GYN/ECOLOGY: The Metaethics of Radical Feminism

by Mary Daly ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 19, 1978

Theologian/philosopher Daly (The Church and the Second Sex, Rev. 1975; Beyond God the Father, 1973) has written ""an extremist book. . . on the edge of a culture that is killing itself."" Conceived as a radical feminist ""Voyage"" of woman becoming herself, it is made up of three ""Passages."" The First denounces the reversals and deceptions (""mind pollution"") of patriarchal disciplines (including ""Godfather"" theology) and exuberantly sets out to ""discover"" the true ""Croneology"" behind that male mystification. The Second Passage, ""the most somber part of the Journey,"" analyzes Goddess-murder (and the murder of the Goddess in every woman) through the ""Sado-Rituals"" of five specific historic atrocities: Indian suttee, Chinese footbinding, African genital mutilation, European witchburning, and American gynecology and psychotherapy (gynecology of the mind practiced by the-rapists). Following this ""exorcism,"" the Voyager moves in the Third Passage to the Otherworld of lesbian-feminist Spinsters who successfully scorn patriarchal intimidation (""Spooking""), stir ""the fire of female friendship"" (""Sparking""), and--after a rip-roaring ""Unraveling"" gÖtterdÄmmerung--joyously spin on as Revolting Hags. En route Daly purposefully busts out of some traditional (male) forms and language. Although the word-work of the ""living/verbing writer"" sometimes gets in the way/weigh of flashing in-sights, a painstaking indictment of scholarly ""erasure"" of historic events, and some bone-chilling facts of women's story, Daly's excursion is bound to inspire Spinsters/ Spider Women everywhere and to leave just about everyone else haggard and in-fury-ated.

Pub Date: Jan. 19, 1978

ISBN: 0807014133

Page Count: -

Publisher: Beacon

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1978

Categories: NONFICTION