Feminist theories of Religion.

TOPIC 1: FEMINIST THEORIES OF RELIGION

·              Feminists view society and religion as patriarchal.

EVIDENCE OF PATRIARCHY:

·         Religious organisations- Male dominated, despite women often participating more than men in these organisations. E.g. male bishops, popes, priests.

Orthodox Judaism and Christianity forbids women to become priests. Armstrong sees women’s exclusion as evidence of their marginalisation.

·         Places of worship- gender segregation in places of worship such as men occupying more sacred spaces and women being elsewhere. Women’s participation is also limited as they may not be able to preach or read from sacred texts in some religions.

E.g. in Islam, menstruating women cannot touch the Qur’an. Holm sees this as the devaluation of women in contemporary religion.

·         Sacred texts- mainly feature male Gods/prophets and texts are primarily interpreted/written by men. Stories often illustrate anti-female stereotypes such as in the Judaeo-Christian story of Genesis, Eve Who caused the fall from grace and expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

·         Religious laws andcustoms - Women have less rights then men- for example dress code, access to…