At its best, prophetic faith represents a decisive break with the pattern of religion that makes the divine a conforming theophany of the existing social order. Instead, the existing social order as a hierarchy of rich over poor, the powerful over the weak, is seen as contrary to God’s will, and apostasy to God’s intent for creational community. The revelation of God therefore appears as judgement against this apostate order. God comes as an advocate of the oppressed, overturner of an unjust order, whose action in history points forward to a reconstructed community that will fulfil God’s intent for creation, a time when God’s will shall be “done on earth as it is in heaven” . . .
According to Ruether, Jesus, as the messianic prophet, is the paradigmatic embodiment of this hope.As such, he denounces the political and religious leaders of his day who lust after power, prestige and wealth only to lord it over the defenceless. Simultaneously, to those without hope, those oppressed and denigrated by the unjust social structures of his day, Jesus brings the promise of salvation. The latter will overturn the system of status created by wealth, rank, education and religious observance. Thus the new era of justice Jesus envisages will transform all social structures that keep people in oppressive relationships with one another. Prophetic criticism and messianic hope, then, exist , for Ruether, as “principles of discernment by which the shortcomings of the present community are judges.” (Feminist theology quote: Mary Hembrow, The Christology of Rosemary Radford Ruether).
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