Feminism

• like functionalists and marxists, feminists argue that religion acts as a conservative force that helps maintain the status quo, being the patriarchal society we live in
• feminists examine how religious texts, doctrines and practise often assign women with subordinate roles, reinforcing sexist ideals, thus limiting women’s access to high positions of power
• religious texts were found to be heavily male-centred through the use of male-centred language, imagery and leadership, subtly implying that men are closer to the divine, and that women are inherently inferior
• • religion is male-dominated, this can be see in Catholicism, in which women are forbidden to become priests
  • again, this barrier to positions of high importance within the structure of the church reinforces the marginality that women face
• women are often devalued throughout religion, evidenced by how in Islam women are not allowed to touch the Qu’ran during menstruation
• many holy texts feature men as Gods and prophets, whereas women are often assigned an anti-female stereotype, an example being how Eve is often associated with the downfall of humanity
• there is a stained glass ceiling in which women are at the bottom of the ladder in religious institutions, they face an invisible barrier of discrimination and prejudice
• Aldridge

  • the veiling of women to add a layer of anonymity serves as a symbol of oppression
  • women are viewed as polluting, corrupting and sexual predators
• radical feminists don’t believe that religion is inherrently patriarchal, but instead has been hijacked overtime by men who have downplayed the role of women in the development of mainstream religion