The Relationship between Feminism and Religion - Term Paper Example

Running Head: Women and Religion Women and Religion of Women and Religion Introduction The nineteenth and twentieth centuries saw the proliferation of new ideas and expressions which radically altered the world. Europe was the seat of intellectual and enlightened revival which gradually spread to different parts of the world. Feminism is also a part of that intellectual movement. This ideology began to propagate and champion the equal participation of women in different spheres of society. They sought to fight against the male domination and subjugation which emerged out of tradition, culture, and religion. The relationship between feminism and religion has been complex. Traditional religions like Christianity and Judaism have been considered to reinforce the oppressive structures that confined women to the tasks of raising children and doing household chores. The interpretations of Judaism, Christianity, and other organized religions do not offer much religious participation and involvement for women. The Judeo-Christian traditions forbid women to become priests. In certain invocations and rituals of both religions, women are not allowed to participate (Gerami, 1996, 52). Feminists have tended to focus on alternative spirituality movements and religions. This has been done because these movements have given importance to women in participation of religious rituals and ceremonies (Jon, 1998, 23). The aim of this research paper is to analyze and examine the importance of alternative spiritual movements in fostering and promoting religious activities inside women. The research paper uses the examples of “Islamic feminism” and “Wiccan feminism” to arrive at the conclusion that alternative religions offer better opportunities for women to practice and adhere to their religion. Feminism and Alternative Religion Organized religions like Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have been traditionally dominated and interpreted by men. This has led to the restriction of women rights as they have narrow opportunities to participate in religious activities. Traditional religion has also been one of the most vocal critics of feminism (Gross, 1996, 87). They have accused the feminism of breaking down the traditional family values. They believe that feminism seeks to ensure equality which is impractical. Feminist scholars have refuted these assumptions by pointing out that the interpretation of organized religion needs to be changed. They have extensively written on the scriptures. Feminists have arrived at the conclusion that the core texts do not maintain systematic discrimination and prejudice towards women. They insist that the male domination of religious services has led to the denial of religious rights to women. Alternative religion came into existence because of feminist interpretations. Some scholars interpreted the texts using feminist beliefs and values. New spirituality movements were thus influenced by the insight and experiences of women (Griffin, 1999, 12). This made them allow greater means of participation and expression for the women. The methodology of feminist scholars to interpret religion has been to believe in the concept that the divine being does not ordain or encourage discrimination. Women figures are also used as source of guidance and inspiration for feminist scholars in the explanation and analysis of religion (Shahidian, 2002, 32). The pagan religions were revived with special emphasis and focus on the goddesses. Islamic Feminism Islamic feminism refers to a number of broad based movements inside the Islamic world that seek to understand and infer Islamic teachings in the light of women rights. Islamic feminists believe in the equality of sexes which is mentioned in the verses of the Quran. Islamic feminists point out that the inequalities for women in terms of inheritance, testimony, marriage, and other legal injunctions have been because of interpretation by men (Abu-Lughod, 1998, 87). Muslim women in the West have been the pioneers of this movement because of their identity crisis in society. First generation immigrants who tried to impose Islamic principles on their daughters were fiercely resisted by the latter. Western political and intellectual ideas have also played an important role in the development of Islamic feminist thought. Features of Islamic Feminism Islamic feminism offers considerable rights and privileges to women. One of its unique features is that it calls for sexual freedom of women (Afkhami, 1995, 89). Traditional Islam allows sexual relationship only in marriages. Islamic feminists also reject the restricted dress code which women have to adhere to in conservative Islamic societies. They point out that the Quran only encourages modest dressing. They believe that modesty and humility are intrinsic values which are independent of dress code. A number of Islamic feminist scholars call for equal rights and opportunities for women in education, marriage, and legal rights. Islamic feminists have also called for restriction and banning of polygamy. They also propagated the view that the minimum age for marriage should be raised. Wiccan Feminism Wiccan Feminism is a branch of Wicca that exclusively propagates and spreads feminist beliefs. It is based upon the ancient traditions of goddess worship. It glorifies female deities. European pagan rituals and practices are the core features of this alternative religion. Wiccan feminism advocates militant and radical interpretation of feminist principles and values (Raymond, 2002, 76). Many of their assemblies exclusively allow the participation of women only. Wiccan feminists promote the concept of Goddess who is considered to be the creator and architect of the entire cosmos (Helen, 1999, 12). Many Wiccan feminists believe in a number of deities while some may only believe in one deity. Wiccan feminism has witnessed an increase in the number of female followers because of its ideas of equal rights and participation. Features of Wiccan Feminism Wiccan feminism offers an outlet for women to exclusively participate and partake in religious activities. The women only assemblies allow unique and innovative opportunities to worship deities. The core belief of Wiccan feminism is regarding the deity or deities as being female in nature. The goddesses are benevolent, intelligent, independent, and smart. These qualities can be acquired by their believers. Lesbians are promoted and tolerated under Wiccan feminism (Anne, 1992, 34). It gives a sense of pleasure and freedom for women. The core concepts allow women to assume importance in their different roles. It gives them the inner strength and conviction to freely participate in religious activities without any restriction or hurdle. Analysis of alternative religions Traditional religions have sought to exclude and marginalize women in terms of participation and partaking of religious rituals (Cooke, 2001, 34). The influence of feminism has led to the creation of alternative religions and spirituality movements that seem to give women more rights. The analysis of Islamic feminism and Wiccan feminism has led to the conclusion that such discourses indeed enhance the rights and values of women. They allow the creation of a unique feminist identity which is not offered by conventional religion. Islamic feminism is a movement that has appeared to challenge mainstream Islamic restrictions on women. Inspired and influenced by Western intellectual ideas it has led to calls for equal rights and participation of women in every sphere of life. Modern Islamic feminist scholars have interpreted the sayings of the Quran as practicing gender equality. The discriminatory practices associated with Islam are mostly cultural practices that were justified by the middle ages clerics (Barlas, 2002, 57). Wiccan feminism on the other hand advocates the worship of female deities. It believes in exclusive right of women to worship and venerate deities. Wiccan feminism is a combination of pagan and folk stories. It empowers women to achieve autonomy and pride. The analysis of alternative religions leads to the inference that they give more opportunities for women to express their religious views and ideas (Majid, 2002, 34). Feminist theology is concerned with the presupposition that deities or deity can never discriminate. They investigate the women figure that have inspired and changed history as role models. Conclusion Feminism is a broad based ideology that has championed for the inclusion of women in society. They have rejected the traditional roles and models of women as raising children and doing household chores. The relationship between feminism and religion is complex and intricate. Most organized religion has negative views of feminism which is considered to lead to deterioration of family values and breakdown of traditional roles. However alternative religions and spirituality movements in recent years have been influenced by feminism. They have allowed the increased participation of women as preachers and ministers. Feminist scholars attempt to view the characteristics and attributes of God as being feminine. They consider the divine entity or other deities to be free of discrimination and prejudice. Islamic feminism and Wiccan feminism have been compared and contrasted in this research paper. Islamic feminism offers exciting new interpretations about the roles of women. It seeks to ensure gender equality within Muslim societies. It calls for the lifting of the restricted and oppressive structures of society that deny Muslim women the right to freely practice her religion. Wiccan feminism attempts to glorify and venerate female deities as part of their worship. Lesbianism has also been promoted and tolerated by Wiccan feminism. References: Gerami, Shahin (1996): Women and Fundamentalism: Islam and Christianity. Garland Publishing, New York NY Gross, Rita M (1996): Feminism and Religion: An Introduction. Beacon Press, Boston Griffin, Wendy (Ed.) (1999): Daughters of the Goddess. Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham Abu-Lughod, Lila, ed. Remaking Women: Feminism and Modernity in the Middle East. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1998. Afkhami, Mahnaz, ed. Faith and Freedom: Womens Human Rights in the Muslim World. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 1995. Barlas, Asma. 2002. “Believing Women” in Islam: Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations of the Qur’an, Austin: University of Texas Press Cooke, Miriam. 2001. Women Claim Islam: Creating Islamic Feminism through Literature, New York: Routledge. Majid, Anouar. 2002. “The Politics of Feminism in Islam”, in Gender, Politics, and Islam, edited by Therese Saliba, Carolyn Allen, and Judith Howard. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Raymond Buckland, The Witch Book: The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Wicca, and Neo-paganism (Detroit: Visible Ink Press, 2002). Helen A. Berger, A Community of Witches: Contemporary Neo-Paganism and Witchcraft in the United States (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1999). Jon P. Bloch, New Spirituality, Self, and Belonging: How New Agers and Neo-Pagans Talk About Themselves (Westport: Praeger, 1998). Anne Carson, Goddesses and Wise Women: The Literature of Feminist Spirituality 1980-1992 An Annotated Bibliography (Freedom, California: Crossing Press, 1992). Shahidian, Hammed. 2002. Women in Iran: Emerging Voices in the Women’s Movement. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press Read More