Fratelli Tutti: A Feminist Biblical-Theological Appraisal

With immense gratitude to God for the person, vision and mission of Pope Francis who titled his Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (FT) after the example of St. Francis of Assisi, my paper makes a modest attempt to unearth the significance of FT.

True to the title of the paper, it must be said that, in the light of today’s post-Vatican thinking and women’s movements, the traditional understanding of the Bible needs to be reviewed and reinterpreted. The Bible, regarded as synonymous with the Word of God, is liberative and empowering. However, it comes to us mediated by human beings, languages and thought patterns conditioned by their particular age and culture. Hence, we should not allow to be victimised by the androcentric and sexist elements in biblical texts. A holistic approach to biblical and theological studies ought to be developed, keeping in mind the emergence of feminist liberation hermeneutics and theology.