Feminism and Religion: How Faiths View Women and Their Rights (Women's Psychology)

Renowned subject experts Michele A. Paludi and J. Harold Ellens lead readers through a detailed exploration of the feminist methods, issues, and theoretical frameworks that have made women central, not marginal, to religions around the world. At a conference in 2013, Gloria Steinem noted that religion is the "biggest problem" facing feminism today. In this insightful volume, a team of researchers, psychologists, and religious leaders led by editors Michele A. Paludi and J. Harold Ellens supply their expertise and informed opinions to examine the problems, spur understanding, and pose solutions to the conflicts between religion and women's rights, thereby advocating a global interest in justice and love for women. Examples of subjects addressed include the pro-life/pro-choice debate, feminism in new age thought, and the complex intersections of religion and feminism combined with gender, race, and ethnicity. The contributed work in this unique single-volume book enables a better understanding of how various religions view womenboth traditionally and in the modern contextand how feminist thinking has changed the roles of women in some world religions. Readers will come away with clear ideas about how religious cultures can honor feminist values, such as family-friendly workplace policies, reproductive justice, and pay equity, and will be prepared to engage in conversation and constructive debate regarding how faith and feminism are interrelated today. Introduction / Michele A. Paludi Views from the Bible and Buddhism to the Quran and Taoism. Is Faith in the Bible and Feminism Compatible? / Virginia Ingram ; The Goddess-worshipping age : feminist egalitarianism in prehistory and early history / Maija Jespersen ; Feminist perspectives from the Hebrew Bible / Ilona Rashkow ; The Church, woman, leadership, and the body / Silvia Geruza Fernandez Rodriguez ; Feminism re-frames who wrote Hebrew scriptures : 10th-Century Tamar, the "master" storyteller / Adrien J. Bledstein ; Women in the Holy Quran / Sayyed Mohsen Fatemi ; Feminism in Hinduism : female deities and their influence on South Asian culture / Divyaben Patel, Katherine Anne E. Scott, Paula K. Lundberg-Love, and Jeannine M. Galusha-Glasscock ; Feminism in Buddhism / Linda Chiang ; Femineity in the gospel of John / Kamila Blesing ; Feminism in the Eastern Orthodox Church / Maria Stoyadinova ; The mystical feminine in Baha'i scriptures / Paula A. Drewek Religious philosophy in feminism and feminist action. Martial religion, ravaging warfare, and rape : polytheistic Greek and monotheistic Israelite views / Kathy L. Gaca ; Judaism and feminism / Ilona Rashkow ; A room prepared : women and the mystic experience / Anna Byrne ; The feminine spiritual / Deborah Brock ; Feminism and the pro-life/pro-choice debate / Jennifer Elisa Veninga ; Historical resonances of the feminine in the Brazilian Christian religions / Patricia Nobre ; Faith and feminism : resolving the gender issue through mythology and archetype / Deborah Brock ; Feminist, womanist, and mujerista theologies in conversation / Suzanne M. Coyle ; Confucianism and feminism / Mary Wittbold ; Men are not yang and women are not yin : gender construction in the Tao Te Ching and the I Ching / Maija Jespersen ; American Muslim women and faith-inspired activism / Asma Uddin and Firdaus Arastu ; Special women in the Holy Quran / Sayyed Mohsen Fatemi ; Feminism and the future of religion / J. Harold Ellens. Cover page 1 Halftitle page 2 Series page 3 Title page 4 Copyright page 5 Epigraph 6 Contents 8 Series Foreword 12 Foreword 16 Acknowledgments 18 Introduction 20 Part I Views from the Bible and Buddhism to the Quran and Taoism 32 Chapter 1 Is Faith in the Bible and Feminism Compatible? 34 Chapter 2 The Goddess-Worshipping Age: Feminist Egalitarianism in Prehistory and Early History 48 Chapter 3 Feminist Perspectives from the Hebrew Bible 70 Chapter 4 The Church, Woman, Leadership, and the Body 90 Chapter 5 Feminism Re-frames Who Wrote Hebrew Scriptures: 10th-Century Tamar, the “Master” Storyteller 106 Chapter 6 Women in the Holy Quran 126 Chapter 7 Feminism in Hinduism: Female Deities and Their Influence on South Asian Culture 134 Chapter 8 Feminism in Buddhism 148 Chapter 9 Femineity in the Gospel of John 160 Chapter 10 Feminism in the Eastern Orthodox Church 174 Chapter 11 The Mystical Feminine in Baha’i Scriptures 188 Part II Religious Philosophy in Feminism and Feminist Action 202 Chapter 12 Martial Religion, Ravaging Warfare, and Rape: Polytheistic Greek and Monotheistic Israelite Views 204 Chapter 13 Judaism and Feminism 236 Chapter 14 A Room Prepared: Women and the Mystic Experience 252 Chapter 15 The Feminine Spiritual 266 Chapter 16 Feminism and the Pro-Life/Pro-Choice Debate 280 Chapter 17 Historical Resonances of the Feminine in the Brazilian Christian Religions 294 Chapter 18 Faith and Feminism: Resolving the Gender Issue through Mythology and Archetype 308 Chapter 19 Feminist, Womanist, and Mujerista Theologies in Conversation 324 Chapter 20 Confucianism and Feminism 334 Chapter 21 Men Are Not Yang and Women Are Not Yin: Gender Construction in the Tao Te Ching and the I Ching 352 Chapter 22 American Muslim Women and Faith-Inspired Activism 366 Chapter 23 Special Women in the Holy Quran 390 Chapter 24 Feminism and the Future of Religion 396 About the Editors and Contributors 402 Index 412 At a conference in 2013, Gloria Steinem noted that religion is the "biggest problem" facing feminism today. In this insightful volume, a team of researchers, psychologists, and religious leaders led by editors Michele A. Paludi and J. Harold Ellens supply their expertise and informed opinions to examine the problems, spur understanding, and pose solutions to the conflicts between religion and women's rights, thereby advocating a global interest in justice and love for women. Examples of subjects addressed include the pro-life/pro-choice debate, feminism in new age thought, and the complex intersections of religion and feminism combined with gender, race, and ethnicity. The contributed work in this unique single-volume book enables a better understanding of how various religions view women--both traditionally and in the modern context--and how feminist thinking has changed the roles of women in some world religions. Readers will come away with clear ideas about how religious cultures can honor feminist values, such as family-friendly workplace policies, reproductive justice, and pay equity, and will be prepared to engage in conversation and constructive debate regarding how faith and feminism are interrelated today. (Publisher) This book enables a better understanding of how various religions view women--both traditionally and in the modern context--and how feminist thinking has changed the roles of women in some world religions. It explores how theology speaks to women's experiences in the family, in relationships, at work, in politics, and in education, while also addressing atheist viewpoints and experiences This book addresses feminism in several religions and explores how theology speaks to women's experiences in the family, in relationships, at work, in politics, and in education, while also addressing atheist viewpoints and experiences