Unit VII (3): Christian Education and Gender Justice

Education becomes the foundation for the well-developed and complex understanding of reality. Christian education involves in this process of development through the Christian gospel, to strengthen up in the Christian life and thought by carrying God’s redemptive work in Christ. Church became the major platform to teach the knowledge, habits, attitudes and beliefs for the socialization process and self-directed learning. Church has been lacking in a proper teaching especially the contextual realities. So, in this paper, the presenter will be bringing some of major goals of Christian education and bring where the church lacks to the contextual realities.

1. Gender justice

As we see above the education has been always distinguished in the partial way that even follows with the gender inequalities. According to the senses of UNESCO 2006, 77 million children are still out of the school and 57% among them are girls. Further it noted that 700-800 million adults are illiterate in which 64% are women. Unterhalter collected collective data and noted that one- sixth of the world, that nearly 1 billion people have not at all educated, nor had been in school, and in which the two-third of them are girls.¹ Through this undeniable truth we can see how the world has lost to bring justice in gender discrimination through the education.

When we see depth of gender justice major issue comes up is the gender inequality, which can be the deadliest virus in the world. The discriminations, stereotypes and objectifying women are rapidly transferring from generation to generations as patriarchy existing. These discriminations always cause the women to adopt with depressions, isolations and mostly lead into self-killing act. The most dangerous act in the history of India towards the girl children is infanticide. This had been widespread practice throughout the human history that to dispose unwanted children, which is girl child especially. The parents involve with whole heart to kill their own girl child just for their family name’s sake, because they think the girl child may bring shameful to their Family.²

Mythological discriminations

• Myth 1: “Real Women don’t do math” – it is clear stereotype statement the putting women down by saying they are not equally good enough in aptitudes like men.
• Myth 2: “There is biological basis for sex differences in math” – thought there is no evidence for math-gene, still the stereotype from teachers and parents over the girls that they always lack in maths and science subjects.
• Myth 3: “Girls learn better from female teachers” – this was made because of the less consideration male teachers about their female students. But the female teacher always tends to push their students to reach high, which effectively brought this idea of keeping same sex role model.³

1.1. Stereotype over Sex

Sex refers to the biological part, those functions in women and men associated with reproduction; to reproductive genitals and the reproductive processes. It is also associated with maternal and nurturing traits in women. Sex is inborn, natural and given, a fact of human biology. Men impregnate, women conceive, give birth and breastfeed. On these biological differences we construct an edifice of human attitudes and assumptions, behaviors and activities we call gender roles and identities.⁴ Stereotype is the dangerous act that spoils most of the girls’ life in the modern generation. Every act will bring stereotype for pulling down a woman. “Susie is better than Ed at babysitting because she is a girl,” though it seems real but it insists the stereotype over the girls that they have to just take care of babies inside the home.⁵

Women’s productive work is seen as an extension of their reproductive work (like giving birth and nurturing children) which is often considered as not a ‘real work,’ because these functions go with their being female, therefore this work is undervalued, and most often unpaid because it is women’s work. The dangerous stereotype notion in the society is that women are the sexual objective; women are responsible for their men’s sexual behavior and satisfaction. A woman with a man other than her husband, brother or relative is always suspect as having an illicit sexual affair.⁶ This shows the freedom of women has been always suspected by the society the way they want.

2. Christian education and Gender justice

Though the world has been ruined by variety of issues, the prominent issue that dominates always is the gender equality. We, even churches, often failed to do gender justice in order to build the equal status of kingdom of God as well. We can see the categorization of gender discrimination grounds that are by race, class, ethnicity, age, education and etc, which lead every woman to experience of her lowliness of being woman. Even the Christian educational institutions are facing but exhibit the struggles for women especially in secular environments to find the opportunities to bring up women through leaderships, new societal influences. But still the women face various problems through the behaviors and presentation of their leadership skills which brings obstacles.⁷ But there are variety of developed ideologies that the female theologians brought up and many possible interpretations to support the gender equality in the image of God has been helping and building the women’s states in the society.

2.1. Biblical foundations

Attribute of God is Justice, Righteous God. Throughout the bible the concept of justice goes beyond the law courts to daily life experiences. Micah 6:8 speaks of our acts has to be in justly, love and mercy. So, as we are the image of God we have to imitate his just in our daily life as well to maintain the righteous of God. Clarity in Isaiah 30: 18 shows of justice of God, for fairness and showing love and compassion to create a right intimate relationship. Paul clearly mentioned that in Romans 1: 17, 3: 5, whoever believes in Christ will act as He did in love, they only could pursue the justice of God in everyday life.⁸

When we look for the gender issue, we can always bring powerful theological potions from the Bible. The assumption from the narrative passage (Gen 1, 2); the creation of man and woman shows the togetherness of man and woman. The priority of creation exhorts the male authority over inferior female. But many of wrong interpretations made the stage for women that they has to just satisfy men, rather it has to be interpreted as the instrumental existence of women for men.⁹

2.2. Education for Justice

The gender justice has to be a heart of Christian education. Christian education is developed to answer the questions related to justice, that of good education, from the ethical knowledge to teach the educators to achieve the goal towards the kingdom of God. Good Faith and good will becomes the goal of education, and the ethical standard of justice brings the moral activities towards the fellow human beings.¹⁰ Education towards justice is intending to empower individuals in order to improve interaction in groups to communicate the justice in the society. Often justice is being explicit to human rights, poverty, gender issues or ecological issues, while the Christian education activates the justice with Christ-centric foundation to pursue justice through pastoral ministry, etc. It is all about enabling individuals to enable themselves to well- grounded in making decisions on their own with respect to morality and religion. To understand oneself and conveying faith became the major task for education and interprets oneself and social structure.¹¹

3. Educating through various ways

3.1. Church/Sunday schools

It was expressed that, when the child is taken to the church first for churching or infant baptism or dedication, one of the questions generally asked by members is, oh, you had a daughter again? The next comment is, “I hope God gives you a son next time.” Another common comment is, “Oh, you will have a problem finding a bridegroom for her, because she is dark and does not have sharp features.” On the other hand, many parents explained that they accept God’s will, whether son or daughter, normal or abnormal child. But the teaching in the church has to be positive towards the parents who face these kinds of problems. Often we could see the scenery of girls being mocked by boy in Sunday schools itself, but helpless girls could just smile quietly at them. These are the situations really shaped them to keep quite even in their adulthood. So, we as a ministers has to involve in these situations with the boys to teach them the equal qualities and working togetherness, so that they can pursue that justice to the outside the churches, in society.

3.2. Schools and Colleges

Teaching the children about the gender equality is one of the major task and responsible for the schools and colleges as well. Education for All (EFA) has been effectively ensuring that the equality of boys and girls to educate for building a better world. Gender equality is the central of school as a good-quality education. EFA has been providing for the development of teaching methods in order to increase the equality. Teachers are having a prominent role in schools to provide the positive models to the students, especially girls. The authoritative personalities of teachers are always inspired by girls, to represent aspirational possibilities. For the relationship of teachers with students are unbreakable that helps teachers to lead students especially in leadership qualities that are not implicitly tied to gender.¹²

3.3. Family

Gender justice has to begin from every home, from birth itself. The situation of India is like, when baby boy born full of joy; but for baby girl, only sorrow and disappointments were there.

This idea is keep transferring into every generation to think that if baby girl born something bad happened into their life, this will definitely affect their childhood life. So, the family has to be a role model to do justice within a home itself. Inside family only we can easily and independently teach the Christian values and discipleship to act with respect and love towards one another. We need to teach our sons to look other girls with the same eyes how they look their own sisters. this teaching method can really help the boy to think beyond societies’ stereotypical thought, then enable him to respect the gender and makes himself to pursue the justice as well.¹³

Another important teaching that the family can provide is decision about marriage. The typical Indian society never allows women to choose their life partners which lately end up in divorce in most of cases. So, the family has to develop their way of thinking about their daughter to choose their own life partner. For it is their life, and God has chosen already for them which we shouldn’t be an obstacle for. The responsible for the parents in allowing their daughters to choose their spouse has to be molded in the way how they guided in their adulthood life. It is the responsible of parents to guide them what is good, just and necessary to be close with the God, which effectively lead them into take any decisions with the help of Holy Spirit.¹⁴

4. Implications and Applications

1.1. Social response:

The mandatory of practicing gender justice in home, family, schools and church will automatically affects society. The modern generation developments are always available for us, especially media such as radio, television, social media, to address the gender inequalities and injustice towards the opposite gender. So that we can bring awareness to the society about how the patriarchy society have been ruining the gender equality that has created by God in His image itself.

1.2. Individual response

We, as theological students, learn a lot about the scripture and its depth, but many of the times we tent to lack in practicing those lessons. We need to always ask the questions such as: are we willing to work under a woman’s leadership? Are we giving our ear t listen the women’s commands? Are we giving equal space for women in the church service (if we are pastors/working in any churches)? These are some of primary questions that we need to ask, before we enter our mission, where we have to do justice towards the gender issues, especially in the church. So, we always need to remember that the gender division is fulfilling the God’s holy purpose for the human beings, for He created men and women in His own image.

Conclusion

Thus, the present tried to bring some of major issues about the gender discrimination and provided how the Christian education stands to response in various manners. Therefore, we as future Christian ministers have to pursue the justice that God has shown to us through the son, Jesus Christ. Let our works may bring the change in the churches and society, as we continue from our own family itself.

Bibliography

Aid, Christian. Gender Justice: Achieving just and equitable power relations for all. London: Act alliance, 2017.

Aikman, Sheila and Elaine Unterhalter Introduction in PGEE edited by Shella Aikman and Elaine Unterhalter. Enysham: Oxfam, 2007.

Bobbert, Monika. Religious education towards Justice. MDPI. Education sciences, 2017.

Campbell, Patricia B. and Jennifer N. Storo, Girls Are… Boys Are…: Myths, Stereotypes & Gender differences. Groton: Campbell-Kibler.
Lamis, Liza B. empowering the church for gender justice, CCA-PST. Philippians: Pag-asa, 2007.

Sowerby, Stacy. Collaborating for Gender Equality in Christian Education. ICCTEJ – 15:1, 2020.

Webliography

Manasseh, E. Leelavathi. Evangelical Initiatives in India “TAJCBEI (2007).

https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/article/priscilla-papers-academic-journal/gender-justice

Footnotes

1. Sheila Aikman and Elaine Unterhalter, Introduction in PGEE edited by Shella Aikman and Elaine Unterhalter (Enysham: Oxfam, 2007) 2.
2. Ibid.
3. Patricia B. Campbell and Jennifer N. Storo, Girls Are… Boys Are…: Myths, Stereotypes & Gender differences (Groton: Campbell-Kibler), 4-5.
4. Liza B. Lamis, Empowering the church for gender justice, CCA-PST (Philippians: Pag-asa, 2007), 28.
5. Campbell, Girls Are…, 8.
6. Lamis, Gender justice CCA-PST, 30-31.
7. Stacy Sowerby, Collaborating for Gender Equality in Christian Education, ICCTEJ – 15:1, (2020), 1
8. E. Leelavathi Manasseh, Evangelical Initiatives in India, TAJCBEI. (2007), accessed from https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/article/priscilla-papers-academic-journal/gender-justice
9. Manasseh, Evangelical Initiatives, TAJCBEI.
10. Christian Aid, Gender Justice: Achieving just and equitable power relations for all, (London: Act alliance, 2017), 5.
11. Monika Bobbert, Religious education towards Justice, MDPI, (Education sciences, 2017), 1-2.
12. Aikman, PGEE, 27.
13. Sowerby, Gender Equality, ICCTEJ, 3.
14. Manasseh, Evangelical Initiatives, TAJCBEI

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