Radical Feminists & Religion

Jean Holm (1994)

• Public Sphere
• what the public see:
• dominated by men
• they receive the public credit & acknowledgement
• Private Sphere
• behind the scenes:
• female dominated- women confined to it
• socialisation of children into the religion
• organise religious events/ceremonies
• This is very important work but women get no recognition.
• There is evidence of gender inequalities in every world religion.
• (see next slide)

Patriarchy in World Religions

• Christianity:
• RCC: no women priests, bishops, or popes
• ('that door is closed' - Pope Francis)
• C of E: women priests since 1992, bishops since 2014
• Islam:
• during menstruation: not allowed to enter a mosque, touch the Qur'an, or pray
• some areas: women banned from mosques
• Qur'an arguably justifies the practice of FGM (contested)
• Buddhism:
• monks are more highly regarded than nuns
• sometimes taught that women are incapable of reaching Nirvana (awakening) without being reborn as a man first.
• Judaism:
• only men can fully participate in ceremonies
• eg Passover
• Orthodox synagogues: men & women pray separately
• men pray every day to a God, thanking Him
• "who has not made them a woman"
• Hinduism:
• only men can become Brahmanic priests
• women impure when pregnant & menstruating:
• not allowed to approach family shrines
• Sati: widow burning- no social standing without husband
• Sikhism:
• small proportion of women in positions of leadership
• evidence of female infanticide- boys celebrated

Simone De Beauvour (1953)

• Marxist feminist
• False Consciousness:
• Women are deceived by religion into thinking they are equal to men, because women are portrayed as being closer to God, because of the associations with nature & childbirth.
• This creates an Illusion of Parity (equality).
• This is used to fool women into receiving respect, which makes them think they are equals or superior, which pacifies them, which prevents revolution.
• Preventing Revolution:
• The promise of eternal bliss in heaven compensates for the present suffering. The promise of the afterlife prevents revolution.

Karen Armstrong (1993)

• Religion has not always been patriarchal
• Women were not always subordinate to men in religion
• - ideas of Mother Earth/Mother Goddess dominated (in fertility cults for example)
• Women were equal/favoured in early religions.
• Polytheism- many/multiple gods
• Greek Gods- male & female equal
• Religion became patriarchal with the rise of Monotheism
• Monotheistic religions have one all-powerful male God.
• Nowadays religion is patriarchal in society:
• Male characteristics are favoured in religion.
• The Ascent of Women (video). Catalhoyuk, Anatlia.
• Early civilisation/society
• no heirarchy
• no social class system
• no gender role divides
• same diet
• same jobs
• lived the same lives
• community ties rather than blood ties (no mother [expressive] or father [instrumental] figures/roles)
• Mother Goddess - The Seated Figure
• a woman's ability to produce life was revered
• Agricultural revolution, 4000BC, Sumer
• women completely equal to men (temples, money, property, marriage, divorce, education)
• women were the favoured gods in early civilisation, now its male gods

El Saadawi (1980)

• Religion is used to justify male privilege.
• "All religions speak of truth, equality, justice, love...
• whether men or women."
• at its core, religion promotes equality and is egalitarian
• rise of patriarchy in society - men gained privilege - men used their status to reinterpret religion to benefit themselves & justify their position/status in society
• eg Eve: in the OT she is portrayed as intelligent, with superior mental capacities. As men gained status they reinterpreted it as Eve being manipulative and seducing Adam to do wrong. Nowadays Eve is seen as a temptress and the one who created and is responsible for sin.
• In today's society religion is used to justify male privilege.
• Islam Unveiled (video).
• the Qur'an promotes "kindness & equity"
• it condemns the devaluing of girls
• there is no concept in if of arranged marriage, FGM, and the justified beating of women
• This documentary support's El Saadawi's view that religion is at its core equal, but the interpretation of it is patriarchal.

Evaluation

• Ignores progress
• 2014: first female Bishop, Libby Lane, in C of E.
• Sikkhism: Guru Nanak promotes equality, egalitarian world religion.
• 1972: Female Rabbi's in Judaism.
• Ignores positive aspects of religion:
• women given preferential treatment in Islamic wedding ceremonies
• It gives women community & a sense of purpose and belonging
• Ignores the fact that religion can disadvantage men too:
• Caste system in Hinduism
• Women are not just passive victims of religious oppression who accept it.
• women are using the Qur'an to challenge patriarchal practices in Islam eg FGM, arranged marriages, and women not being allowed to drive (Saudi)