Iconoclastic Iconographer Mary Jane Miller

If you were ever wondering why the priesthood continues to think woman are somehow less than men, remember in their catechism and seminary, for centuries they have stumbled across text like the following one. Sadly, the church authroities have no found enough words to shape cultural bias, women are not and never were inferior to men in God's eyes. Not by nature or by law.

St Thomas Aquinas reflects his cultural attitude:..."of the individual nature, women are defective and misbegotten. for the active power of the male seed tends to the production of a perfect likeness in the masculine sex; while the production of a women comes from defect in the active power..." Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica. Text like this by great theologians, though valuable in some age past is intolerable now.

Jesus welcomed women as disciples:”Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women.... Mary, called Magdalene, ..Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward and Susanna,and many others, who provided for them out of their means” Luke 8:1-3. I might say this alludes to the women were the cooks and supplied the food only and did not teach? Again this language is ineffective for the world we live in today. The Clergy has an obligation to rectify this and not use “ IT IS GOD'S WORD “and cannot be changed! Read More

In Light of Women  is a new publication, incorporating 24 full-color icons, The images were painted by Mary Jane Miller and are juxtaposed with historical text, the icons religious context and her reflections inspired by meditation and thoughts about this ancient technique and prayer form. Miller spent many years noticing that women are less represented and portrayed throughout church. The Mother of Jesus is by far the most common and predictable. Yet other women of importance are referred to as harlots, hysterical or rebellious. Miller believes there is more to be said about their presence and wisdom.

Many of us accept that the divine spirit guided the writers of the Bible, it was the mind of man inspired by God the same way we would be inspired today. The Holy Spirit did not descend and ascend back to the heavens only once, we are inspired humans walking in a divine likeness, we leave words and images everywhere, all inspired by God's spirit. Changing the slant and interpretation of words and image does in no way wipe out the influence the Bible story and the profound effect it has had on humanity. Christians are still on a learning journey, often a tortuous one, towards a greater understanding of the entity we call God.

Part of learning to be a great Christian Woman is being prepared to acknowledge that parts of the Bible are considerably misogynistic, not because the men who wrote the words were ignorant of women participating, but because in a context typical of first century Judea women were not simply discriminated against, but often enough brutalized. Seen in this light, the passage by the Apostle Paul saying 'women should learn’ becomes actually quite revolutionary. Given that the instruction was issued within a society which didn’t educate women seems Christ was indeed trying to balance the behavior with a new mind. Women have been waiting for nearly 2,000 years to be given an equal but different place in the kingdom, before they die. I would like to contribute to that end before I die.

The book was designed and written for study groups focusing on Women’s Biblical studies, I do hope you will consider contacting me with any questions you may have.

Thank you for your time and attention, peace