Feminist theories of religion

• Religious feminism


  Ways women use religion to gain greater freedom and respect
• Symbols of resistance for Muslim women

  • The Hijab
• Ways women gain status and respect in conservative religions


  • Strongly held belief among Pentecostal and evangelical Christians that men must respect women
• Position of women in liberal Protestant organisations


  • Since 1992, the Church of England has admitted women to the priesthood; About a third of its priests are now female
  • Other Protestant denominations, reform Judaism and Sikhism all allow women priests
• Examples of patriarchy in religion


  • Religious organisations are mainly male dominated; E.G orthodox Judaism and Catholicism forbid women from becoming priests
  • Places of worship often segregate the sexes and marginalised women in acts of worship, e.g. not being allowed to preach or to read from sacred texts
  • Sacred texts largely featured the doings of male gods and prophets and often reflect anti female stereotypes, e.g. Eve in the Judaeo-Christian story of genesis
  • Religious laws and customs often give women fewer rights than men, E.G in access to divorce, dress codes etc.
  • Some religions legitimate and regulate women's traditional domestic and reproductive role, e.g. the Catholic Church bans abortion and artificial contraception
• Some feminists argue that women have not always been subordinate to men within religion