The Privilege of Being a Woman

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: A brilliant book from a brilliant woman--thank you, Dr. von Hildebrand!

This, at last, is true Catholic feminism.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Example of Christian Feminism vs. Secular Feminism
Review: Dr. Alice von Hildebrand, doctor of philosophy, talks about the priviledge of being a woman in light of Roman Catholic teaching. She says that when we look at the feminist rhetoric in the eyes of faith - the feminists eyes are far sighted. She looks at the actual Biblical stories and gives radical, positive intrepretations. She admits in history - women have been lacking from the scene. History has been "his story." Some examples she brings up are the lack of female Shakespeares and Beethoven. And even in areas that are tought to be women's domains, like cooking, men are ones noted for their work - chiefs, tailors, etc.

She gives a critical view of past feminist thiking - everything from women hating their bodies, to the sexism within nature (pregnancy is harder on the women than it is on men).

However, in the Bible, unlike some fundamentalists point out, she argues that women are always seen as the stronger sex - Mary Magdalene being the only follower who stayed and saw the first ressurection. Even the Church - at least in the eyes of Catholic teaching - is a woman in the apocalypic sense. She gives great examples of saints, and ends with meditations on meditations over Mary, the Christian form of femininity.

In her eyes, she asks, "Who is doing morre good today, Mother Teresa or the U.S. Conference of Bishops?"

A good read for anyone wanting to give a positive view of women in the Christian light.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful
Review: If only our modern culture would listen to Dr. Von Hildebrand!

Rating:
Summary: I love this book
Review: If you are frustrated with modern feminism's hatred of women, and looking for validation in the context of Christianity, then you need to read this book!

In the beginning all the negative quotes about women were overwhelming, but by the end I felt very encouraged. I've been getting my mom and friends to read it, as well. Every Christian woman should!

Rating:
Summary: Dressing with Dignity
Review: Mrs vonHildebrand's well-written book is an interesting and original study of the differences between men and women. She exalts the nature of the female person to heights previously unknown in any Catholic literature excepting the free-from-original-sin status the Virgin Mary.

What is most disturbing and baffling is that there seems to have been some intense literary theft (of Mrs vH's and others) by a woman who Mrs vonHildebrand has seemingly endorsed. It's called Dressing with Dignity by Colleen Hammond. Why Mrs von Hildrebrand would condone this is a mystery.



Rating:
Summary: Female Chauvinist Bigotry Dressed up in Catholic Garb
Review: There is NO historical basis whatsoever for Dr. von Hildebrand's claim that women have traditionally been viewed as "privileged" in Christianity. Dr. von Hildebrand even admits herself that some of the Fathers of the Church held the opposite view. All Dr. von Hildebrand has done is attempted to take the bigoted prideful view of many women as being "morally superior" to men and given it a "Christian" justification; and this, far from being "counter-cultural", is actually quite in line with today's feminist "women=good, men=bad" attitude. It is a sad commentary on our culture, even supposedly "counter-cultural" Christian milieus, that a book such as this can be taken seriously as having "insight". (And just imagine what everyone would be saying if someone wrote a book titled "The Privilege of Being a Man" claiming that men were specially favored by God!)

For the book is completely devoid of any philosophical depth or content. It is utter and complete tripe from beginning to end, with the most elementary logical fallacies and non sequiturs. Women are privileged because, uh, well, the women stayed at the foot of the Cross, while Peter denied Christ three times. Not only are these only a few examples out of many, many martyrs who later died for Christ (most of them male), but Christ gave to a man (the Good Thief) the privilege of not only being at the foot of the Cross, but on another cross right next to Him. Women are privileged because, uh, well, Christ first appeared to a woman after the Resurrection. Well, He only appeared Transfigured before men. And of course no "Catholic" male-bashing fest would be complete without mention of Mary - yes, the pure creature beloved the most by God and given the dignity of Mother of God - but still not given the infinitely higher dignity of being joined to the very nature of God in the Hypostatic Union - as is the human nature of Jesus.

And the cherry on top is the claim that somehow women are naturally more "receptive" to God's grace. Not only is this claim problematic theologically, but also, ironically, those making this claim give ipso facto proof that it is not so - how "receptive" are they to "Everyone who humbles himself will be exalted, and everyone who exalts himself will be humbled".