ABSTRACT
Societal and ecclesiastical norms do not simply materialize from thin air, they are fashioned by deeply held convictions and prior circumstances. The norms of the Western world have been greatly influenced by its JudaeoChristian heritage…. and they are still shaping our thoughts today. (Isherwood and McEwan, 1992, p. 30)
Our title plays on a phrase found in the Hebrew scriptures where we are told man was made in God’s image. This phrase became the foundation for what we call patriarchal theology-a theology that is written by men for political reasons, patriarchy meaning the rule of the fathers, not only in the spiritual but also in the secular realm.
