Feminist View of Religion

Question 1

What did De Beauviour say about religion?

Answer 1

• Saw the role of religion as oppressive to women
• Religion is used by the oppressors to control the oppressed group (men->women)
• Serves a way of compensating women for their 2nd class status
• Religion confirms social order, justified her resignation by giving hope of a better future in a ‘sexless heaven’

Question 2

What did El Saadawi say about religion?

Answer 2

• Doesn’t blame religion for its oppressive influences on women but the patriarchal domination
• Patriarchal dominance of religion came with monotheistic religions
• Men wrote their sculptures and scriptures and were interpreted by them so they used them to justify their dominance and abuse power (they became priests, theologians and Imans)
• Religions drew inspiration and guidance from the patriarchy and class societies prevalent at the same time

Question 3

How does Daly view religion?

Answer 3

• Christianity is a patriarchal myth
• The rise of monotheism led to the death of the goddess
• Christian story eliminated other ‘Goddess’ religions
• Christianity is rooted in male ‘sado-rituals’ with its ‘torture cross symbolism’ and that it embodies women hating
• There will never be gender equality in the church

Question 4

How does Woodhead view religion?

Answer 4

• Criticises female explanation of religious patriarchy
• Traditional religion is patriarchal but not all religions are
• There are ‘religious forms of feminism’

EX. Veiling can be liberating
Latin American saints
However Western feminists seen this as oppressive.

Question 5

How does Armstrong view religion?

Answer 5

• Male agression exhibited through invasion of society by male dominated cultures
• Gods becoming more important introduced a more aggressive spiritually
• Monotheism - the belief in one God rather than many (polytheism)
• Monotheism was the final death known as the goddess