88:107)
In the movie Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln famously quotes the Greek philosopher Euclid, stating, "It is a self evident truth that two things that are equal to the same thing are equal to each other." I would add that it is a self evident truth that two beings who are equal in value, power and glory to the same Being, are equal to each other. To me, that is the heart and soul of True Patriarchy. It is the Divinely ordained system in which a man and a woman work in their different roles, but with a divine mandate to assist each other, to bring as many of His children to the joy which He offers us, so that we may all be made equal and enjoy a heavenly association of brother, sisters, peers, families, friends.
So why the term patriarchy and not matriarchy or oligarchy or... dun, dun, dun... communism? Because the kingdom is maintained by the guardianship of righteous priesthood holders who guard the doors so that only the worthy may enter. And when they have entered, all exist in perfect equality. VHC states, "The purpose of guardianship is to create a realm wherein [it] need not be exercised." She defines patriarchy as, "The order established by men, by virtue of ...their priesthood power... to create a space where the full equality of men and women in the work of God may have its expression." So in a way, the point of the Priesthood is to create and protect the kingdom, and women and family are the kingdom. Their roles would be mutually pointless without the other.
Long story how I found your blog since I don't know you (I think we have some mutual friends though), but I just wanted to say that I enjoyed reading your posts. "Women in Eternity, Women in Zion" is such a thought-provoking book; though I think some of VHC's ideas are problematic from a logical standpoint, I really like her and her efforts at grappling with complex issues. Even that line you quoted, "The purpose of guardianship is to create a realm wherein [it] need not be exercised," very interesting. Is it true? Is that really the purpose of guardianship, it's sole purpose or most important purpose? Is the primary purpose of my guardianship as a mother to create a situation in which I no longer need to be a guardian for my daughter? I teach a family relations class at a university and this would be an interesting concept to discuss with my students. I've subscribed to your blog and would love to stick around and hear more of what you have to say.
ReplyDeleteHey thanks for commenting and following the blog! I world maybe add to her quote to make it, the purpose of the guardianship role of the priesthood is to create a realm where it need not be exercised. Not the sole purpose. But If we're equals and all worthy to be there what is there to guard against? And D&C 121 makes it very clear what kind of leadership is sanctioned by the Lord. Let him who would be chief among you be servant of all etc. Your thoughts?
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts. I especially liked your reference to Stranger than Fiction because it's so true, lol!
ReplyDelete