In His image: A rhetorical analysis of the mythic androcentrism of the Roman Catholic Church
Abstract
This study describes, interprets, and analyzes the androcentric rhetoric of the modern papacy of the Roman Catholic Church to determine its impact on women in the faith. The modern papacy is defined as the era beginning with the First Vatican Council in 1871 and continuing to the present day. Three themes are examined in the rhetoric of the popes of the modern era: (1) the nature of woman; (2) the dignity/equality of woman; and (3) the vocation of woman. These themes are critiqued as myths, or sacred stories of identity and purpose, of the Roman Catholic Church which constrain the words and actions of contemporary American Church leaders. The theories of Kenneth Burke, Ernst Cassirer, and Northrop Frye inform this study's vision of myths.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Stewart, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Communication|Religion|Philosophy|Folklore|Womens studies
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