FROM VIOLENCE TO NONVIOLENCE FROM PATRIARCHY TO PARTNERSHIPS OF SOLIDARITY AND SUSTAINABILITY Solidarity Ethos Sustainability Enabling MIMETIC DESIRE FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE LEADS TO GENDER EQUITY WEB OF PARTNERSHIPS TRUTH, FREEDOM, CARE Sustainable Development Human Person Integration MIMETIC DESIRE FOR THE INNER JOURNEY FOCUSED ON HUMAN DIGNITY AND HUMAN GROWTH IN BODY, MIND, SPIRIT Sustainability Ethos Human Habitat Enhancement MIMETIC DESIRE FOR A SIMPLER LIFESTYLE LEADS TO GLOBAL STEWARDSHIP HUMAN HABITAT LEGACY SUBSIDIARITY NETS FROM SUSTAINABILITY TO SUSTAINABLE NONVIOLENCE AND SUSTAINABLE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Since the mimetic process is a good model to explain patriarchal desires and rivalries leading to sacred violence, it should be a good model of the process that perpetuates the patriarchal mindset. Likewise, the only way to overcome the patriarchal mindset is by a radical renunciation of all forms of violence, both secular and religious. The process model (Figure 1) has been revised to show a mimetic process driving patriarchal behavior. The reader may wish to compare this synopsis with other synopses available online [02].

2. THE EMERGENCE OF MIMETIC VIOLENCE

If, as Girard postulates, most human behavior is learned mimetically (imitationally), it follows that the most universal modes of human behavior are the most universally learned. The most universal human behavior is gender-relational; indeed, it pertains to how 50% of the human population relates to the other 50% at all levels: physically, psychologically, and socially. At the inception of human history, when Homo erectus became Homo sapiens, inter-gender behavior surely was among the first to be learned, if not the very first. Since pre-humans were animals, and since in most of the animal world inter-gender behavior is characterized by the domination of male over female (and the domination of the "dominant male" over other males), the subjugation of women by men must have been among the earliest behaviors learned at the very beginning of human history. Since "male domination" it is "learned behavior," it can be unlearned; though we know that old habits die hard and it would be naive to think that the "male domination mindset" can be unlearned overnight.

As social and religious institutions gradually evolved, the "male domination mindset" became the "patriarchal mindset." Figure 2 is a revised causal loop diagram in which the area with gray background portrays how the mimetic process gradually led to inter-gender violence at all institutional levels.

Figure 2 - Revised Causal Loop Diagram
Note: The gray background is the area of intersection with Girard's mimetic theory

Girard's hypothesis is that pre-historical myths reveal the violent nature of primitive religious thinking. Consider blocks F, AA, A, M, and R in Figure 2. These roughly correspond to the five phases of the mimetic process: desire, rivalry, skandalon, scapegoating, and sacred violence. A sexual mimetic desire by a man who wants a woman may be initially secular but, in a primitive society where the secular and the divine were undifferentiated, secular rivalries easily led to religious scandals: the gods are punishing the wrongdoings of the community. The ensuing fear led to the need for a scapegoat that could be sacrificed in order to appease the gods. Then came the violent climax in which, by sacrificing (killing) the scapegoat, the wrath of the gods dissolves, rivalries are resolved, and peace returns to the community. The intensification of mimetic violence is generated by loop M-A-R-A and continues until the sacrifice is consummated. This in turn reinforces the deterioration of any semblance of gender equity, and the breakdown of gender equity propagates throughout the various social feedbacks and eventually suppresses mitigation of new, gender-related mimetic desires (block F). In the absence of human or religious constraints, this sets the stage for a new round of mimetic violence.

This is admittedly a very rough fit of Girard's theory to the complex process that perpetuates mimetic/patriarchal violence and prevents the ethos of solidarity, sustainability, and sustainable human development from becoming a global ethic. Like Jeremiah [03], we shall have to keep reworking the causal loop diagram until it becomes useful for modeling the transition form patriarchy to solidarity during the twenty-first century. To this end, we need to consider in detail the enduring impact of mimetic violence on human institutions and the human habitat.

|Back to OUTLINE|

3. IMPACT ON RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS

The impact of mimetic violence on religious institutions is pervasive, and well documented [04]. The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 have made people aware of this religious phenomenon. According to René Girard, "what is occurring today is a mimetic rivalry on a planetary scale" [05]. Religious violence is not limited to physical violence, but includes psychological violence, and abusive behavior patterns such as racism and sexism, when they are sanctioned by religious authorities as being morally acceptable.

In the case of Christianity, the process of mimetic violence has been gathering momentum for twenty centuries. Consider the following:

Torture and Burning during the Inquisition, 311 - 1966
Persecution of Witches and Witchcraft, 383 - 1981
The Salem Witch Trails and Executions, 1629 - 1692
Slavery, 1619 - 1789
American Slavery, 1830 - 1990s
Exclusion of women from Holy Orders, circa 100 - 2000+
Note: Some Protestant churches have started admitting women to ordained ministry, but not the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. The publication by the Vatican of the apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis (a fundamentalist-literalist rationalization) in 1994, and the subsequent declaration Responsum ad Dubium in 1995 claiming that Ordinatio Sacerdotalis was infallible teaching, are recent examples of psychological intimidation to perpetuate the patriarchal religious system.

In the case of Judaism, a similar process has been underway for some forty centuries:

Timeline of Jewish History and Violent Conflicts

In the case of Islam, a similar process has been underway for fourteen centuries:

Chronology of Islam and Islamic Violence

On the current situation of international terrorism::

Chronology of Worldwide Terrorism, 1968 - 1995
Worldwide Chronology of Terrorist Incidents during 2005

Historically, the victims of religious violence have been mostly women (Figures 3 and 4):

Figure 3 - Religious Violence - Gender Bias during the Inquisition
Source: Shanmonster Website, based on Brian P. Levack,
The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe, Harlow, 1992.

Figure 4 - Religious Violence - Torture during the Inquisition
Source: Douglas E. Cowan, University of Missouri-Kansas City

In light of these histories of religious violence, and taking into account that religion is one of the highest priorities for most people [06], it would seem that religious violence is the main driver of social violence, not the other way around. In fact, there is an emerging consensus that religion, in and of itself, encapsulates a bad root of violence. This is not only a Girardian idea [07]. Girard's unique contribution is to trace the bad root back to pre-historic myths and track its continued presence in historic religious traditions.

|Back to OUTLINE|

4. IMPACT ON SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Religious violence exacerbates, and often directly leads to, social violence. Consider the following examples, recently retrieved from Google News:

Kenyan schoolgirls raped on march
Thousands of Iraqis Flee to Avoid Spread Of Violence
U.S., Canadian soldiers die as Afghan violence surges
Spate of gun killings 'an aberration'
Violence during jobs law protest
Women go 'missing' by the millions
More Than 100 Million Women Are Missing
China’s One Child Policy Exacerbates Slavery
Global injury and violence
Many Faces of Gender Inequality
Patriarchal Violence in the Name of ‘Honour’
Why Should We Study Everyday Lives of Catholic Women
More than half of Thai Catholic women abused, survey reveals

Suggestion: go to Google Advanced News Search and run a few queries such as the following:

[violence]
[violence and religion or religious]
[violence and sexual or gender]
[violence and domestic]
[violence and criminal]
[violence and labor or workplace]
[violence and military or war]
[violence and terror]

What percentage of the violent incidents had a fundamentalist, fanatical religious motivation? What percentage had a purely secular motivation? Figure 5 refers to the outrage of female infanticide and sex traffic of women and girls. Figure 6 shows patterns of terrorist activity. Both would look very different if the patriarchal mindset of a male, warrior god is replaced by the image of a loving God -- Creator, Redeemer, Comforter, ....

Figure 5 - Social Violence - Global Gender Ratio
Source 1: Center for Global Studies, UC-Santa Cruz.
Source 2: More Than 100 Million Women Are Missing, Amartya Sen.

Figure 6 - Social Violence - Terrorist Incidents, 1968-2006
Source: MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base & Incident Analysis Wizard

As Hans Kung has pointed out: "No peace among the nations without peace among the religions. No peace among the religions without dialogue between the religions. No dialogue between the religions without investigation of the foundation of the religions." [08]. For an excellent, and very realistic, discussion of the current global situation, see Keyes [09].

|Back to OUTLINE|

5. IMPACT ON THE HUMAN HABITAT

Not surprisingly, violence between humans overflows into abuse of the human habitat. If most people don't care much about children dying of hunger, women being raped and sold into sexual slavery, and other such aberrations, it is not surprising that most people don't care about the integrity of the human habitat. But there can be no question that taking care of natural resources is God's will; and taking care of natural resources includes refraining from abusing them in any way that would be detrimental to human life [10].

Figures 7, 8, and 9 illustrate the current situation. We are getting to the point in which human health is adversely affected by the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. According to a recently released report by Redefining Progress [11], "humanity’s footprint is 57 acres per person while the Earth’s biological capacity is just 41." In other words, this means that "the world's ecological footprint exceeds biological capacity by nearly 40%" (see Figure 9). Needless to say, such abuse of the human habitat is driven by the triple patriarchal addiction to wealth accumulation, absolute power, and worldly honors.

Figure 7 - Ecological Violence - Air Pollution
Source: OECD Factbook 2006 - Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics

Figure 8 - Ecological Violence - Water Pollution
Source: Saskatoon (East) School Division, Canada

Figure 9 - Ecological Violence - Global Footprint
Source: Redefining Progress - Footprint of Nations 2005 Report

The immediate cause of biosphere abuse is socio-economic patriarchy, but underneath the socio-economic violence there is also the dark side of religion acting via religious patriarchies. Again, the culprit is patriarchally organized religion, not religion per se. Significant research in already underway to establish (empirically) how much ecological violence can be traced, directly or indirectly, to the structure, imagery, and behavior of religious institutions [12]. Philosophically, biosphere abuse is fully consistent with Girard's theory of mimetic violence [13].

In particular, the biosphere fits very well with the Girardian role of scapegoat. It is politically vulnerable. It is resilient but does not fight back. According to neo-classical economics, it is expendable. Religious patriarchies, which were practically out of business after the end of the inquisition, were only too happy to step in as cheer leaders, if not as executioners. The human habitat has been, in fact, the Girardian scapegoat of religious patriarchies since the industrial revolution. But it doesn't have to continue being so. May religious leaders are bringing back to mind the divine command to take care of the garden, if not by deeds at least by words [14]. Deeds, however, speak louder than words.

|Back to OUTLINE|

6. OUTLOOK FOR THE PERPETUATION OF PATRIARCHY

Some people think that patriarchy is dead [15]. Some people think that patriarchy is dying [16]. Some people think that patriarchy is returning after much abuse at the hands of the feminist movement [17].

I have no sympathy for those who try to perpetuate the patriarchal mindset anywhere, and especially in religious institutions. I have seen the damage that is done to both men and women, and it is appalling. Is patriarchy alive and well? There is no question that it keeps hurting people, and there is no question that "old habits die hard." However, I believe in my heart that the best way to expedite the inevitable passing of patriarchy is not by confronting it head on, or by attacking those who still resist letting go of it, but simply by ignoring it, withdrawing support from patriarchal institutions and, most important, showing that there is a better way going forward.

Needless to say, there should be zero tolerance for any form of violence and abusive behavior, whether physical or psychological; and this of course applies both ways, even if the methods used by men/women to abuse women/men might be different.

Having said this, the question remains about what should be the proper strategies and research priorities to expedite the passing of patriarchy. If not patriarchy, then what? Matriarchy would be (in my personal opinion) as bad as patriarchy. Domination of men by women is no better than domination of women by men. And we do well to be wary about "utopias." What then? In the long term, reason prevails. I have no crystal ball, but the most reasonable option is to promote an evolution from domination to partnership in all human relationships, and especially in cross-gender relationships. Something along the lines of Riane Eisler's "Power of Partnership" [18] and René Girard's "radical renunciation of mimetic (imitative) violence" [19].

This is not a utopian proposition. If, as Girard postulates, violence is a learned behavior, then it can be unlearned. This will not happen overnight, but I respectfully submit that the feminist movement, which is irreversible, would make a more positive contribution to society by giving up the "women are the victims, men are the aggressors" paradigm (valid as it is, this kind of feminism that has run its course), and spending more emotional and mental energy in researching how to foster cross-gender solidarity (or partnership) at all levels of authority in all social and religious institutions.

Surely, some structure of authority is a practical necessity; but any structure of authority, democratic or otherwise, must exhibit gender balance. Here and now, this is where the action is: promoting gender balance in all human institutions. And the highest priority is to rediscover gender balance in God [20] and exorcise male images of God from all manner of religious discourse [21]. This may entail, among other things, editing the Christian creed written by the Council of Nicea in 325 C.E., to reflect the new awareness about God being neither male-only nor female-only, but both male and female, and more than just male and female [22].

I also believe that, in very practical terms, the positive repercussions of cross-gender solidarity extend beyond human and social well-being to include issues of ecological sustainability. This is important, as neither gender can survive if either one destroys the human habitat; something that God has never authorized us to do [10].

|Back to OUTLINE|

7. PRAYER, STUDY, AND ACTION

As the American scholar Sam Pascoe has pointed out, "Christianity started out in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to the United States and became big business." [23]. Now, with the advent of globalization, the big business is becoming global. God have mercy!

Christ Crucified - Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34 (Author Unkown)

PRAYER

Prayer To Christ Crucified I am not moved to love you, Lord, By promises of paradise; Nor does the hell that terrifies Move me to want to sin no more. You are the one that moves me, Lord, When to your cross I turn my eyes To see your wounds, hear insults, lies; I'm grieved to know you're dying, Lord. Your love moves me in such a way That without heav'n I'd love you still, And without hell, I'd fear to stray. I need no goads or giveaway; For even if my hopes were nil, I'd love you as I do today. —Thomas Walsh (translator)

Oración a Cristo Crucificado No me mueve, mi Dios, para quererte el cielo que me tienes prometido, ni me mueve el infierno tan temido para dejar por eso de ofenderte. Tú me mueves, Señor, muéveme el verte clavado en una cruz y escarnecido, muéveme ver tu cuerpo tan herido, muévenme tus afrentas y tu muerte. Muéveme en fin tu amor, y en tal manera, que aunque no hubiera cielo, yo te amara, y aunque no hubiera infierno, te temiera. No me tienes que dar porque te quiera, pues aunque lo que espero no esperara, lo mismo que te quiero te quisiera. —Santa Teresa of Avila, +1582

Source: Hispanic Anthology: Poems Translated from the Spanish by English and North American Poets, collected and arranged by Thomas Walsh, Putnam, New York, 1920.

STUDY

United Nations Millennium Development Goals 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2. Achieve universal primary education 3. Promote gender equality and empower women 4. Reduce infant mortality 5. Improve maternal health 6. Combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases 7. Ensure environmental sustainability 8. Develop a global partnership for development

Naciones Unidas Objetivos de Desarrollo para el Milenio 1. Erradicar la pobreza extrema y el hambre 2. Lograr la enseñanza primaria universal 3. Promover la igualded entre los géneros y la autonomía de la mujer 4. Reducir la mortalidad infantil 5. Mejorar la salud materna 6. Combatir el VHI-SIDA y otras enfermedades 7. Garantizar la sostenibilidad del medio ambiente 8. Fomentar un consorcio mundial para el desarrollo

Source 1: UNO - Millennium Development Goals (English)
Source 2: UNO - School on the Millennium Development Goals (English)
Source 3: ONU - Objetivos de Desarrollo para el Milenio (Español)
Source 4: ONU - Escuela sobre los Objetivos de Desarrollo para el Milenio (Español)

ACTION

THINK GLOBALLY ACT LOCALLY Do you really want to help? Take these steps: 1. Go to the Millennium Campaign Website 2. Select the millennium development goal you want to work on 3. Select the name of your country and review the list of local projects 4. Click on the name of the contact person 5. Send him/her an email describing your skills and your interest in helping 6. You will get a reply telling you where your help is most needed 7. Get to work! It may not be easy, but you will have inner peace.

PIENSE GLOBALMENTE ACTUE LOCALMENTE ¿Realmente quieres ayudar? Sigue estos pasos: 1. Ve a la red y visita la Campaña del Milenio 2. Selecciona el objetivo de desarrollo donde quisieras trabajar 3. Selecciona el nombre de tu país y revisa la lista de projectos locales 4. Pulsa en el nombre de la persona contacto 5. Escríbele ofreciendo tu ayuda según sean tus posibilidades 6. Recibirás una respuesta indicando donde más te necesitan 7. ¡Empieza a trabajar! Puede que no sea fácil, pero tendrás paz interior.

Source 1: UNO - Millennium Campaign and Points of Contact (English)
Source 2: ONU - Campaña del Milenio y Puntos de Contacto (Español)

|Back to OUTLINE|

8. REFERENCES AND NOTES

In the following list of selected references, care has been taken to include references that reflect opposite viewpoints in some controversial issues. Some references are supplemented by significant quotations, and some are annotated as to their relevance to issues of solidarity, sustainability, patriarchy, gender equity, and sustainable human development.

Note: Click on the reference number to go back to the text.

[01] Some of the basic Girardian references are:

Violence and the Sacred, René Girard, Johns Hopkins Press, 1977.

Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World, René Girard, Stanford University Press, 1978.

The Scapegoat, René Girard, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1989, 232 pages.

Are the Gospels Mythical?, René Girard, First Things, Volume 62, April 1996.

The Girard Reader, René Girard, Herder & Herder, 1997, 303 pages.

I See Satan Fall Like Lightning, René Girard, Orbis, Maryknoll, N.Y., 2001.

Violence and religion: cause or effect?, René Girard, The Hedgehog Review, Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, 22 March 2004.

Official website for exploration, criticism, and development of René Girard‘s Mimetic Theory, Dietmar Regensburger, Colloquium on Violence and Religion (COV&R), Institute for Systematic Theology, University of Innsbruck, Karl Rahner Platz 1, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria, 2006.

Mimetic Paradox and the Event of Human Origin, Eric Gans, Anthropoetics Volume I, Number 2, December 1995.

Violence Unveiled: Humanity at the Crossroads, Gil Bailie, Crossroad Classic, 1996, 239 pages.

Violence Renounced: Rene Girard, Biblical Studies, and Peacemaking, Willard M. Swartley (Editor), Studies in Peace and Scripture, 4, Pandora, 2000, 343 pages.

The Theory of Rene Girard and its Theological Implications - Part I ,
The Theory of Rene Girard and its Theological Implications - Part II,
The Theory of Rene Girard and its Theological Implications - Bibliography, Rob Moore, Kyrie, 2002.

Violence Renounced: Rene Girard, Biblical Studies, and Peacemaking, Marva J. Dawn, Theology Today, January 2002.

Violence & the Lamb Slain, Brian McDonald, Touchstone Magazine, December 2003.

Rene Girard: Violence and Mimesis, Chris Fleming, Key Contemporary Thinkers, Polity Press, 2004, 211 pages.

Daniel's Links to René Girard, Daniel and Rayli Nylund, Majatalo, Finland, 2006.

Girardian Reflections on the Lectionary: Understanding the Bible Anew Through the Mimetic Theory of René Girard , Paul Nuechterlein et al, Girardian Lectionary Net, 2006.

Exploring Faith and Engaging Culture, The Cornerstone Forum, Santa Rosa, California, 2006.

Girardian Theory - Mimesis, Richard Powell, Richard Powell Websites and Recommended Links, 2006.

Research Program Religion-Violence-Communication-World Order, Dietmar Regensburger, Faculty of Catholic Theology, University of Innsbruck, Austria, 2006.

[02] For a concise synopsis of mimetic theory, see one of the following:

Original Sin Redeemed, James G. Williams, First Things, January 1999. This is a book review of The Joy of Being Wrong: Original Sin Through Easter Eyes, James Alison, Crossroad, 323 pp.

Rene Girard and the Mimetic Desire, Phillippe Cottet, AlphaBestiaire, 2000.

What is Paul actually inviting the Corinthians to do?, Pauline Guthrie, Australian E-Journal of Theology, Issue 3, February 2003.

Rene Girard's Theory of Violence, Religion and the Scapegoat, Jeramy Townsley, Jeramy's Web Space, December 2003.

Mimetic Theory and Hermeneutics, Paolo Diego Bubbio, Colloquy, Monash University, No.9, May 2005.

Girard for Dummies, Philip Hunt, Philip Hunt Website, 2006.

[03] Book of Jeremiah, 18, 1-4. "Here is another message to Jeremiah from the Lord: Go down to the shop where clay pots and jars are made and I will talk to you there. I did as he told me, and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar that he was forming didn't turn out as he wished, so he kneaded it into a lump and started again." Cf. Isaiah 64:8, Ecclesiastes 33:13, Wisdom 15:7, Romans 9:20-21.

[04] Religion and Violence Syllabi, Guide to Internet Resources for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, Wabash Center, 2006.

[05] "What Is Occurring Today Is a Mimetic Rivalry on a Planetary Scale.", An Interview by Henri Tincq, Le Monde, November 6, 2001.

[06] Global survey reveals religion a bigger priority than politics, Julia Duin, The Washington Times, 16 October 2003.

[07] Violence in Christian Theology, J. Denny Weaver, Cross Currents, July 2001. Another good article is Religion, Power And Violence, Ram Puniyani, Countercurrents, 29 July 2004. For more comprehensive reference information: The Destructive Power of Religion: Violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, J. Harld Ellens, 4 volumes, Greenwood, 2003. "Dozens of studies by 30 senior experts from five nations examine the influence of sacred texts shaping human nature, society, and political and military strategies in the Western world over the last 3,000 years. The authors of this book warn that until destructive religious metaphors are removed from the Western psyche, an end to religious violence in the West will not be possible."

[08] On Being a Christian, Hans Kung, Image, 1984, 720 pages. See also Theology for the Third Millennium : An Ecumenical View, Hans Kung, Anchor, 1990, 336 pages. A definitive documents is the Declaration of the Religions for a Global Ethic, Hans Kung, Parliament of the World's Religions, Chicago, 4 September 1993. Reading and meditating on this document is a must. Key points: there can be "no better global order without a global ethic," "every human being must be treated humanely," and "a transformation of consciousness" is required in order to move toward a culture of ....

1. Non-violence and Respect for Life
2. Solidarity and a Just Economic Order
3. Tolerance and a Life in Truthfulness
4. Equal Rights and Partnership Between Men and Women

[09] Truthful intolerance, Alan Keyes, World Net Daily, 29 March 2006. Another good article: In Solidarity: An Appeal Against Religious Violence, Lines, Vol.2, No.4, February 2004.

[10] Genesis 2:15-17. "The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden as its gardener, to tend and care for it. But the Lord God gave the man this warning: 'You may eat any fruit in the garden except fruit from the Tree of Conscience -- for its fruit will open your eyes to make you aware of right and wrong, good and bad. If you eat its fruit, you will be doomed to die." Cf. Genesis 1:28, Isaiah 5:1-2, Romans 6:23, Matthew 21:33-46, Mark 12:1-12, Luke 20:9-19.

[11] Footprint of Nations 2005 Report, Michel Gelobter, Jason Venetoulis, and John Talberth, Redefining Progress, March 2006.

[12] Contemporary Religious Violence and the Environment: Some Tentative Observations and Assessments, R.E.S. Tanner and C.J. Pawson, Journal of Human Ecology, Vol.15, No.2, February 2004.

[13] Mimetic Theory and Hermeneutics, Paolo Diego Bubbio, Colloquy, Monash University, No.9, May 2005. Excerpt:

"The hominisation process begins when one man starts to imitate the desires of another, that is when a man feels inferior, devoid of something other men seem equipped with. 'Wanting to be like an other' means wanting to possess what he possesses: the mimetic rivalry thus appears and the violence increases with it. Inevitably, rivals tend to resemble each other more and more, as they are models for each other, and also mutual violence grows proportionately: this is the critical moment of the birth of every culture. The resulting event is the choice - a substantially arbitrary choice - of a scapegoat: the victim is expelled and so the community finds itself united.

"The miracle of the rediscovered peace is later attributed to the scapegoat, which is therefore worshipped and deified. Two events are necessary in order that the miracle can happen again and the community does not collapse in the chaos of the violence. The first is the conceptualisation of the victimage expulsion so as to be able to repeat it. The second is the expression of such an expulsion in order for the other community members to agree to it. Reason and language appear originally in this way. The expulsion is always repeated, replacing the original victim with newer and newer scapegoats: thus rites come into being. The memory of this experience will be preserved and distorted at the same time in myths. In all myths and rites we can find the presence, hidden or explicit, of a scapegoat. Rites and myths are the spine of every religion: so every religion is a combination of actions fitted to repeat the victimage expulsion for enjoying its beneficial effects, and narrations fitted to guarantee a good outcome for the sacrifice. The sacred which is at the heart of every religion is only a mask for violence.

"Therefore, there is no doubt about the sacrificial nature of every religion. Every religion can be attributed to the victimage mechanism. However, the Old Testament is not merely a series of myths, because sometimes the chorus of lynchers, devout followers of Yahweh, a jealous and violent god, is broken by a voice standing up in defence of the victim. Sometimes the victim itself refuses his part and proclaims its innocence, as does Job. Christianity is an exception among other religions; we can affirm, indeed, that the Gospels have nothing to do with the violent sacred. As a matter of fact Christ undergoes the collective lynching, but refuses the role of the scapegoat and reveals the truth of the victimage mechanism. However, if the Christian message escapes from the accusation of mystification, the Christian religion does not. Christianity has become a religion, with an impressive internal sacred core: the death of Christ is interpreted as sacrifice, the Father as a cruel god who needs the death of his son to save humanity, the self-sacrifice as a holy action.

"Religion is one of the main tools, and chronologically the first one of them, fitted to perpetuate the victimage mechanism."

[14] Religion may bolster global ecological efforts, Mary Evelyn Tucker, Science & Theology News, 31 October 31, 2005.

[15] The End of Patriarchy and the Dawning of a Tri-une Society, Claudio Naranjo, Amber Lotus, 1994, 153 pages.
The Tyranny of Faith: Reflections on the Death of a Patriarch, Joanna Harcourt-Smith, The Marion Institute, April 2005.
The Patriarchy is Dead! Long Live the Patriarchy!, ARTaud School University, 2006.

[16] The Feminine Economy and Economic Man: Reviving the Role of Family in the Post-Industrial Age, Shirley P. Burggraf, Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1997. Book Review: Mary C. King, Eastern Economic Journal, Summer 1998. Excerpt: "Burggraf is not afraid to come out and say what many dare not say. She says that we focus so much political attention on issues of sexuality because 'patriarchy is dying.'"
Dru Blood, David Brancaccio, August 2005. Excerpt: "Seriously, though. Having been pro-choice ever since I can remember, I guess I've been able to distance myself a bit from the debate subconsciously. But when I see reporting like last week's NOW, it's jarring. It's jarring because it's so freaking obvious that this debate has about as much to do with "life" as it has to do with "statutory rape." Instead, what it is is a dying patriarchy's last stab at utterly oppressing women."

[17] Patriarchy Website: Restoration of Biblical Patriarchy, Israel C. S. Lim, 1997.
The Return of Patriarchy, Phillip Longman, Foreign Policy, March/April 2006.

[18] The Power of Partnership, Riane Eisler, New World Library, 2002, 279 pages.

[19] Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World, Rene Girard, Stanford University Press, 1978, 469 pages.

[20] Genesis 1:27. "So God made man like his Maker. Like God did God made man; male and female did he make them."

[21] Gender-Inclusive Language for God, John Cooper, Theological Forum, Vol. XXVI, No. 3 & 4, December 1998.

[22] Gender and Creed: Confessing a Common Faith, S. Mark Heim, The Christian Century, April 17, 1985, pp. 379-381.
Gender and the Nicene Creed, Elizabeth Rakin Geitz, Moorhouse, 1995, 147 pages.
Why a Creed?, A Conversation with Robert Louis Wilken, Christian History, Winter 2005.

[23] Christianity, The Christian Religion, Religious Tolerance Website. See also: World Christian Encyclopedia: A comparative survey of churches and religions - AD 30 to 2200, David Barrett et al, Oxford University Press, 2001.

|Back to SUMMARY| |Back to OUTLINE|
|Back to SECTION 1| |Back to SECTION 2| |Back to SECTION 3|
|Back to SECTION 4| |Back to SECTION 5| |Back to SECTION 6|
|Back to SECTION 7| |Back to SECTION 8| |Back to SECTION 9|

9. LINKS TO ARCHIVED NEWSLETTERS

The following are links to previous issues of the newsletter:

V1 N1 May 2005: Cross-Gender Solidarity
V1 N2 June 2005: The Phallocentric Syndrome
V1 N3 July 2005: From Patriarchy to Solidarity
V1 N4 August 2005: Synthesis of Patriarchy and Solidarity
V1 N5 September 2005: From Solidarity to Sustainability
V1 N6 October 2005: Dimensions of Sustainability
V1 N7 November 2005: Analysis and Synthesis of Objective Evidence
V1 N8 December 2005: Solidarity, Subsidiarity, and Sustainability
V2 N1 January 2006: Synthesis of Solidarity and Sustainability
V2 N2 February 2006: Sustainable Human Development
V2 N3 March 2006: Patriarchy and Mimetic Violence

THE TRINITY: ONE GOD, THREE DIVINE PERSONS

After the Gospels and other books of the New Testament, the creeds of the early church are probably the most important documents in the Christian tradition. The "modern wording" of the Nicene Creed, written in 325 C.E., is the most commonly used. The "modern wording" updates the "traditional (original) wording" to circumvent some modes of expression that would sound awkward in modern languages. We may be getting to the point in which the implied masculinity of "God the Father" is also becoming awkward. The bishops of Nicea never intended to restrict "God the Father" to the masculine gender. But they never thought about the nefarious consequences of using only male images of God down the centuries.

The Creed of Nicea, 325 C.E.

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate
from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand
of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father
[and the Son].
With the Father and the Son
he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken
through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy, catholic,
and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection
of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

Source: The Nicene Creed

Comment: The Christian Creed needs to be sanitized of any allusion to gender preference in a way that is still faithful to the early creeds, i.e., the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed.

The following is a recent attempt to sanitize the male bias from the Christian Creed.

We believe in one God,
the Parent, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Saviour,
Jesus Christ,
the only Child of God,
eternally begotten of the Parent,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one being with the Parent.
Through Jesus all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate
from the Virgin Mary,
and was made mortal.
For our sake Jesus was crucified
under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand
of the Parent.
Jesus will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Comforter, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Parent
and from the Redeemer.
With the Parent and the Child
the Holy Spirit is worshipped
and glorified.
The Holy Spirit has spoken
through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy, universal,
and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection
of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

Source: Grace Inclusive Church

Comment: If we use "Parent" rather than "Father," we are avoiding the apparent gender bias, but since "parent" may refer to either "father" or "mother," aren't we introducing some ambiguity about the First Person of the Trinity being a *single* divine Person? Is there a term that would simultaneouly capture the singularity of the first divine Person without an apparent gender restriction?

The following is a "feminist" Christian Creed.

I believe in God
who created woman and man in God's own image
who created the world
and gave both sexes
the care of the earth.

I believe in Jesus
child of God
chosen of God
born of the woman Mary
who listened to women and liked them
who stayed in their homes
who discussed the Kingdom with them
who was followed and financed
by women disciples

I believe in Jesus
who discussed theology with a woman at a well
and first confided in her
his messiahship
who motivated her to go and tell
her great news to the city.

I believe in Jesus who received anointing
from a woman at Simon's house
who rebuked the men guests who scorned her.
I believe in Jesus
who said this woman will be remembered
for what she did -
minister to Jesus.

I believe in Jesus
who acted boldly
to reject the blood taboo
of ancient societies
by healing the audacious woman
who touched him.

I believe in Jesus
who healed a woman on the Sabbath
and made her straight
because she was a human being.

I believe in Jesus
who spoke of God
as a woman seeking the lost coin
as a woman who swept
seeking the lost.

I believe in Jesus
who thought of pregnancy and birth
with reverence
not as punishment - but
as wrenching event
a metaphor for transformation
born again
anguish-into-joy.

I believe in Jesus
who spoke of himself
as a mother hen
who would gather her chicks
under her wings.

I believe in Jesus
who appeared first
to Mary Magdalene
who sent her
with the burning message
Go and tell ...

I believe in the wholeness
of the Saviour
on whom there is neither
Jew nor Greek
slave nor free
male nor female
for we are all one
in salvation.

I believe in the Holy Spirit
as she moves
over the waters of creation
and over the earth.

I believe in the Holy Spirit
as she yearns within us
to pray for those things
too deep for words.

I believe in the Holy Spirit
the woman spirit of God
who like a hen
created us
and gave us birth
and covers us
with her wings.

Source: Jesus and the Freed Woman

Comment: Beautiful, but it may be an overcompensation, i.e., the pendulum swinging from the all-male extreme to the all-female extreme. It still fails to say that God utterly transcends gender.

Another revised version:

We believe in one God,
three divine Persons.
We believe in God the Creator,
the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in God our Redeemer,
Jesus Christ,
the only Word of God,
eternally begotten of the Creator;
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one being with the divine Creator.
Through the Word all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate
from the Virgin Mary,
and assumed human nature.
For our sake the Word was crucified
under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand
of the Creator.
The risen Christ
will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
the Comforter, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Creator
and the Redeemer.
With the Creator and the Redeemer
the Holy Spirit is worshipped
and glorified.
The Holy Spirit has spoken
through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy, catholic,
and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection
of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

Question: What do you think?

Feedback

---

Robley E. George, Director, Center for the Study of Democratic Societies

"If you are seriously interested in the politicosocioeconomic aspects of the serious realization of Solidarity and Sustainability, you may be interested in Socioeconomic Democracy. We therefore believe you may be interested in the subject of our book Socioeconomic Democracy: An Advanced Socioeconomic System. I am sending you a brief description of the book. Following that is a recent short article describing some of the major aspects of Socioeconomic Democracy. If you find this material of interest, we would be happy to explore future possibilities with you."

Robley E. George, Forest Ecologist, Salem, Oregon

"I enjoyed the information on your website. Having just completed a collaborative effort to create "indicators of sustainability" for the forested ecosystems of Oregon the "sustainability" part grabbed my attention. I like the way you have classified humans as Homo economicus, solidarius, ecumenicalis. How about Homo holarchicus...and the relationship of your memetic paradigm with those of Holarchy and Integral Philosophy. One question I have though is where does self-preservation fit among your arguments? To be sustainable humans must collectively renounce and actually commit to non-violence. If there is one group capable of subjugating another there will also be a need some form of self-defense...is there an effective non-violent form that holarchicus could rely on at all levels of subjugation? Assuming subjugation would need to be eliminated to achieve the the goals you speak of."

Vernor Muñoz, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Commission on Human Rights, United Nations, San José, Costa Rica

"Thanks a lot. I take advantage of this oportunity to send you the revised version of my report on GIRLS RIGHT TO EDUCATION. You will find an approach to patriarchalism. There is an English version coming soon."

Ian Turnbull, Findhorn Community, Scotland, United Kingdom, and author, Holistic Physics Net

"A colleague directed me to look at your news letter and the article on Patriarchy and Mimetic Violence. Thanks. It is a very full account. You've obviously done a lot of research. Your whole approach and the indications for a positive outcome sit well with me. Indeed, your whole web site makes an excellent resource for the global intentions and longings that are amongst us for a more spirit-based way of life."

---

Announcements

---

CASID 2006 CONFERENCE of the Canadian Association for the Study of International Development. To be held 1-3 June 2006 at York University, Canada. The conference program can be downloaded from the CASID website. Point of contact: Wilder Robles, CASID 2006 Conference Chair.

Women and Ordination in the Christian Churches. Lincoln Theological Institute for the Study of Religion and Society, University of Manchester, UK, 12-14 July 2006. Please submit a short outline of your proposed paper (max. 200 words) by 10 March 2006 to Dr. Ian Jones. For more information, visit the conference website.

CALL FOR PAPERS: Women and Ordination in the Christian Churches. Lincoln Theological Institute for the Study of Religion and Society, University of Manchester, UK, 12-14 July 2006. Please submit a short outline of your proposed paper (max. 200 words) by 10 March 2006 to Dr. Ian Jones. For more information, visit the conference website.

CALL FOR PAPERS: A conference on Global Built Environment: Towards an Integrated Approach for Sustainability is to be held 11-12 September 2006, Preston, UK. Please submit abstracts by 15 February 2006 to Professor Monjur Mourshed, Senior Lecturer, Built Environment, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE, United Kingdom.

CALL FOR PAPERS: The 14th international conference of the Society of Human Ecology (SHE) will take place 18-21 October 2006 at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. SHE welcomes proposals for sessions, multi-session symposia, as well as individual papers. Contact the Conference Committee, SHE XIV.

GLOBAL DIALOGUE 2006: Global Dialogue 2006 has already begun. Roundtable Discussions have begun on the Internet and you can participate now, today. You can participate in one of the discussion roundtables, or you can organize your own discussion roundtable. Start by going through the process described on Overview of the Process for Global Dialogue 2006.

---

United Nations MDGs

---

Millennium Development Goals The UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the following: 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2. Achieve universal primary education 3. Promote gender equality and empower women 4. Reduce child mortality 5. Improve maternal health 6. Combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases 7. Ensure environmental sustainability 8. Develop a global partnership for development Interested in more information and data? Click the map below:

---

René Girard's
Mimetic Theory

---

Synopsis of Mimetic Theory by Pauline Guthrie This is a very concise synopsis: "Rene Girard, French cultural anthropologist, posits that human beings acquire their sense of self or being by "mimesis" or "mutual imitation." This mimetic desire is ontological in that we learn to desire what others desire and we identify with others who are what we would like to become. When a sufficient number of people feel blocked in their desires to achieve the power, prestige or property which their model possesses, the ensuing rivalry results in a 'scandal'. Models become rivals and thence stumbling blocks. Resultant pent up frustration leads to the isolation and destruction of a weak, marginalised victim, whom the community can sacrifice with impunity. The victim is either ritually killed or expelled as a scapegoat inaugurating a catharsis of release from disorder. Ironically, the once-maligned victim, now becomes the channel for peace and prosperity, hence a 'god', in a process Girard calls "double transference." This is the classic structure of myth." Source: This synopsis is excerpted from What is Paul actually inviting the Corinthians to do?, Pauline Guthrie, Australian E-Journal of Theology, Issue 3, February 2003.

Synopsis of Mimetic Theory by Kort & Williams The mimetic theory of René Girard explains violence at any level of intensity. The mimetic process is like a vicious cycle with 5 phases: 1. Mimetic Desire One party identifies an object of desire and other parties imitate that desire. Examples of things children and adults desire: respect, attention, money, happiness, power, land, jobs, knowledge. Whatever the culture tells us is desirable, that's what people adopt as worth having. 2. Mimetic Rivalry Now the parties begin competing for the object of desire. Whatever good competitive strategies emerge, others copy them. Since it's a rivalry, it's played as a win/lose game. To win, you only need to get more of the desirable object than the rival. If the object of desire is respect, you hit the rival with tokens of disrespect. This is done first with verbal violence, put downs, taunts, and escalates to rejection, alienation and shunning. 3. Skandalon Skandalon is a Greek word that means "trap". It's the root of "slander" and "scandal." In the rivalry for respect, if one side is "dissed" they are caught in the temptation of Skandalon and feel compelled to retaliate. Thus begins a "dissing" war, fought on the battlefield of the psyche. Skandalon is what makes it so hard not to take the bait, so hard just to walk away. It's so easy to retaliate. The give and take escalates into mutual and mimetic enthrallment. 4. Alienation and Scapegoating Eventually one side crosses some arbitrary threshold of concern where the supervising authorities feel compelled to intervene. It's essentially random which side crosses first, but often it's the weaker faction, which uses more venomous attacks to maintain parity. Whichever side goes over the arbitrary line becomes blameworthy, and the others who kept their violence below threshold are the victims. They gang up on and alienate the scapegoat, calling for the authorities to intervene and punish the blameworthy party. 5. Authorized, Sanctioned and Sacred Violence To appease the mob/majority, the authorities determine guilt and visit sanctions and punishment on the scapegoat. This escalates the violence to the next higher level of authority in our culture. The mimetic process is basically the same at all levels of power, and for all kinds of rivalries and competitions such as conflicts over religion, gender, sex, politics, attention, money, properties, power, ethnicity, etc. Any given conflict, at any given point in time, is in one of the five phases of the mimetic process, which repeats itself like a vicious cycle. Source: This synopsis is adapted from Thinking About Violence in Our Schools, Barry Kort and Nancy Williams, Multi-User Science Education Network, 2001.

Synopsis of Mimetic Theory by Paolo Bubbio Hermeneutics of Violence "The hominisation process begins when one man starts to imitate the desires of another, that is when a man feels inferior, devoid of something other men seem equipped with. 'Wanting to be like an other' means wanting to possess what he possesses: the mimetic rivalry thus appears and the violence increases with it. Inevitably, rivals tend to resemble each other more and more, as they are models for each other, and also mutual violence grows proportionately: this is the critical moment of the birth of every culture. The resulting event is the choice - a substantially arbitrary choice - of a scapegoat: the victim is expelled and so the community finds itself united. "The miracle of the rediscovered peace is later attributed to the scapegoat, which is therefore worshipped and deified. Two events are necessary in order that the miracle can happen again and the community does not collapse in the chaos of the violence. The first is the conceptualisation of the victimage expulsion so as to be able to repeat it. The second is the expression of such an expulsion in order for the other community members to agree to it. Reason and language appear originally in this way. The expulsion is always repeated, replacing the original victim with newer and newer scapegoats: thus rites come into being. The memory of this experience will be preserved and distorted at the same time in myths. In all myths and rites we can find the presence, hidden or explicit, of a scapegoat. Rites and myths are the spine of every religion: so every religion is a combination of actions fitted to repeat the victimage expulsion for enjoying its beneficial effects, and narrations fitted to guarantee a good outcome for the sacrifice. The sacred which is at the heart of every religion is only a mask for violence. "Therefore, there is no doubt about the sacrificial nature of every religion. Every religion can be attributed to the victimage mechanism. However, the Old Testament is not merely a series of myths, because sometimes the chorus of lynchers, devout followers of Yahweh, a jealous and violent god, is broken by a voice standing up in defence of the victim. Sometimes the victim itself refuses his part and proclaims its innocence, as does Job. Christianity is an exception among other religions; we can affirm, indeed, that the Gospels have nothing to do with the violent sacred. As a matter of fact Christ undergoes the collective lynching, but refuses the role of the scapegoat and reveals the truth of the victimage mechanism. However, if the Christian message escapes from the accusation of mystification, the Christian religion does not. Christianity has become a religion, with an impressive internal sacred core: the death of Christ is interpreted as sacrifice, the Father as a cruel god who needs the death of his son to save humanity, the self-sacrifice as a holy action. "Religion is one of the main tools, and chronologically the first one of them, fitted to perpetuate the victimage mechanism." Source: This synopsis is excerpted from Mimetic Theory and Hermeneutics, Paolo Diego Bubbio, Colloquy, Monash University, No.9, May 2005.

Synopsis of Mimetic Theory by Susan Rakoczy Religion and Violence Violence is the attempt of an individual or group to impose its will on others through any nonverbal, verbal or physical means that will inflict psychological or physical injury. Rene Girard has analysed the intricate relationship between religion and violence. He argues that through the process of 'mimesis' or imitation we learn what is desirable from the models of behaviour around us. But this process places us in conflict; if our imitation threatens the position of our model, we become dangerous rivals. This rivalry leads to violence of action or word or thought. In his work on primal religions, Girard determined that the force of the violence becomes so great that it needs to be unleashed - so one person is selected to be killed or banished in order to calm the community. This person is the scapegoat for the whole community's violence. The sacrifice serves to protect the entire community from its own violence: it prompts the entire community to choose victims outside itself. In these societies, the risk of violence is so overwhelming that it needs to be prevented. These measures ... naturally fall within the domain of religion, where they can on occasion assume a violent character. Violence and the sacred are inseparable. Girard excludes Judaism and Christianity from his mimetic theory .... the God of Israel and Jesus' Abba ... is not a mimetic rival of humans and does not demand sacrificial victims. Instead, God rather expresses solidarity with victims even to the point of dying on the cross. However, violence is no stranger in Christianity. Sexuality and Violence There are direct forms of violence such as abduction, rape, and various sadistic practices; these lead to 'quarrels, jealous rages, mortal combats'. Like violence, sexual desire tends to fashion upon surrogate objects if the object to which it was originally attracted remains inaccessible. And again like violence, repressed sexual desire accumulates energy that sooner or later bursts forth, causing tremendous havoc. Use of Symbols Violence is symbolic language. It says and does more than it realises as it harms and/or destroys its victim. The violent perpetrator may be trying to exorcise a sense of shame or inferiority or establish dominance through power. Christianity has used certain symbols to justify violence, for example the phrase 'God wills it' in the Crusades of the European Medieval era became a war cry. Violence and Patriarchy Violence is also embedded in social structures, including those of religion. Patriarchy, as an ideology and structure of domination, is a clear example of this dangerous synergy. In the private sphere of the family, patriarchy exerts its violent power (whether or not it results in actual physical violence) through social control of the women - wives and daughters - and the restriction of opportunities for education and creativity. Patriarchy also exerts its power over women through economic control, shaming and blaming. When religious language is used to justify these patriarchal structures of oppression, which are inherently violent because they violate women's human dignity, the circle is complete. Source: This synopsis is abbreviated from Religion and Violence: the Suffering of Women, Susan Rakoczy, Sexuality in Africa Magazine, Volume 2, Issue 4, 2005.

---

Gender Balance in Religion

---

Women in Roles of Religious Authority Bishop Carolyn Tanner Irish Episcopal Diocese of Utah Source: Episcopal Diocese of Utah, USA Bishop Victoria Matthews Anglican Diocese of Edmonton Source: Anglican Diocese of Edmonton, Canada Bishop Margarita Martinez Lutheran Synod of the Caribbean Source: Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

---

Gender Balance in Society

---

Women in Roles of Secular Authority President Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson of Liberia Source: Journal of Culture and African Women Tribute: First African Woman President Tarja Halonen President of Finland Source: World Leaders Forum, Columbia University Margaret Thatcher Prime Minister, United Kingdom 1979 - 1990 Source: Wikipedia

---

Unity in Diversity

---

Taoism (China)
Yin (Male) Yang (Female)

Hindu Tantrik (South India)
Shiva (Male) Shakti (Female)

Christianity (Worldwide)
Androgenous Holy Trinity

Christianity (Worldwide)
Mary Theotokos-Christ Bearer

Christianity (Worldwide)
Theodora Episcopa

Baha'i (Worldwide)
Bird with Two Wings, Male and Female
Highly Recommended:
Two Wings of a Bird