Feminism and religion

Question 1

What are the 4 ways by which feminists see religion as being a product of patriarchy

Answer 1

1. Religious organisations
2. Places of worship
3. Sacred texts
4. Religious laws and customs

Question 2

1. Religious organisations
   - What about them
   - How does this relate to Christianity
   - What is Armstrongs conclusion on this

Answer 2

WHAT: They’re patriarchal
CHRISTIANITY: Women are forbidden from becoming priest, despite taking part in more religious organisation
ARMSTRONG: Is evidence of women’s marginalisation

Question 3

2. Places of worship
   - What about them
   - What about women’s participation in places of worship, give an example
   - What about menstruation, give an example
   - What is Holm’s conclusion on this

Answer 3

WHAT: Segregate the sexes and marginalise women
PARTICIPATION: May be rejected
e.g., not being allowed to preach or read sacred texts
MENSTRUATION: Many taboos surrounding it
e.g., in Islam, women arrest allowed to touch the Quran when menstruating
HOLM: Sees this as the devaluation of women in religion

Question 4

3. Sacred texts
   - What about them
   - How can sacred texts be anti-female, give an example

Answer 4

WHAT: Largely feature the doings of males and are written and interpreted by men
ANTI-FEMALE: E.g. the creation story depicting Eve as causing humanities fall from grace

Question 5

4. Religious laws and customs
   - What about them, give examples
   - How can religious laws and customs cause immoral treatment, give an example
   - What does Woodhead say about religious laws and customs, give the example

Answer 5

WHAT: Many women have fewer rights than men
e.g., access to divorce, how many spouses they can marry
IMMORAL TREATMENT: Genital mutilation for example
WOODHEAD: Says the exclusion of women becoming priests is evidence of women’s emancipation, being unaccepted generally - religion also legitimate women’s domestic, subjugated role

Question 6

Criticisms
- Armstrong - ‘early religions’
What does she say stopped this

Answer 6

ARMSTRONG: Early religions often placed women at the centre like early Mother Earth and goddesses, fertility cults etc
WHAT: Rise of MONOTHEISTIC religions saw an all male god like Jehovah and male Islamic prophets

Question 7

Criticisms

• El Saawawi - ‘Acquired oppression’
• How does she explain oppression from religion to women
• Why does this happen

Answer 7

RELIGION: It does oppress women, but its not the main reason for their subordination
WHY: From patriarchal forms of society coming into existence, as once in existence, patriarchy began to influence religion and RESHAPE it.

Question 8

Criticisms

• Woodhead - ‘religious forms of feminism’
• What specifically does she criticise about feminist explanations of religion and oppression to women
• What does she mean when she talks about religious forms of feminism
• Give an example of this argument

Answer 8

CRITICISE: Feminist explanations that just equate religion with patriarchy and women’s oppression
- She doesn’t believe oppression is prevalent in all religions, while accepting this is very true of many traditional religions
RELIGIOUS FORMS OF FEMINISM: ways by which women use religion to gain greater freedom and respects
EXAMPLE: Many women who wear the hijab, though seen as oppressive to Western females, is actually a symbol of liberation and freedom for those who wear it.

Question 9

Criticisms

• Rinaldo - ‘piety movements’
• What are these
• How do they still prove beneficial for women
• What did she find is still a limitation of this

Answer 9

WHAT: They’re conservative movements that support traditional teachings about womens role
BENEFICIAL: Women may use religion to still further their own interest.
LIMITATION: Women who can join piety movements of this are mainly only MC women, as they’re more likely to have the necessary materials like income and education to pursue their goal