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Cooks Feminist Manifesto

I used to be one of the many people that said they were not a feminist because of the

negative connotation of the movement. Some may think that feminism is hating men, but I soon

found out that feminism is not that at all. I am a believer in equality. I am a Christian. I am a

woman. I am not perfect. And, I am a feminist. I believe that feminism is a movement to stop

inequality of women. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of what

type of person is a part of this movement based on religion and what type of lifestyle the person

lives. While some may disagree that one cannot be a Christian feminist, others maintain that

Christians can be feminist even with contradicting beliefs that are entailed with being one

(Adams). By examining Christian beliefs and the bible, I come to the understanding that my

feminism is best defined as a way to promote equality of all men and women by loving and

supporting each other.

Knowing the kind of feminist I consider myself, one may say I am interested in the

workings of Christian feminists through the Bible and the church, while proving that men and

women are equal. Equality is what can seem contradicting in Christianity, but it actually supports

feminism by loving everyone equally like Jesus would. For example, I am a Christian but I still

believe in women having equality and rights because of the first Bible verse I memorized as a

child: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son (John 3:16). God loves

the world equally, that is why he killed his own son and why I believe the world must love

equally as well whether you are a woman or man. I recently went to an event on campus called

She Clothed Herself in Strength: A Panel on Christian Faith and Feminism. The event opened

my eyes to new ideas and examples that I have never heard or thought about. The panel of

women spoke of God being a feminist, because he created Christianity to be loving and wanting
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the best for all men and women. One author that agrees with the panels reports is Char Adams.

Adams writes, In my eyes, Christians should be on the front lines of the feminist movement,

because God is a God of justice who loves us all equally (Adams 7). I love hearing that

Christians should be leading, fighting, and want equality because that is something important to

my feminist identity. My identity as a feminist is clear to me now, but I am still learning. I know

I can be both a Christian and a feminist, and knowing that makes me excited for what I can do in

the future with those two aspects of my life together.

My future goals and purpose in life are unknown but I know through my belief in the

Lord as well as support from my family, friends, and God I will find my purpose. The many

unknowns currently in my life affecting my future include being accepted into the nursing

program and making the softball team. The feeling of uncertainty is stressful, but my thought

process throughout the stress has been that God has a plan for me. He knows what is best for me,

and I am going to use what He gives me. In the future, I have thought about becoming a nurse. I

would like to find a way to bring my Christian feminist beliefs into the medical field or hospital I

work at by demonstrating with my actions how to be a Christian feminist nurse. Being a

Christian nurse could also open many doors outside of the United States, which is where I could

spread the Christian faith and help the people in need. Another important part of my future is not

just playing softball the next four years, but possibly coaching young athletes. The idea of

coaching is far in the future, but I believe I can make a big difference with women athletes. My

goal would be to inspire my players to be better women on every level of life, so they can

become successful, independent women. I believe my purpose is still unknown to me, but I know

God has one waiting for me to find. I believe my feminist identity can play a role in this journey
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of finding my future and purpose. I can feel my life developing into something bigger than

myself at Hope College.

My definition of feminism is important to me because my identity has been shaped by my

background and beliefs throughout my life, which differ greatly from one person to the next.

Being at Hope College has opened my eyes to many aspects of my life that could have been

lacking, which has only strengthened my feminist identity. My experience with the panel of

women and readings in class has opened my eyes to what my type of feminism is. I have learned

that feminism, to me, is a movement of equality which can include Christian women and men. I

will use my beliefs to demonstrate what it means to treat everyone equally in the workplace,

through sports, and in life. In conclusion, I define feminism as a way of letting people know

about equality through the love that Christianity provides.

Work Cited

Adams, Char. Im A Christian Feminist, Because Jesus Loves Women, and We should, Too.
Bustle, 27 July 2016, p.1-7. Bustle, www.bustle.com/articles/173684-im-a-christian-feminst-
because-jesus-loves-women-and-we-should-too.
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The Bible. Authorized King James Version, Oxford UP, 1998.