Feminist perspective Religion

Question 1

What do feminists believe religion does?

Answer 1

Maintain patriarchy.

Question 2

How does religion maintain patriarchy?

Answer 2

1. Sacred texts mainly consist of strong, powerful males.
2. Religious laws restrict female rights, such as dress codes.
3. In Islam, menstruating women cannot touch the Qur’an.
4. Orthodox Judaism forbid women becoming priests.

Question 3

What are the positives around the perspective that religion maintains patriarchy?

Answer 3

1. Armstrong - woman’s exclusion from priesthood is evidence for marginalisation.

Question 4

What are the negatives around the perspective that religion maintains patriarchy?

Answer 4

1. Woodhead - the hijab symbolises resistance to oppression.

Question 5

What is the second-class believers theory?

Answer 5

De Beauvoir - religion maintains gender inequality by making women think they are equal to men in the eyes of God and will be compensated in the afterlife if they do not challenge their position.

Question 6

What is the stained glass ceiling theory?

Answer 6

1. Women are often found at the bottom of the religious career ladder.
2. There was no female priests in the Church of England until 2015, and still was only an ‘assistant’ priest.

Question 7

What are the negatives around the stained glass ceiling theory?

Answer 7

1. Assumes all religions are patriarchal, the Greek’s believe in many goddesses.