Table Of ContentWhat’s Right With the tRinity?
the doctrine of the trinity poses a series of problems for feminist theology. at
a basic level, the androcentric nature of trinitarian language serves to promote
the male as more fully in the image of god and as the archetype of humanity,
pushing women to the margins of personhood. it is no surprise then that feminist
scholarship on this doctrine has often focused on what’s wrong with the trinity,
setting out the problems raised by the use of traditional androcentric trinitarian
language.
this book brings together a discussion of feminist theological methodology
with a critical exploration of the doctrine of the trinity. Focusing on what’s
right with the trinity as opposed to what’s wrong with the trinity, it considers
the usefulness of this doctrine for feminist theology today. it replaces a stress
on trinitarian language with an emphasis on trinitarian thought, exploring how
we might effectively think rather than speak god in light of feminist concerns.
in particular, it asks how a trinitarian understanding of god might support, and
be supported by, key values which underpin a feminist way of doing theology,
specifically values which underpin the methodological use of women’s experience
in feminist theology. the central argument is that thinking god as trinity need
not serve to reinforce patriarchal values and ideals but may in fact promote the
subjectivity and personhood of women.
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What’s Right with the trinity?
Conversations in Feminist theology
hannah BaCOn
University of Chester, UK
First published 2009 by Ashgate Publishing
Published 2016 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Copyright © 2009 hannah Bacon
hannah Bacon has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents act, 1988,
to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any
form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system,
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Bacon, hannah.
What’s right with the trinity? : conversations in feminist theology. — (ashgate new
critical thinking in religion, theology and biblical studies)
1. Feminist theology. 2. trinity. 3. Bible—Feminist criticism.
i. title ii. series
231’.044—dc22
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bacon, hannah, 1978–
What’s right with the trinity? : conversations in feminist theology / hannah Bacon.
p. cm. — (new critical thinking in religion, theology, and biblical studies)
includes bibliographical references and index.
isBn 978-0-7546-6673-8 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. trinity. 2. Feminist theology. i. title.
Bt111.3.B33 2009
231’.044—dc22
2009017752
isBn 9780754666738 (hbk)
ISBN 9781315547398 (ebk)
For Kate and in memory of Hilda Mary Freeman and Elizabeth Bacon
Contents
Acknowledgements ix
introduction: thinking and speaking Rightly about god 1
PaRT One THinking THe TRiniTy
1 What’s Wrong with the trinity? a Feminist Critique 15
2 thinking god as trinity 53
PaRT TWO FeminisT THeOLOgiCaL meTHODOLOgy
3 Working towards an Orthodox-Contextual theological Methodology:
a Dialogue with Karl Barth and Friedrich schleiermacher 89
4 From ‘experience’ to ‘Women’s experience’: towards a Feminist
theological Methodology 121
5 From Women’s experience to ‘speaking (as) Woman’:
Luce irigaray and Parler-Femme 153
PaRT THRee THinking THe TRiniTy in LigHT OF FeminisT
THeOLOgiCaL meTHODOLOgy
6 this god which is not-One: thinking the trinity in Light of
Feminist theological Methodology 173
Conclusion: What’s Right with the trinity? 197
Bibliography 201
Index 217
This page has been left blank intentionally
acknowledgements
there are a number of people who have made this publication possible and who
must be acknowledged here. Priority must be given to J’annine Jobling for her
support during the length of time i studied under her supervision as a PhD student
and for providing invaluable guidance on the manuscript in its first form as a PhD
thesis. i would also like to thank the Department of theology and Religious studies
at Liverpool Hope University for the gift of a bursary during the first two years of
my doctoral studies and for enabling me to gain a wealth of teaching experience.
thanks must also be given to colleagues and friends at the University of
Chester for their support and interest in my work. to David Clough, tom greggs
and Wayne Morris for being good enough to meet with me during my sabbatical
and to all those who covered for me whilst on research leave. special thanks to
Ruth ackroyd as head of Department, for her constant support and for making my
sabbatical possible. thanks to Celia Deane-Drummond for reassurance and to past
colleagues for their support – to Chris Partridge for reading material and andrew
Dawson for encouragement and true friendship. special thanks to Wayne for
reading a draft of this manuscript, for providing timely words of encouragement
and for helping me through the difficult times. Your friendship and humour have
kept me grounded and are of immeasurable value.
thanks also to friends at all saints Church in hoole, for love and fellowship,
and to all those who have put up with my absence whilst writing this work –
particularly nicki and Paul, Christie and Patrice. special mention must be given
here to Berni who has sustained me during the writing of this manuscript and who
has endured a multiple of sins on my part, including my absence from cooking and
cleaning duties! For being a prevailing source of strength and encouragement, and
for your love, grace, care and forgiveness, thank you.
My final thanks, however, must go to my family for their overwhelming love,
reassurance and faithfulness: to my parents, June and Roger for always supporting and
listening, and to my elder sister helen, for her genuine love and for always phoning.
thanks also to g, and to my wonderful niece, Olivia, who never fails to make me
smile. this book, however, is dedicated to my twin sister, Kate, and to the loving
memory of my two nans, elizabeth Bacon and hilda Mary Freeman. Where Kate
is concerned, i can never express my gratitude for the amount of help, comfort and
guidance she has provided whilst writing this work. thank you for being strict with me,
for your wisdom, for your insight, your honesty and most of all, for your unconditional
love. We will always journey together. i end, however, by acknowledging the lives of
my two nans; women who excelled in humour and personality, who always took an
interest in my academic life and who always had time for me. this book is for them.
you will never be forgotten and you are greatly missed.
