The Loneliness of the Conservative Christian Feminist

In her timely op-ed, Zoya Gjonaj looks into how Christianity and Feminism intersect in the modern world. 

The Problem

Mainstream feminism would have you believe that, as a conservative Christian woman, you have no business calling yourself a feminist. You might feel that feminist ideals are embodied by liberal-minded Democrats alone, and being pro-life is inherently anti-woman and anti-progress. The very women claiming to uphold women’s equality and freedom would deny you the right to have an opinion different from their own. If you wouldn’t bid on a dinner with Amy Schumer, you’re not allowed to be a feminist.

As a young, educated, conservative Christian woman witnessing the desperate need for the empowerment of women and girls, I disagree.

I believe feminism has largely failed women. As a consumer living in a major metro area, reading major publications, I know what I see. All around me is the evidence of a society increasingly more defined by materialism and the outward appearance; it is the Kardashian Age, where lips are getting bigger, lifestyles more expensive, and social media is king. Even articles on shattering the glass ceiling include links on “Best Interview Makeup Looks”, or “The C-Suite Wardrobe To Die For”. Allowing society to define a woman’s worth by her looks and her expensive things is the very heart of anti-feminism, and yet mainstream feminists applaud the supposed “freedom” of sexuality they have bestowed upon us and the many paths they have paved for us and for our daughters. But all I see are girls who are taught to be even more reliant upon the opinions of others in defining their self-worth, rather than finding peace in knowing that God created you equal to any man, with a brilliant mind and a soul worth saving.

A Christian’s Response

In Christianity I find the incredibly empowering belief that both men and women are made in the very image of God, a God who loved me enough to die for my sins; I am valuable because I am His child, and both my mind and my body are to be respected as made in His image. In motherhood I have witnessed the incredible miracle of life, and will never again be silent on the horrors of abortion. In politics I believe the Constitution should be rigorously defended and states’ rights maintained. Mainstream feminism condemns these beliefs. Yet I firmly believe in women’s rights.

I believe a woman’s mind is as credible and intelligent as her male peers. I believe a woman should be paid as much as her male counterpart. I find it irritating when a man dismisses a woman’s opinion because she is too “emotional”. When I see strong, passionate women, I believe more than ever that a woman’s potential power and influence is truly boundless.

There is no contradiction here. As a conservative Christian woman, you can vote Republican and still be a feminist; you can be a passionate champion for the lives of unborn children without being any less a champion of women’s rights; and, unshackled from the hollow expectations of a decaying Western world, you can break barriers armed with the power and confidence of Christ.

Zoya Gjonaj is a contriubtor to the Daily Runner.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by the Daily Runner or Regent University.