Sexuality
Sex. Love. God. One of the trickiest topics for a faith-filled feminist to navigate is whether she wants to be the Madonna – mother of Christ – or a Madonna – mother of sex-positive pop music. Okay, so there’s a chasmic middle ground.
Economics
Money. Poverty. Justice. Jesus says where “your treasure is there your heart will be also”; feminists agree that money reflects a society’s values. Jesus says “sell your possessions and give to the poor”; feminists know that the poor are disproportionately women. Jesus says that he was sent to ” proclaim freedom to the captives”; feminists might argue that only they hold the key to their liberation.
Politics
Government. Law. Policy. Christians and feminists come in all stripes – liberal and conservative, democrat and republican, compassionate and convicting. Whether arguing abortion, equal-pay, or familial leave, we realize the limitations of government – and the need for face-to-face impact.
Leadership
In the workplace. In the church. In the home. This one’s a no-brainier for feminists who simply argue leadership should be given to women and men according to their “ability”; Christians would call this their “gifting.” What dictates said qualities of leadership – nurture (society) or nature (God) – is a thorny debate.
Pop Culture
Beauty. Fashion. Media. Faith-filled feminists can get a lot of flack for conforming to cultural standards of femininity. Both feminists and Christians tend to be against commodification. But where does that leave a God-fearing lipstick-wearing, skinny-jeans sporting, tv-junkie like me?