Gender, feminism and religion

Images of God in different religions
1. - Women see god more as a god of love, comfort and forgiveness
2. - Men see God as a god of power and control
3. In the Jewish religion, a person can only automatically be Jewish if their mother is. Recognition of the female connection with spirituality.
4. Christianity- men made in 'the image and glory of God' and women made 'for the glory of man'
5. In biblical texts women portrayed as acting charitably or bravely, but primary roles reserved for men.
6. The most prominent females in the Bible, can be interpreted as reinforcing patriarchal ideas. The dangers of female sexuality, the virtues of motherhood.
Sexuality and religion
1. Women's bodies and sexuality are felt to be dangerous by many religions.
2. Because women menstruate and give birth, they are considered to have a greater capacity to 'pollute' religious rituals.
3. A women's presence may distract the men from their more important roles involving religion.
4. Sexuality is an important issue. Bird (1999)
  1. Roman catholic priests are expected to be celibate.
  2. Christianity and Islam are apposed to homosexuality.
5. Turner (1983)- a disciplinary role with respect to sexuality is central to religion.
  1. The presence of women makes it harder for priestly duties to be carried out properly.
  2. Widespread importance is given to asceticism, a self-disciplined existence in which pleasure is repressed.
Women in religious organisations
1. Until recently, due to patriarchal attitudes, women have been barred from serving as priests in many of the world's great religions.
  1. The more traditional factions continue to bar them.
2. Simon and Nadell (1995) conducted research about women in religious organizations.
  1. Drawing on evidence from in-depth interviews with 32 female rabbis and 27 female members of the Protestant clergy.
    1. They concluded that the women conduct themselves in totally different ways to male members of their religious organizations.
      1. Describing themselves as less formal, more approachable and more people orientated etc.
Feminism and religion
1. Many Christian feminists argue that there will never be gender equality in the church so long as the notions of God continue to be associated with masculinity.
2. Mary Daly (1973, 1978)
  1. Suggests that Christianity itself is a patriarchal myth.
  2. The Christian story eliminated other 'goddess' religions.
  3. Christianity is rooted in male 'sado-rituals' with its 'torture cross symbolism', and it embodies women-hating.
3. Simone de Beauvoir
  1. Saw religion in a similar way to Marx.
  2. Oppresive to women, religion is used by the oppressors (men) to control the oppressed group (women).
  3. It also serves as a way of compensating women of their second class status.
4. El Sadaawi (1980)- a muslim feminist
  1. Patriarchal domination of religion, that came with the monotheistic reloigions, is to blame.
  2. Men wrote their scriptures, and the interpretation of them was almost exclusively male-orientated. This has enabled men to use religion as an abuse of power.
Is religion necessarily patriarchal?
1. Gender-neutral language has been introduced to many hymns and prayers.
2. Gross (1994)
  1. Detects signs of a post-patriarchal Buddism developing in the West, which doesn't differentiate roles for males and females.

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Gender, feminism and religion

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