Genesis “tells” a woman that her meaning as
a woman is found through a very peculiar and constrained relationship
of intimacy where her sole purpose is to sexually serve
her man. She came from his birthing body and derives her meaning
as a birthing mother solely from his masculine birthing
power. She learns that to be feminine is to be sexually submissive,
namely, for procreation.
This narrowest of self-understandings
is expressed in theological imagery by the absence of
a Mother Goddess.
Without a Mother Goddess
image, a woman has
no way to envision herself as a spiritual being.
She can only be
what the Lone Males reveal to her that she is, namely, Adam's bone.
Her spiritual and physical, her mental and emotional
self is totally derived from her man’s Lone
Maleness. At her core, Genesis’ woman exists as a curious form of Lone
Maleness. There is no greater “Revelation” in Genesis than
this revelation about Lone Male-female intimacy.
Interiority defines and describes a
singular, personal experience of identity. You express your interiority
to others when you make identity statements, such as, “I am a
Minnesotan and a conservative Lutheran serving as a senior manager
for General Mills.”
In contrast, intimacy is an engaged,
communal experience. From another direction, intimacy is relational,
and is created by you engaging an Other.
Your intimacy is how you are known through
your heartfelt actions with
others.
Intimacy is known, also, through how others describe
your heartfelt actions in terms of relationships with an Other, for
example, “She’s a good person. Always volunteering.” Or, “He’s
a patriot. Willing to risk his life for others.” Or, “They’re
such loving parents, always taking time to be with their children.”
Continue—Immersion
