Abstract:
It analyzes shame feelings that prevent women from experiencing the grace of God in everyday life. It names shame as women’s sin and proposes the rediscovery of vulnerability as a path to grace from a Feminist Theology. The first part presents experience as a starting point, and a point of arrival, in Feminist Theology and differentiates shame and guilt. Based on researcher Brené Brown, guilt relates to attitudes and shame has to do with one's being. It proposes resilience and empathy as an antidote to shame, but points to vulnerability as a concept that needs to be reworked. The second part asks about the theological meaning of shame and states that this is the sin of women. It analyzes how teachings built around the narratives of Eve, original sin, obedience, and redemptive sacrifice shape the lives of women within patriarchal society. It uses the categories created by Ivone Gebara (to speak of the feminine as the evil of not having, not being able, not knowing and not being worthy) and conceptualizes shame as the sin of women. If for men sin is pride, autonomy, power and self-love, for women, the sin of shame is self-sacrifice, obedience, submission, and excessive love for others. The Magnificat and Luther's commentary on it, supports the argument that trust in God can do great things also in small and shameless creatures, as Mary was. The third part explores vulnerability studies and again uses the categories created by Ivone Gebara to affirm vulnerability as a grace to have healthy pride, autonomy, power, and love for herself. It highlights the importance of networks of women, as spaces of support and sorority that enable the experience of the grace of God in daily life and the building together of life without shame.
