feminism

• feminism on religion

  -religion is patriarchal, it reflects the inequalities & justifies the oppression of women

  -religion compensates for the oppression by offering rewards in the afterlife
• Davie (1994)

  -women see God as love & forgiveness. Women feel closer to God as they're nurturing and give life

  -men see God as power & control. God is the top of the patriarchy, he is more powerful than men
• Aldrige

  -2 schools of thought

  -traditionalists: religion & faith are divine. They are separate from culture

  -modernists: religion cannot be culture free

  -feminists are modernists
• stained glass celling

  -women are marginalised in organised religions

  -they are restricted to lower levels of the religion e.g., cannot be a priest
• laws & customs

  -religious norms & laws

  -women have less rights than men

  -examples: catholic church banning abortions, women having a dress code, different punishments

  -oppresses women
• religious organisations

  -people who run the church

  -example: women can't be rabbis in orthodox judaism; has only been 1 female pope in 9th century

  -religion is male dominated
• sacred texts

  -religious texts that people follow

  -majority of Gods are male, males are powerful

  -example: men & women sitting separately in orthodox synagogue

  -religion is male centred
• places of worship

  -spaces for people to worship

  -women cannot move up in these place e.g., cannot do the higher jobs

  -example: women can't be priests

  -religion excludes women
• De Beauvior

  -the second sex

  -women accept their position in society as religion justifies it

  -religion teaches that men and women are meant to be unequal

  -religion makes women think that their role in society is holy/divine

  -religion creates a false-class consciousness as women do not see that they are inferior
• scripture relating to the second sex

  "women should remain silent in the church". Women are put below men.
• Armstrong

  -women used to be the centre of religion e.g., earth Goddess

  -women were later removed from religion which made it patriarchal

  -women should be put back in religion to make it less patriarchal

  -religion isn't inherently patriarchal/a conservative force - there was a change over time
• El Saadawi

  -religion was reinterpreted by men which made it patriarchal e.g., interpreting Eve to be sin.

  -religions have been developed in patriarchal societies

  -issue lies within society
• AO3 - religion as patriarchal

  Religion is not always patriarchal:

  -Wright: reform Judaism allows women to be rabbis, women also sit with men in the synagogue

  -Holm: Quakerism strive for equality

  -Badui: married women can keep their last name
• Woodhead

  -'religious forms of feminism'

  -women use religion to get respect & freedom

  -Hijabs or veils are a symbol of liberation for Muslim women, they're a symbol against oppression

  -women use their religion to gain status & respect at home/in the family

  -religion isn't always patriarchal