labels, the f-word, and splitting hairs

awhile back makeesha had an excellent post on her blog about feminism and the chaos of labels. something she said has stuck with me all this time. she said:

One thing to keep in mind is that labels are self identifiers, they’re really not intended for us to place on others – they’re for others to place on themselves. In other words, they’re not supposed to be used as a way to judge others or put others in a box based on OUR understanding of that label.

i am reminded of her admonition when i identify myself as a “christian feminist”. christian feminism, as i see it, is a far cry from feminism. all one has to do is look at the wiki on feminism and see the numerous types of feminism there are to know that we are only one specific type of feminism rooted in christian thought. where we agree with the other types of feminism i rejoice and where we disagree i hope to extend grace.

the problem i’ve run into is that the f-word–feminism–is highly controversial. many years ago when i was in college one of my friends asked if i would help her with something. i’m not sure if it was a class assignment or what but i agreed. what we did was go around and informally ask people we knew in our dorm what they thought of the word “feminism”. the results were overwhelmingly negative and i remember internally thinking that i’d never claim to be a “feminist” as i didn’t want that negative baggage attached to me. well, now it’s 20+ years later and in some ways things haven’t changed much, especially in some church circles.

what i’ve found is when people are engaging in all-or-nothing thinking and  i say i am a “christian feminist” all they hear is “feminist” and i subsequently get pigeonholed into a box in which i most definitely do not fit that is at odds with their belief system and values. maybe i should be more courageous and be willing to say i’m a feminist, but i see christian feminism as being quite different from the secular liberal feminism that many disdain. further, i find it quite disturbing when i see christians unable or unwilling, whichever the case may be, to think in more nuanced terms.

sadly, i’ve seen too many christians swing from one extreme of christianity to another not realizing those are not the only options. usually this is a swing from christian fundamentalism to liberal christianity or vice versa. a psychiatric nurse told me that in psychology there is even a term for this sort of thinking. it is called splitting because the person is unable to view life in a more balanced or moderate fashion but splits everything up into black and white categories, good vs. bad, all or nothing. this is not to say that sometimes things aren’t good vs. bad but i believe it may not be as often as some would have us believe.

as this world we live in is changing many of us have left behind those limiting categories of either/or and moved on to seeing things in a more complex fashion. some associate this with postmodernism with it’s bothand thinking. i know some people think it’s not possible to be a “christian feminist” as “christian” is usually associated with conservatism and “feminism” with liberalism. thankfully, we are moving into an era where the reductionist thinking of modernity, which has a tendency to isolate and marginalize one as the Other, is being replaced by a more generous, complex, and inclusive way of thinking in postmodernity.