Mary Daly speaks of the need for a women’s revolution—a revelation which she believes is past due. Citing passages from the Bible as well as quotes from famous theologians, Daly notes the longstanding history of what she describes as a repressive sexual caste system. While it is clear that each promotes the agenda of the other, we must consider whether patriarchal religion was a result of a male-dominated culture or gave birth to our phallocentric society. Although she acknowledges the historical origins of the sexist viewpoint, Daly also recognizes that the sexism could not persist without the consent of modern-day women. I found this to be a rather intriguing proposition, as implies that women are actually perpetuating their own oppression. Furthermore, as Daly proposes a revolution of semantic nature, I was a bit surprised that she referred to women as “the Other.” Perhaps she used the label sarcastically, but doesn’t the mere recognition of such a description undermine her notion of changing the way we speak and think?
Introduction: The Problem, the Purpose, and the Method