"Holy Misogyny: Why the Sex and Gender Conflicts in the Early Church Still Matter" by April D. DeConick

http://www.continuumbooks.com/books/detail.aspx?BookId=133077&SubjectId=901&Subject2Id=963

I recommend this scholarly book that explains how the Feminine Face of God was wiped out in the Hebrew and  Christian Scripture. Explore the creation story and earliest Hebrew tradition of the Queen of Heaven, Shekinah, Sophia, etc.
Shows how the 'female' was systematically erased from the Christian tradition and explores surprising early Christian attitudes to sex, sin and women.
The next version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church needs to incorporate a fuller imaging of God or risk idolatry since God is beyond all images. The Holy One appears in feminine imagery in scripture in the beginning in the creation story, in the Books of Proverbs, Wisdom, Isaiah etc. Jesus uses feminine imagery too. ( See books presenting feminine imagery of God in the bible and Hebrew and Christian tradition that I have written or co-authored: Exploring the Feminine Face of God, Delighting in the Feminine Divine, Heart Talks with Mother God)
 When we see the feminine face of God, we will also see women as equal images of God and therefore, "worthy" to preside at the altar!
Kudos to April De Conick for this enlightening book that demonstrates patriarchy's sinful agenda in page after page of biblical scholarship.
The Vatican should start reading this book now. Let's hope for a quick condemnation, and a trip up the best seller list! It took them six years to read Margaret Farley's book, Just Love, but their scathing words of disapproval propelled it to the top of the best seller's list almost overnight. Way to go! Now millions know about Farley's work and thousands have bought the book. This goes to prove my theory that the Vatican is the gift that keeps on giving!
Bridget Mary Meehan, arcwp
www.arcwp.org