For the sake of this paper it will only be noted that, for the most part, Catholics in medieval times took the bible very seriously and quite literally.] Clare continues the appraisal of God as man in her letter to Ermentrude of Bruges as well: "Remain faithful until death, dearly beloved, to Him Whom you have promised yourself, for you shall be crowned by Him with the garland of life- (Clare, 207). God and all symbols of God are expressed as if God were a man. Because of the importance of the male figure in ancient times, expressions such as these were not uncommon and openly regarded as being true. We now live in a time where men and women share equal amounts of responsibilities in the western world. It is openly believed now that we should not regard God as a man for we do not really know what God is. The letter of the bible may refer to God as a man, but only because the people of that era would not be able understand otherwise. To say God is a woman would create a sense of instability and confusion because of how patriarchal society was at that time. The next examination will show us how this idea of God the Father leaked into the Catholic hierarchy of monks and nuns.
Next, the works of Francis and Clare demonstrate how gender plays a role in determining religious hierarchy amongst Brothers and Sisters under God. To start, Francis uses gender to identify various life-giving properties that come from God (this will serve as a basis for how Francis sees the roles of men and women in society): .
Praised be You, my Lord, with all your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, who is the day and through whom You give us light Praised be You through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful Praised be You through Brother Wind, and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather through which You give sustenance to Your creatures Praised be You through Sister Water, which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
