Championing Womanhood

PREVIEW – 2nd Edition Discover how religion, history, and philosophy have shaped our society into the patriarchal system it is today—and how we can achieve real gender equality in the modern world—with Dr. R. Allan Dermott’s intriguing book, Championing Womanhood Through a Higher Concept of God, now in its Second Edition. Beginning with the Hebrews over nine thousand years ago, Dr. Dermott traces the various influences that have converged over millennia in order to produce the male-dominated society in which the world has been living. Gradual changes have been coming, even more so now in this twenty-first century. These past influences come from every part of life, including the basic concepts of religion that many people take for granted. For example, Dr. Dermott explains the two differing concepts of God: the evolving figure of Jehovah and the masculine-feminine Elohim. Readers can compare the views of women by figures such as Plato, Aristotle, and Jesus while learning how even translations of epistles were performed with ulterior motives. An important look at a system that very few seem to question, this tome encourages us to reject both the matriarch and the patriarch—and instead strive for equality for all. “As the understanding of Elohim extends, the freedom of women expands.” “…you are cautioned to keep the roller-coaster bar before you well in place as we roll through the centuries.” “Religion has perhaps had the greatest influence in shaping the position of women in society.” “Should human patriarchy dictate for humanity a limited nature of Deity and, on that basis, the plight of women?” “A new word for this age is epicenarchy = gender-neutral rule.” • Have you ever wondered who defined women throughout history and why? • Why was the place of women in society been so twisted? • Who was responsible for such distortions? • What philosophers contributed to these alterations from what the Bible says? • Why was the spiritual understanding of God as Mother as well as Father in both the Old and New Testaments not preached from all pulpits? Women are not defined by history, Plato, Aristotle, or any other diabolical views imposed on them. This objective analysis of the Scriptures shows that they are as much the image and likeness of the masculine/feminine Elohim – the divine Mind of the universe, eternal Life, Spirit, Soul, Truth, Love – as any man. We must set aside that concept of God described as "a man of war" for that more spiritual revelation of Deity revealed during the repenting period of the Babylonian captivity--the Almighty masculine-feminine Elohim. We must turn away from the ancient Greek philosophy and culture based on Aristotle's diabolical views of women and later Christianized in theology to the equality expressed by the Messiah and his relentless apostle Paul (minus the forgeries and mistranslated passages attributed to this faithful follower). All the qualities of Elohim are unfolded for expression by women as well as men. As the understanding of Elohim extends, the freedom of women expands. Main ideas from the Table of Contents: • God’s Gender in the Old Testament and the Image and Likeness • Three Views of Women: Jesus, Plato, Aristotle • St. Paul’s Teachings about Women • The understanding of God with ideas from poets, philosophers, and historians including God is: Mind, Life, Spirit, Truth, Principle, Soul, and Love. From the EPILOGUE  “The level of masculine stability in a society or culture can be measured by the level of feminine importance in the masculine thought. If there is a balance in importance, the masculine character is strong. But if the feminine is subdued, then the masculine macho is psychologically weaker and not as stable, even though men in their state of instability actually believe that they are the ones who are stable! Oh, the irony!”  “One of the defects of human nature is to look down on others so that we feel better about ourselves. The treatment of females in Africa, the Mideast, and Asia is obviously deplorable. But do Western men, at least in part, look down upon the developing nations’ treatment of women so as to justify their own patriarchal culture as not being so bad? If the West is to lead by example, should not the Christians of the West cast their own patriarchic mote out of their own eye so as to better help our brothers and sisters of all faiths cast that deplorable mote out of their own eyes? If not, are we then hypocrites?”  “Today, with varying views or understandings of the nature of Jehovah, Elohim — still that constant Being who had made both male and female — has emerged as the one constant for a new age, an age that rules without favoring either sex or gender. A new word for this age is epicenarchy = gender-neutral rule.”  “Just as women tried to hold onto a remnant of matriarchy as patriarchy subdued them, we should expect there to be some men holding onto patriarchy as it too is replaced by epicenarchy. Human nature resists giving up material power, even if it is not deserved or warranted. Just as there was friction as matriarchy transitioned into patriarchy, the repetition of history teaches us that we should not be surprised to experience friction during the transition into epicenarchy. Some men will hold to their all-male Deity just as ancient women held to Asherah. But the sooner we all accept the evidence and logic of Truth and the wisdom of the divine Mind, the sooner we all will be bowing before the open arms of divine Love. Then epicenarchy will have replaced patriarchy, and both men and women will have found a new sense of Spirit’s freedom.”  “The light of Truth unveils the dark limitations of both matriarchy and patriarchy, pointing to epicenarchy as a higher manifestation of Elohim’s rule, as a more just and fair form of governing humanity. The curtain has risen upon the dawning of a new age, an age slowly dismissing the conclusions based on false reasoning rendered from superstitions, ignorance, and bias, slowly accepting the logical and emotional reasoning behind a higher sense of equality.”