Women in The Modern Era: Understanding Church as The Bride

Abstract

Abstrak
Di era modern, gereja menghadapi berbagai tantangan, salah satunya adalah pandangan terhadap wanita dan peran mereka. Ideologi feminis sangat memengaruhi peran wanita di zaman modern. Meskipun berakar dalam liberalisme, feminisme mencakup banyak aspek, seperti penahbisan wanita, kesetaraan dalam pernikahan, hak aborsi, bahasa netral untuk jenis kelamin dalam Alkitab, dan pencarian untuk ketuhanan yang feminin. Feminis Kristen sering kali merujuk pada ajaran agama dan ideologi di luar bukti-bukti Alkitab dan teks-teks Kristen lainnya. Wanita, khususnya istri, melambangkan citra pengantin, yaitu gereja di hadapan Kristus. Penelitian ini, menggunakan metode kualitatif dari Systematic Literature Review dan penelitian eksploratif, menelusuri naratif Alkitabiah tentang wanita seperti jatuhnya Hawa dan mengeksplorasi bagaimana feminisme telah memengaruhi pandangan gereja terhadap peran wanita sebagai istri yang dapat menghasilkan perpecahan pernikahan yang menghambat kesatuan di antara suami istri. Penelitian menemukan bahwa sementara feminisme cenderung mendorong istri untuk memiliki otonomi mereka sendiri, mereka melewatkan pesan yang terdapat pada Kejadian 3:15 yang dapat memecah kesatuan suami istri. Pemahaman terhadap peran wanita akan memberikan wawasan dan berkontribusi pada identitas dan posisi yang benar dari jemaat sebagai pengantin di hadapan Allah.

Abstract
In the modern era, the church faces various challenges, one of which is the view of women and their roles. Feminist ideology has greatly influenced the role of women in modern times. Although rooted in liberalism, feminism covers many aspects, such as women’s ordination, equality in marriage, abortion rights, gender-neutral language in the
Bible, and the search for a feminine deity. Christian feminists often refer to religious teachings and ideologies beyond the evidence of the Bible and other Christian texts. Women, especially wives, symbolize the image of the bride, the church before Christ. This research, using the qualitative method of Systematic Literature Review and exploratory research, traces the Biblical narrative of women such as the fall of Eve and explores how feminism has influenced the church’s view of women’s role as wives which can result in marital divisions that hinder unity between husband and wife. The research found that while feminism tends to encourage wives to have their own autonomy, they miss the message found in Genesis 3:15 which can fracture the unity of husband and wife. Understanding the role of women will provide insight and contribute to the correct identity and position of the church as a bride before God.