Dr. Abigail Favale, professor and author, joins the hosts to discuss gender studies, feminism, and the importance of understanding the Catholic vision of gender. They touch on topics such as the evolution of gender studies, the history of feminism, the significance of the Genesis creation stories, and the power of real conversations in evangelization.
The Catholic understanding of male and female as distinct and complementary is a fundamental aspect of God's creative work.
Catholic thought aligns with essentialism to recognize the stable nature of human beings while acknowledging the impact of social and cultural forces.
Deep dives
The Dignity of Sexual Differentiation
The podcast explores the Catholic perspective on the importance of sexual differentiation. It contrasts the Babylonian creation narrative with the Genesis creation stories, emphasizing that the Catholic understanding of male and female as distinct and complementary is a fundamental aspect of God's creative work.
The Influence of Feminist Thought
The podcast discusses how feminist thought, particularly in the second wave of feminism, has shaped the contemporary gender scene. It highlights the tension between essentialism, which asserts a stable nature of women, and social constructionism, which views womanhood as a social construct. It points out that Catholic thought aligns with essentialism to recognize the stable nature of human beings while acknowledging the impact of social and cultural forces.
The Power Dynamic and Shrill Assertion
The podcast delves into the power dynamics and shrill assertion that exist in the current cultural conversation surrounding gender. It notes the danger of reducing gender to purely linguistic constructs and emphasizes the need for open dialogue and real conversations to bridge the gap between opposing viewpoints.
The Role of Evangelization
The podcast explores the role of evangelization in the current cultural climate. It suggests that instead of engaging in culture wars or top-down enforcement of certain beliefs, a more effective approach is to present a compelling vision of truth and beauty, inviting others to consider a different story. It emphasizes the importance of storytelling and connection in evangelizing.
Gender, feminism, equality, etc. are all prevalent topics in the culture today. However, it can sometimes feel difficult to gain a thorough understanding of these issues and engage in conversation about them. Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle are joined by professor and author Dr. Abigail Favale to discuss some of these issues.
Snippet from the Show
“Whoever controls the narrative, who controls language, they decide what is real, what is knowable, what is good, what is bad.”