Psephogynism

Psephogynism is the belief that women should not be subjected to men.

"Patriarchy (male dominance) is not a biblical ideal but a result of sin. Patriarchy is an abuse of power, taking from females what God has given them, their dignity, and freedom, their leadership, and often their very lives."

Christians For Biblical Equality, Core Values, c.1988. (For present purposes their "Patriarchy" is equivalent to Androcracy.)

Enantiopsephogynism is the belief that women should be subjected to men.

"Women are subject to their men in everything. ... Let the woman fear her man."

Ephesians 5:24-33, c.58 CE. "Fear" is phobEtai. Admittedly, Paul urges the woman to cultivate the fear, not the man to engender it, but still, fear is fear.

Specifically, Psephogynism denotes support for votes for women (Greek psephos = vote, gynE = woman).

The historic "Votes for Women" debate is the classic arena in which the broader issue was debated, so it seems apt to use the word synecdochally, especially since control of the use of force, which of course is what political voting is always about, is as distinctively masculine a function as could be wished.

The Ephesians passage, repeated with variations by other New Testament authors, suggests that this heresy may have arisen very early. But it seems quickly to have been suppressed, and I know of no clear statement of it until modern times.

For instance, take the 19th century Votes for Women movement and its roots in Whig England; to call these Christianoid (and therefore heretical rather than merely wrong) would unduly stretch the term. Further back, there may be relevant statements in the Radical Reformation, but I have not seen them, and am too unfamiliar with that literature to judge whether they are likely to be found.

Back to "Christian" Feminism.