--- title: Essays – Church Life Journal | carolynpirtle description: carolynpirtle | --- Search [![churchlife](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/hubfs/Churchlife_Aug2016_Theme/Images/church-life-journal-white-horizontal-1.png)](http://churchlife.nd.edu/) - [Essays](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays) - [Articles](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles) - [Blog](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/blog-post) - [Contributors](http://churchlife.nd.edu/contributors/) All posts filed under: ESSAYS [![](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Pirtle1-crop.jpg)](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/2016/04/04/approaching-a-theology-of-womanhood-through-the-door-of-empathy) ## [Approaching a Theology of Womanhood Through the Door of Empathy](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/2016/04/04/approaching-a-theology-of-womanhood-through-the-door-of-empathy) Published by [Carolyn Pirtle](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/author/carolyn-pirtle) What does it mean to say, as Pope Francis did in 2013, that “we need to work harder to develop a more profound theology of the woman”?[\[1\]](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/topic/carolynpirtle#_edn1) For that matter, what would it mean to say that we need a more profound theology of manhood? For many in the Church today, particularly in the United States, this is a moot question, as even implying that there are essential differences between women and men is ... Share - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [April 04, 2016](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/2016/04/04/approaching-a-theology-of-womanhood-through-the-door-of-empathy) [Theology](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/topic/theology) / [Essays](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/topic/essays) / [carolynpirtle](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/topic/carolynpirtle) / [Incarnation](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/topic/incarnation) / [liturgy](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/topic/liturgy) / [Edith Stein](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/topic/edith-stein) / [empathy](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/topic/empathy) / [gender](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/topic/gender) ### Share [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmcgrathblog.nd.edu%2Fcategory%2Fessays%2Ftopic%2Fcarolynpirtle%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/linkedin-24x24.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmcgrathblog.nd.edu%2Fcategory%2Fessays%2Ftopic%2Fcarolynpirtle%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fmcgrathblog.nd.edu%2Fcategory%2Fessays%2Ftopic%2Fcarolynpirtle%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmcgrathblog.nd.edu%2Fcategory%2Fessays%2Ftopic%2Fcarolynpirtle%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Essays%20%E2%80%93%20Church%20Life%20Journal%20%7C%20carolynpirtle) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fmcgrathblog.nd.edu%2Fcategory%2Fessays%2Ftopic%2Fcarolynpirtle%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fmcgrathblog.nd.edu%2Fcategory%2Fessays%2Ftopic%2Fcarolynpirtle%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ### Categories - [Essays (36)](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/topic/essays) - [Culture (17)](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/topic/culture) - [Theology (10)](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/topic/theology) - [Practice (9)](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/topic/practice) - [Archive (8)](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/topic/archive) - [Pope Francis (8)](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays/topic/pope-francis) ![Institute for Church Life](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Churchlife_Aug2016_Theme/Images/icl-lockup-01.png?width=318&name=icl-lockup-01.png "Institute for Church Life") ### About the ICL The Institute for Church Life animates the University of Notre Dame’s direct service to the Church through outreach in theological education, research, faith formation, and leadership development. ### Church Life Journal - [About](http://churchlife.nd.edu/about/) - [Archives](http://churchlife.nd.edu/archives/) - [Contact](http://churchlife.nd.edu/contact/) - [Contributors](http://churchlife.nd.edu/contributors/) - [Journal Submission Guidelines](http://churchlife.nd.edu/journal-submission/) ### Follow Us - - - Copyright © 2016 University of Notre Dame | Institute for Church Life