Feminist Theories - beliefs

Simone De Beauvior (Radical Feminist):

• Argues that gender rather than one's economic situation determines position in society. She claims tht the true function of religion is to perpetuate male dominance of society through the promotion of patriarchal alues (the notion that religion socializes women into accepting a subordinate role in society often with thw promise of a reward in the afterlife).

• Women will be rewarded for their religious devotion when they make their ascent into heaven according to De Beauvoir.

• Religion functions to maintain the status quo.

• It is a conservative force as opposed to a revolutionary force i.e. helping to perpetuate patriarchy.

Merlin Stone (Radical Feminist):

• Argued that men have seized control of various sacred texts in order to maintain patricarchal control over women. 

• She argues that the original writers of the Jewish holy book (the Torah) deliberatelt interpreted the word of God in a way that ensured the marginalisation (being pushed to the edge of society and denied the oppertunity to effect social change e.g. by not allowing women to take part in certain key…