Gender and Religion
- Created by: Megan
- Created on: 29-01-15 16:47
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- Gender and Religion
- How women and men view God
- DAVIE (1994) found that - Women see God as loving, comforting and forgiving. Where as men see God as having power and control
- Gender Inequality in Religion
- Patriarchal attitudes have prevented women serving as priests until recently (CofE voted for female vicars in 1992)
- Islamic groups, Orthodox Jews and The Catholic Church continue to exclude women from hierarchy
- However, women have long been accepted as ministers in many sects and denominations
- The requirement to love, honour and OBEY is now optional in the Christian marriage ceremony
- Sexuality and Religion
- Women's bodies and sexuality are seen as dangerous by many religions
- Because women menstruate and give birth they are seen to have greater capacity to pollute religious rituals
- e.g. Hindu women are prohibited from approaching the family shrine when pregnant or menstruating
- e.g. Muslim women are not allowed to touch the Qur'an, go into a mosque or pray when menstruating
- There presence may distract the men from their more important roles involving worship
- Because women menstruate and give birth they are seen to have greater capacity to pollute religious rituals
- Women's bodies and sexuality are seen as dangerous by many religions
- FEMINISM and Religion
- Many feminists claim religion is a patriarchal institution
- Teachings and practices from a range of religions suggest that they systematically benefit males over females
- Many Christian feminists argue that there will never be gender equality in the church so long as notions of gender are attached to the understanding of God
- SIMONE DE BEAUVIOR (1949)
- Sees religion as oppressive to women
- Religion is used by men to control women
- It serves as a way of compensating women for their second class status
- Religion gives women the false belief that they will be compensated for their sufferings in heaven
- Women are vital to religion as they do much of the work for religious organisations and introduce children to religious beliefs
- She concludes; "Religion gives her the guide, father, lover, divine guardian she longs for nostalgically; it feeds her daydreams, it fills her empty hours. But, above all, it confirms the social order, it justifies her resignation by giving hope of a better future in a sexless heaven".
- Sees religion as oppressive to women
- NAWAL EL SAADAWI (1980)
- Muslim feminist
- Doesn't blame religion itself for its oppression of women, but the patriarchal domination of religion that came with the development of the monotheistic religions (MT)
- She argues MT religions dew their inspiration from the patriarchal societies that existed at the time
- Men wrote scriptures, and the interpretation of them was almost exclusively male
- Men distort religion to serve their own interests
- Men use religion as an abuse of power
- e.g. in the 14th century the Catholic Church declared that women that threat illnesses without proper training were witches and could be executed
- Men use religion as an abuse of power
- Some feminists include worship and the limitations of women in religion
- In worship, women tend to be the main attenders but their role is secondary
- e.g. Orthodox Jewish women cannot read the Torah scroll or participate in symbolic actions at festivals
- Females are limited in where they can go.
- e.g. Orthodox Judaism women sit in the balconies or the back above the main space so as not to distract the males
- In worship, women tend to be the main attenders but their role is secondary
- CRITICISMS
- It should not be assumed that all religions are oppressive
- e.g. In Catholicism becoming a nun can be seen as either oppressive or highly liberating
- BADAWI (1994) points out that in Islam women keep their family name after marriage
- WRIGHT (1994) - points out that Reform Judaism has allowed women to become Rabbis since 1972
- Furthermore Quakerism has never been oppressive to women
- WATSON (1994) - Argues the veiling of Islamic women can be interpreted as beneficial to them
- e.g. Nadia a second gen. British-Asian woman started to wear a veil at 16 as she was proud to be a muslim
- It should not be assumed that all religions are oppressive
- How women and men view God
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