ABSTRACT
A theology of ownership and power finds its origins in the early belief that women have an inferior moral nature and thus must be under male control for the good of the community. This theology is often based on creation myths, wherein women are created second to and under the authority of men. This chapter examines the theme of ownership along with its connections to the concepts of suffering and obedience that were presented earlier. Two poignant examples illustrate the dynamics of a theology of ownership and power: the story of the biblical woman Tamar, in which she is horrifically raped, and the medieval fiction of Griselda and the cruel treatment inflicted by her husband. When monotheistic religions ally God with men more so than with women and equate women with matter, the body, and sin, while simultaneously demeaning all three, these religions create the bedrock upon which a theology of ownership can flourish.
