• Rosemary Ruether was a professor at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. She was also a leading ecofeminist scholar and Roman Catholic theologian. The service begins with the introduction of Rosemary Ruether (00:00-01:28). The title of Ruether’s lecture is “Dualism and the Problem of Evil.” The first question Ruether asks is about the origins of dualism, and she answers by approaching the social hierarchy of gender and race in society looking back to the writings of Greek philosophers, Augustine, and medieval theologians who expressed the thought of men containing the full image of God over women (01:29-13:41). The second question Ruether asks is how this dualism emerged, and she gives an answer of three human tendencies: the missing link mentality, the “us versus them” mentality, and the distinction of good versus evil mentality (13:42-21:22). Ruether lists inherited patterns from this dualism which are sexism, class hierarchy, racism, and antisemitism (21:23-24:55). She distinguishes three different languages from the higher social group to reduce the others, and these are deprival language, idealized language, and genocidal language (24:56-33:08). Ruether moves to the critique of these dominant views that comes out of dualistic thinking, and she first tackles the social problem of looking through the lens of how positions of power have created opportunities for evil (33:09-38:59). Going beyond social ideology, Ruether examines the distortion of reality because of the underlying dualism, and she challenges the Greek perception of the mind and body and purpose for life with the Hebraic biblical understanding of mind-body unity and purpose of renewal of all things (39:00-45:55). Ruether concludes her lecture with the question about good-evil dualism, and she identifies evil with the capacity for humanity to distort freedom (45:56-48:43).
Motlaepula Chabaku was a South African refugee. The service begins with announcements over community concerns, and the speaker gives a word of prayer (00:00-02:35). Motlalepula Chabaku is introduced as the Missionary Day speaker (02:36-04:09). Chabaku reads from Matthew 4:18-21 and Luke 8:1-3, and she speaks at length about how the inequality of race, gender, and economic status seen, not only in her home country of South Africa but all over the world, is contrary to the Scriptures and the justice of God (04:10-34:51). The service ends with an invitation and a last word from Chabaku about a hymn that changed her life (34:52-38:20).
