earticle

영어

God created male and female according to the image of God. The body as female or male, as well as mind and spirit, reflect God's image.
Nevertheless, the bodies of females and their experiences have been often regarded as "imperfect," or "inferior" to those of males in the patriarchal teachings in Christianity. Especially, menstruation has been regarded as a "filthy" and this misunderstanding of societies to which pubescent girls belong hurts them psychologically and emotionally and hinders them from acquiring the appropriate identities.
Ritualizing of menstruation is one of the ways in which females rediscover the dignity and value of their bodies and their experiences as God's image. As a rite of passage, the ritual for pubescent girls' menstruation facilitates the change from one stage another, influencing them to build sound identities in regard to their bodies and sexuality. In the ritual, women, especially pubescent girls, should learn the value of women’s menstruation and other women’s bodily experiences. The positive acceptance of bodily experiences is the essence of the feminist ritual spirituality.
Ritualizing women’s menstruation is imperative because negative understandings still afflict women’s status and identities as well as their understanding of God as the origin of their identities. Through ritualizing menstruation within women's subjectivity, women can create a new and just pathway for their futures and for the next generations.