Argument from Women I: Mary, the Saints, and Representation
Another Unorganized Argument
Who are the Protestant heroines? Katharina Luther? Harriet Tubman? Even if you can name one or two famous Protestant women who have been influential in your faith, I can almost guarantee that they exerted considerable influence on neither the course of Protestant history nor theology. Evangelicals can plausibly claim Aimee Semple McFereson, to my knowledge the only woman to found a denomination (Foursquare), and they can definitely claim Phyllis Schlafly, though they probably don’t want to.
This issue was really brought home to me by a friend of mine who became Catholic around age 23 after growing up Lutheran: there are just so many more female role models, and importantly they are venerated not just by women but men too. The Catholic Church has awarded the status of “Doctor of the Church” to three women, thus conferring on them the highest degree of approbation for spiritual and theological teaching. And, of course, in addition to the “regular” saints, there is Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary is considered the highest created person, and I have heard her called the greatest theologian of all time. Object or don’t, one thing is certain: despite the “Egalitarianism” professed by many Protestant churches today, they don’t hold a candle to the blazing glory of women’s roles in Catholic history.
Lest it be thought that the ideal Catholic woman is merely a demure, passive, submissive servant like is so often alleged of traditional family views, recall who the exemplars are. St. Joan of Arc, who defied kings and led a nation to war. St. Catherine of Sienna, who chastized the pope for letting the papacy linger in France rather than its proper seat, Rome. The daughters of Deborah still have a role to play among God’s people in our moments of timidity, and He has continued to raise them up.
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