In the 1970’s, I was caught up with a whole generation of young women who embraced the ideals of classical feminism ­ better opportunities in the workforce, equal pay for equal work, and greater encouragement of women’s abilities.  When the United Nations proclaimed “International Women’s Year” in 1975, I was a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Our campus advertised the slogan “WHY NOT?” to commemorate the event.  To me, “WHY NOT?” evoked a challenge to dream big and work hard to reach my potential, and I enthusiastically distributed pamphlets and lapel buttons advertising the slogan.

But somewhere along the way, feminism began to betray its noble ideals and turned divisive and destructive.  Rather than extolling women’s abilities and opportunities, feminism began promoting women as helpless victims of an evil male conspiracy.  Instead of encouraging partnership between men and women, feminism began pitting the sexes against each other in an ever-escalating gender war.

Now, most women refuse to identify themselves with the feminist movement. They support the ideals of classical feminism, but want nothing to do with today’s movement.

All this has created a vacuum of purpose in North America.  Classical feminism earned women the right to achieve.  Now women are longing for it all to mean something.

This poses a crucial question to Christians, “How, then, shall we respond?”

THE SECULARIZATION OF FEMINISM

I believe that the spiritual void created by feminism provides an unprecedented opportunity for evangelism.  To be relevant in reaching out to post-feminist women, I think we need to understand the spiritual shift that preceded the decline in feminist philosophy.

Feminism’s earliest roots were rooted in biblical principles.  Many 19th century feminists were Christians, whose concern about human suffering and oppression inspired their passionate crusade for equality and justice.

Eventually the efforts of the founding mothers of feminism won changes for women such as the rights to vote and own property.  Laws regarding marriage, divorce and child custody were made more equitable.

 Feminism was revitalized in the 1960’s and 1970’s in North America, attracting young women like me.  As baby boomers who entered adulthood at a time of unprecedented prosperity, we were blessed with more choices and opportunities than were available to our mothers a generation earlier.

Feminism resonated with this generation of young women. During the 1970s, the movement focused primarily on promoting more opportunities for women.  However, the movement’s philosophical foundation was no longer based on biblical principles.  Unfortunately, the church had never taken on a very active role in addressing injustices concerning women.

In the midst of this spiritual vacuum, feminism became completely secularized, motivated primarily by the desire for self-fulfillment.

 As the psalmist said, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain” (Ps. 127:1).

It didn’t take long for the seeds of secularism to bear fruit.  By the 1980s, the majority of feminist leaders and writers were insisting that for women to be truly free, they must emancipate themselves from marriage and motherhood.  They promoted the idea that there is something intrinsically evil in masculinity that causes men to enjoy oppressing women.  Antagonism escalated towards the Christian and Jewish faiths, and goddess worship became popular in feminist circles. 

Though feminism is often promoted as the bastion of liberty and self-fulfillment, in recent years the movement has fostered bondage, emptiness and brokenness. 

FILLING THE VACUUM

Disillusioned with feminism yet still longing for the sense of purpose that attracted them to the movement in the past, many women have turned to New Age spirituality and self-help gurus to fill the spiritual vacuum.

A survey of 2500 women, published in the August issue of Redbook Magazine, found that 61% said they believe the key to happiness is “spirituality.”

The fact that women are searching is encouraging. The fact they are searching for truth in all the wrong places challenges us as Christians to become more relevant in communicating the gospel.

I believe there are two key reasons why many women shun Christianity. First, many mistakenly equate Christianity with dead religion, having grown up in homes where religion was merely a Sunday ritual.  That was my experience.  I was raised in a church-going family, but never heard the good news that I could have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  In my college years ­- hungry to connect with God but believing I had already “tried” Christianity ­ I became immersed in New Age philosophy.  Then, at the age of 24, God sent a young couple to me who shared the good news that I could know God personally through Jesus Christ.  Instantly, I knew this was the truth I had been searching for during my unsatisfying sojourn through New Age spirituality.

The second reason why many women shun Christianity is because of real or perceived injustices concerning the church’s treatment of women. Somedenominations still perpetrate the idea that women are created to be nothing more than a domestic appendage to their husbands.  In many churches, no place is made for the expression of women’s spiritual and leadership gifts. Some even teach that biblical submission includes accepting domestic abuse.

Several years ago my co-worker, Sharon, said, “I could never accept Christianity because it advocates the abuse of women.”  She shared how her ex-husband quoted scripture to her while beating her.  When she sought help from a priest, Sharon was told that she must submit to her husband, regardless of how he treated her.

No wonder Sharon believed that Christianity was a “repressive, anti-female religion.”  I gave Sharon a Bible and said, “The Jesus Christ I know would never advocate the abuse of women.  But instead of taking my word for it, why don’t you read about him in the gospels and decide for yourself?”  She accepted the challenge, and within a few months received Christ as her Savior.

Theological debates won’t reach women today.  Only Jesus can penetrate the myths and religious lies.  The simple gospel message of forgiveness, healing, freedom and destiny is what spiritually hungry, post-feminist women long to hear. 

What do women want?  Our occupational goals and personal hopes and dreams will be as diverse as our personalities.  But whether we are doctors, stay-at-home mothers, lawyers, ministers, housewives, secretaries, or artists ­- I believe that women from all walks of life share two basic heart longings.  We long to be free from inner oppression.  And we long to for asense of purpose, to know that our lives our making a difference.

Jesus said, “He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed...” (Lk 4:18).

Each one of us can testify to one of more areas of our lives where Jesus has brought inner freedom.  Women aren’t as interested in our theology as they are in real life testimonies of Jesus touching our lives and setting us free from fears, self-doubt, emotional pain, bitterness, and inferiority.

Women will also be touched by our testimonies of how Christ leads us on a journey of discovering and fulfilling our purpose.  Our God-given potential is released as we mature in Christ.  One of my favorite scriptures is Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10).  As we daily surrender to Jesus, he transforms us and molds us into vessels that can contain his anointing.  And he releases us into a destiny that is far greater than anything we could dream for ourselves.

What wonderful news we have for spiritually hungry, post-feminist women. And never has there been a more opportune time to share it.