1. FEMINIST THEORIES OF RELIGION

2. Starter Individually consider the following hypothesis:
Religion is patriarchal

3. Anthony Giddens
The Christian religion is a resolutely male affair in its symbolism as well as its hierarchy. While Mary, the mother of Jesus, may sometimes be treated as if she has divine qualities, God is the father, a male figure, and Jesus took the human shape of a man. Woman is portrayed as created from a rib taken from a man (1997).

4. What examples of patriarchy can you think of in the following?
1. Within religious organisations 2. Places of worship 3. Sacred texts 4. Religious laws and customs 5. Regarding sexuality

5. Religious Organisations
Mainly male dominated even though women participate more in religion than men.
Orthodox Judaism and Catholicism forbid women to become priests.
Karen Armstrong – sees the exclusion of women from the priesthood as evidence of their marginalisation.

6. WOMEN IN RELIGIOUS ORGANISATIONS
Women cannot be priests in many of the worlds religions
Islamic groups, Orthodox Jews and Roman Catholic churches continue to exclude women

7. HOWEVER... Since 1992 The Church of England have accepted females
Judaism accepts women as Rabbi’s in it’s non-orthodox denominations
“Love, honour and obey” has been removed in Christian religions (gender neutral language)

8. 2. Places of Worship
Segregation and marginalisation of women in places of worship.
Women seated behind screens while men occupy the central, more sacred spaces.
Women’s participation may be restricted – not allowed to preach or read from sacred texts.
Taboos surround menstruation, pregnancy and childbirth – they are seen as polluting.
In Islam, women menstruating are not allowed to touch the Qur’an.
Holm (1994) – describes this as the devaluation of women in religion.

9. The
Western Wall
Jerusalem
2016

12. 3. Sacred Texts
Largely feature the doings of male gods, prophets – usually written and interpreted by men.
Stories often reflect anti-female stereotypes (ie, Eve/Delilah) and reinforce perceptions of women’s character.

13. Simone de Beauvoir – the religion and the second sex (1953)
‘man enjoys the great advantage of having a God endorse the code he writes’

14. “Blessed art thou O Lord our God that I was not born a slave”
“Blessed art thou O Lord our God that I was not born a woman”
JUDAISM

15. “ Wives be subject to your husband, as to the Lord
“ Wives be subject to your husband, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church (Ephesians 5:22 -24)”.
CHRISTIANITY

18. 4. Religious laws and customs
Women tend to have fewer rights than men, ie) in divorce – access to divorce, how many times they can marry, dress codes etc
Religion also has an influence on cultural norms that lead to unequal treatment, ie) genital mutilation or punishments for adultery.
Many religions legitimate and regulate women’s traditional domestic and reproductive role, ie) Catholic Church bans abortion, artificial conception.
Woodhead (2002) – the exclusion of women from priesthood is evidence of the Catholic Church’s unease about the emancipation of women generally.

19. Daly (1978)
Christianity is a ‘patriarchal myth’. It eliminates other ‘Goddess religions’. Christianity is rooted in male ‘sado- rituals’ with its ‘torture cross’ symbol. It embodies women hating!

20. Jean Holm (1994) – whilst many religions have stressed equality, it has been very different in practice. Japanese folk religions – women organize public rituals but only men take part; China – women are associated with the Yin and men with the Yang – the Yang spirits are more powerful.

21. Simone de Beauvoir – the religion and the second sex (1953)
A critique of religion

22. Simone de Beauvoir – the religion and the second sex (1953)
‘…man is a master by divine right; the fear of God will therefore repress any impulse towards revolt in the downtrodden female’.

23. Simone de Beauvoir – the religion and the second sex (1953)
In modern societies, religion
‘seems much less an instrument of constraint than an instrument of deception’.
Women are deceived to think they are often more godly and that their passiveness is a good thing, but in reality there are huge inequalities.

24. Simone de Beauvoir – the religion and the second sex (1953)
Religion gives women the false belief that they will be compensated for their sufferings on earth by equality in heaven, so religion helps maintain a status quo.

25. Simone de Beauvoir – the religion and the second sex (1953)
‘religion sanctions woman’s self love, it gives her the guide, father, lover, divine guardian she longs for nostalgically; it feeds her day dream, it fills her empty hours. But, above all, it confirms the social order, it justifies her resignation by giving her hope of a better future in a sexless heaven…this is why the Church is notably hostile to all measures likely to help women’s emancipation. There must be a religion for women…’

26. A defence of religious teachings
Nawal El Saadawi – The Hidden Face of Eve (1980)
A defence of religious teachings

27. Nawal El Saadawi – The Hidden Face of Eve (1980)
Egyptian feminist writer and a leading advocate of women’s rights in Arab world.
Personal accounts of oppression - in her village, some girls married at 10…she underwent female circumcision…she discusses slavery, prostitution etc…

28. Nawal El Saadawi – The Hidden Face of Eve (1980)
She denies that oppressive practices can be directly attributed to Islam. These practices are cultural.
Authentic religion aims at ‘truth, equality, justice, love and a healthy wholesome life for all people, whether men or women’.

29. Nawal El Saadawi – The Hidden Face of Eve (1980)
Christianity is more oppressive than Islam. The oppression of women is caused by ‘the patriarchal system which came into being when society had reached a certain stage of development’. Men distort religion to serve their own interests, to help justify or legitimate the oppression of women’.

30. Nawal El Saadawi – The Hidden Face of Eve (1980)
She argues that lots of religious teachings have been distorted. Eve is often portrayed as a temptress who created sin in the world however she says Eve was gifted with knowledge, intelligence and superior mental capacities…’

31. Nawal El Saadawi – The Hidden Face of Eve (1980)
Juddaism and Islam became developed under male lines - although in the Koran men and women could both be stoned for adultery, it usually only happens to the women.
Women have to stick to stricter moral codes…
It is the patriarchal system which has oppressed women, whilst religion has some similar principles, it ‘added a new load’ rather than creating the chains.

32. In defence of religion

33. In defence of religion #1
Karen Armstrong (1993)
In defence of religion #1
– women have not always been subordinate – ‘in early history, women were considered central to the spiritual quest’. Mother Goddess evidence in Middle East, Asia and Europe. Very few early effigies were men. There were many names for the Mother Goddess: ‘Ishtar in Bablyon, Anat in Canaan, Isis in Egypt and Aphrodite in Greece…invasions from the north replaced the Goddess with more powerful male deities…
Ishtar
Anat
Isis
Aphrodite

34. In defence of religion #1
THE GODDESS
In the days when people used to worship ‘gods of nature’ female effigies were popular.
People relied upon the forces of nature to survive.
Females represented life and fertility and were consider to be closer to nature than males

35. MONOTHEISM – THE WORSHIP OF ONE GOD
Invasions of the Northern Hemisphere and Middle East required a ‘patriarchal rationale’.
It became more popular to worship one god
Male gods introduced more aggressive spirituality and all major religions followed suit.

36. In defence of religion #2
Linda Woodhead (2002)
There are forms of ‘religious feminism’ – where women use religion to gain freedom and respect.
Respect for roles in the home
being an evangelical/fundamentalist Christian can be empowering.
They are linked to strong traditional gender roles but they also give women more
power and influence.
Men must respect (and care) for women. Women have power to influence men
and ensure that they ‘do their bit’ for them and their family.
Such women also get support from their churches.

37. In defence of religion #2
Linda Woodhead (2002)
Gender-neutral language has been introduced in many hymns/prayers
No longer have ‘obey’ in wedding service
Women rabbis in Judaism since 1972
Women played a significant role in sects, ie) Quakerism

38. In defence of religion #3
Is Sikhism less patriarchal?
Sikhism has always shown respect to women. Gurus pleaded for the liberation of women (Kaur Singh, 1994)

39. In defence of religion #3
Is Sikhism less patriarchal?
In defence of religion #3
At the time of Guru Nanak, Indian women were severely degraded and oppressed by their society:
No education
Little political power
“man’s shoe”
Root of all evil
Female infanticide
Sati
Guru Nanak condemned this man-made notion of the inferiority of women, and protested against their long subjugation. The Ultimate Truth was revealed to Guru Nanak through a mystic experience, in direct communion with God. Guru Nanak conveys this Truth through the bani, Sikh Scripture. It first argues against the sexist sentiments of the pompous man about the necessity of women :

40. In defence of religion #3
Is Sikhism less patriarchal?

41. In defence of religion #4
Gross (1994)
NAMs are very female-friendly in their message and organisation

42. In defence of religion #5
Leila Badawi (1994) and (Leila Ahmed, 1992)
Islam and benefits for women. Eg) maintaining maiden name when married/veiling as being assertive

43. Next lesson: Friday P1, November 25th
For assessment week you are going to answer a 10 mark question (outline and explain two…) from the family topic. The question will be from the following topic:
UK family changes (through history)
Please revise these topics and be prepared! You will have 15 minutes to answer it in class.

44. Homework:

45. LESSON OBJECTIVE:
IS THE MUSLIM VEIL PATRIARCHAL?

46. NiqaBitch Shakes Paris
By sexualizing their veiled bodies, the women challenge ideas about whether wearing a veil is necessarily an expression of women's oppression, just as it challenges whether wearing hot pants and high heels is necessarily an expression of women's ability to resist oppression (Note that the ban went into force after the video was made). Moreover, by performing a sexualized femininity they are apparently able to navigate the streets of Paris without being disciplined, and their short walk raises a number of provocative questions. First, to what extent are the two women able to “break” the law because they have garnered the approval of the heterosexual male gaze? How might people react to these women if they did not fit the archetype of attractive females? This clip provides an excellent window into Chandra Mohanty's acclaimed paper “Under Western Eyes.” Mohanty takes issue with the way that Western feminists assume that wearing the veil is a symbol of oppression and fail to give a voice to the women who wear these clothes. It is unfair for Westerners to assume that the way they themselves dress is a symbol of empowerment without unpacking the systems of patriarchy that inform Western modes of dress. Viewers can also consider whether Westerners have the authority to make judgments about the way non-Westerners dress. Does the government have the right to create laws that ban certain styles of dress? If so, why aren't the religious symbol laws enforced for nuns who wear veils?

48. Faith Debate Highlights: Is it right for religions to treat men and women differently?

49. Patriarchal?
YES NO

50. IT IS PATRIACHAL Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
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Read the article and identify any arguments against the burkha

51. IT IS NOT PATRIACHAL

52. IT IS NOT PATRIACHAL it can be a symbol against oppression.
It is far from the ‘mobile prison’ (Burchill)
A means to escape confines of home and enter education/employment. This allows women to enter ‘public sphere’ (escape home/liberation) without losing cultural identity.
Watson (1994) – interviewed 3 women about what the veil meant to them. Different views but generally positive..liberating/avoid lecherous stares.

53. IT IS NOT PATRIACHAL Muslim veil Proud of their religion
Avoid stares from men
Want others to know you’re Muslim
Liberating to have freedom of movement
Able to communicate without being on show
Independence & separate identity
Rejection of Western cultural imperialism

54. THE FUTURE?

55.  Increased fundamentalism
 Jean Holm (1994) argues that there are ‘signs of hope’ and Rita Gross (1994) detects signs of a ‘post patriarchal’ Buddhism that might be developing in Western countries.
 New religious movements (Heelas and Woodhead)
 Increased fundamentalism
 secularisation
 individualism

56. To what extent do sociological theories and evidence
Potential question:
“it has been suggested that the role of religion is to promote patriarchal ideology and maintain the
oppression of women”
To what extent do sociological theories and evidence
support this view. Illustrate with examples from contemporary societies.

57. Using material from this ppt and your text books
Assess the view that the role of religion is to promote patriarchal ideology and
maintain the oppression of women
Arguments and evidence that religion maintains the oppression of women
Arguments and evidence against the idea that religion maintains the oppression of women
(+ weaknesses)

58. Feminism initially emerged from a Marxist framework, and soon developed towards more radical theories concerning the inequalities that exist in the treatment of women in society. According to feminist sociologists there are many examples of patriarchy within religion and how religious values and beliefs have been used to control and oppress women, both throughout history and still present within today’s contemporary society. Feminists take a conflict approach to sociology in which they argue institutions such as religion produce divisions between different social groups, in this case men and women, but other examples include Marxist thinkers who believe there is a divide between the social classes. This is in comparison to other sociological key thinkers including Functionalists, who take a consensus perspective to society in which they suggest institutions help bring social groups together and unite people.

59. It has also been argued by feminists that religious laws and customs also help to promote a patriarchal system. For example women tend to have fewer rights than that of men, such as in access to divorce as well as in dress codes, as Julie Birchall (2000) suggests by describing the veil, which Muslim women have to wear, as ‘a mobile prison’. Another example of how religious laws and customs can produce a patriarchal system is by the way in which many religious organisations legitimate and regulate women’s traditional domestic and reproductive role, such as in the case of the Roman Catholic Church which bans abortion and artificial contraception, this limiting the choices women can make concerning their lifestyles. Women’s bodies and sexuality are also felt to be dangerous by many religions. Due to the fact that women menstruate and give birth, they are considered to have a greater capacity to ‘pollute’ religious rituals. In addition, their presence may distract the men from their more important roles involving worship. Bird (1999) points out that sexuality is an important issue in many religions. Roman Catholic priests are expected to be celibate, while some interpretations of Christianity and Islam are opposed to homosexuality