What comes to mind when you think of Feminism? Is it simply the idea that all men and women are of equal worth, or is it more than that? Over the past 50 years it has been much, much more. The bulk of The Feminist Mistake by Mary Kassian is an historical overview of the feminist movement, in both its secular and religious forms. 

Mrs. Kassian investigates feminism from its postmodern roots to its present day. She begins with the writings of Simone De Beauvoir and Betty Friedan. The initial result of the movement they sparked was an ideology of women naming themselves. “They claimed this role had been determined by men and was oppressive to women.” (80) Naming themselves meant “the freedom of all women to do what ever they wish to do sexually” (57- quote of Shulamith Firestone) and otherwise.

Stage one of Feminism was to re-shape women’s self-image. Stage two was to re-shape the world we live in according to Feminist thought. “Through woman-centered analysis, every area of human existence was examined and redefined. Woman-centered analysis was both a systematic analysis of the past and an attack on the values that shaped the past.”(105)

Even though much of these first two stages were founded on naturalistic assumptions (in their secular forms), the third stage was a religious one- naming God. “Feminists encouraged women to use their imagination in creating new visions of God and new forms of worship and ritual.” (181) What followed was self-worship, the Feminists redefined God as themselves. Many began integrating New Age and Wiccan practices into their ideology.

Religious Feminism followed a similar path. They began by re-envisioning themselves and in order to do so they needed to be liberated. “Feminist theologians believed that the liberation of women would reduce the end of poverty, racial discrimination, ecological destruction, and war. They argued that it would end all dualisms, usher in a new world order of peace, and witness the birth of a new humanity.” (64)

They then began to name more than just themselves; they created woman-centered theology. “According to Ruether, only the biblical texts that spoke to women’s contemporary quest for liberation were valid.”(108) This had a profound impact in all areas of theology: “God’s purpose as to assist humans to realize their liberation… Rather than God incarnate, Jesus represented to them a deicitic humanity—a ‘foretaste of freedom’—promised to all.” (114) “Jesus as not to be viewed as the one who saves, but rather as the primary example of God’s salvation, which is liberation.” Sin was redefined as “a situation in which there is no community, no room to live as a human being.” (115- quote of Letty Russell)

When it came to where both the secular and religious veins of Feminism were heading, Mrs. Kassian argues that they ended up at the same place. “Secular feminists had named themselves outright as gods, and, although it took somewhat longer and was couched in traditional Christian terms, religious feminists began to do the same.” (226)

In response to some criticisms I made of Feminism, a friend of mine told me I didn’t understand it. She was right; it’s far worse then I had figured. Consider a 1993 conference in Minneapolis called “Re-imagining God” which was participated in by PCUSA, ELCA, and several other major denominations. Attendees were led in prayer to “Mother God,” were told that Asian goddesses could represent a new kind of trinity, and were told that “we don’t need a theory of atonement at all… we [don’t] need folks hanging on crosses and blood dripping and weird stuff. We do not need atonement; we just need to listen to the god within.” (237-239- quote of Delores Williams of Union Theological Seminary)

In analysis, Mary Kassian shows how even the most simple of Feminist assumptions, that there should be no restrictions as to what women should do, inevitably leads down a path to a dark place completely contrary to the Christian worldview. “Instead of promoting a healthy self-identity for women or contribution to a greater harmony between the sexes, it has resulted in increased gender confusion, increased conflict, and a profound destruction of morality and family.” (299)