Western culture and religion have a long, painful history of demeaning the female by identifying her with the body and with nature, while elevating the male by identifying him with reason and spirit. As a result, feminists are of two minds about aligning themselves with embodiment of any sort. Some insist that to do so is to reinforce the stereotypes that have oppressed women for centuries, while others feel that the liberation and salvation of women rest upon such an identification.

-Sallie McFague