Really loves these analyses Becky. Major cringe at “consciousness raising groups’ across America, which generate intense anger in response to the issues which women interpret as insulting to their gender.” Having read Dr. Herman’s account of those groups, the “issues which women interpret as insulting to their gender” focused especially on the prevalence of male-perpetrated sex crimes and resulting trauma among women. In that light, “interpret as insulting” is objectively insulting and demeaning. Ugh.
Yes, I’m looking forward to that, already pre-ordered it! Have you read the original research article that forms the basis of that book? I reference it a bit here (with link to the article included): https://onceaweek.substack.com/p/a-more-beautiful-justice
We were just discussing this anti-feelings version of faith yesterday with my book club. I've sent them this article as it's so good! Thanks Becky, it's about time someone did the job of analysing where this came from.
So, so good. I keep seeing intense patriarchal themes in the anti-emtion Christian literature you engage with. It may be a chicken-and-egg question, but do you think these ideas about emotions were birthed out of patriarchal movements (think like the conservative resurgence in the SBC, the political idolatry described in "Jesus and John Wayne," etc.) or they were there first and then people gravitated towards those kinds of ideological structures (patriarchy, militarism, etc.) to support their emotional frameworks? Since the affective beats the cognitive to the punch every time (we feel before we think), I wonder if people who felt scared/betrayed/lonely/whatever in different seasons didn't know what to do with those feelings, had an unhealthy culture around emotion (because, as a result of the Fall, not feeling does lead to better survival sometimes), and then connected the dots with political, theological, and family structures that let them feel safe. Because if my hunch is true, then we could work backwords in how we do spiritual formation around emotions to make sure our next generation is much better tooled to respond to whatever life throws at them in a healthy way, aware of the damage other generations did, especially people with power and platform.
These ideas are very, very old...they go back to the ancient Greek philosophers! Anti-emotionalism and misogyny have been linked for a very long time. The rationality/emotion false binary that came out of the enlightenment is also a big player.
We definitely need to be shaping emotions and teaching emotional regulation as part of spiritual formation for the next generation.
Really loves these analyses Becky. Major cringe at “consciousness raising groups’ across America, which generate intense anger in response to the issues which women interpret as insulting to their gender.” Having read Dr. Herman’s account of those groups, the “issues which women interpret as insulting to their gender” focused especially on the prevalence of male-perpetrated sex crimes and resulting trauma among women. In that light, “interpret as insulting” is objectively insulting and demeaning. Ugh.
Herman's work is so seminal. I just found out yesterday she has a new book coming out this month on justice and healing for survivors!
Yes, I’m looking forward to that, already pre-ordered it! Have you read the original research article that forms the basis of that book? I reference it a bit here (with link to the article included): https://onceaweek.substack.com/p/a-more-beautiful-justice
No, I haven't. Thank you!
We were just discussing this anti-feelings version of faith yesterday with my book club. I've sent them this article as it's so good! Thanks Becky, it's about time someone did the job of analysing where this came from.
Thanks for sharing it! What book were you reading that sparked the discussion?
It was Brian McLaren's Do I Stay Christian - we've just finished it 🥰
Book clubs are the best!
So, so good. I keep seeing intense patriarchal themes in the anti-emtion Christian literature you engage with. It may be a chicken-and-egg question, but do you think these ideas about emotions were birthed out of patriarchal movements (think like the conservative resurgence in the SBC, the political idolatry described in "Jesus and John Wayne," etc.) or they were there first and then people gravitated towards those kinds of ideological structures (patriarchy, militarism, etc.) to support their emotional frameworks? Since the affective beats the cognitive to the punch every time (we feel before we think), I wonder if people who felt scared/betrayed/lonely/whatever in different seasons didn't know what to do with those feelings, had an unhealthy culture around emotion (because, as a result of the Fall, not feeling does lead to better survival sometimes), and then connected the dots with political, theological, and family structures that let them feel safe. Because if my hunch is true, then we could work backwords in how we do spiritual formation around emotions to make sure our next generation is much better tooled to respond to whatever life throws at them in a healthy way, aware of the damage other generations did, especially people with power and platform.
These ideas are very, very old...they go back to the ancient Greek philosophers! Anti-emotionalism and misogyny have been linked for a very long time. The rationality/emotion false binary that came out of the enlightenment is also a big player.
We definitely need to be shaping emotions and teaching emotional regulation as part of spiritual formation for the next generation.