Religion

Two books by Rosemary Radford Ruether

Posted onFriday 24 May 2013Wednesday 22 May 2013

Next is American Christian feminist theologian-scholar Rosemary Radford Ruether’s 2005 Goddesses & the Divine Feminine: A Western Religious History. Ruether’s writing is clear and easy to follow as she elaborates her theorized connections between Neolithic and ancient Mediterranean goddesses, ancient and medieval masculine appropriations of women’s power, and modern spiritual feminist interpretations of the goddesses….

Feminism | Random | Religion | Writing

Comprehensives hallelujah! :)

Posted onSaturday 11 May 2013

Yay! I’ve finished the ecofeminism comprehensives essay — it’s coming in at 53 pages with cover page and bibliography included. Since the essay’s parameters were 30 to 50 pages exclusive of the cover page and biblio, all is good. Hallelujah! Now all I have to do is the tidying stuff, which is easy: make sure…

Spiritual Transformation & Non-Violent Feminist Practice, pt. 2

Posted onThursday 21 March 2013Wednesday 20 March 2013

Reflecting on spirituality vs. ethics, I was fascinated to realize I’d made one of the mistakes the author notes: considering non-violence as equivalent to passive resistance — as nothing more than yet another tactical tool to be used in accomplishing social justice. Instead, Fernandes refers extensively to Gandhi, noting his belief that non-violence is a…

Spiritual Transformation & Non-Violent Feminist Practice, pt. 1

Posted onWednesday 20 March 2013

This is a review of Leela Fernandes’ Transforming Feminist Practice: Non-Violence, Social Justice, & the Possibilities of a Spiritualized Feminism. The title of the book was the basis of an interesting personal challenge: as a friend put it to me, why apply women’s spirituality to feminism or issues of social justice? For that matter, why…

Two articles: christianity & community

Posted onFriday 15 February 2013Saturday 9 March 2013

Finished a book and two articles so far; two somewhat disturbing and one very encouraging. M. Shawn Copeland’s article “Body, Representation, and Black Religious Discourse” I found disturbing for several reasons. For a single example, she has actual, chilling quotes from women, or relatives of the women, who were violently sexually abused as slaves. Like…

Is there organized religion after patriarchy? pt. 4

Posted onThursday 14 February 2013Sunday 10 February 2013

After Patriarchy: Feminist Transformations of the World Religions, edited by Paula M. Cooey, William R. Eakin, & Jay B. McDaniel Conclusion In closing, this book interested me for a number of reasons — primarily that of why intelligent and educated women stay in religions which effectively exploit them. I say “intelligent and educated” because I…

Is there organized religion after patriarchy? pt. 3

Posted onWednesday 13 February 2013Sunday 10 February 2013

After Patriarchy: Feminist Transformations of the World Religions, edited by Paula M. Cooey, William R. Eakin, & Jay B. McDaniel Judaism Continuing with the quick review of the articles contained within this provocatively titled book, we move to Judith Plaskow’s “Transforming the Nature of Community: Toward a Feminist People of Israel.” She argues that Jewishness…

Is there organized religion after patriarchy? pt. 2

Posted onTuesday 12 February 2013Sunday 10 February 2013

After Patriarchy: Feminist Transformations of the World Religions, edited by Paula M. Cooey, William R. Eakin, & Jay B. McDaniel At this point in my reading of this book I got bored with the apologists for the big, irritatingly misogynistic organized religions — so I jumped a few articles ahead, to the two chapters which…

Is there organized religion after patriarchy? pt. 1

Posted onMonday 11 February 2013Sunday 10 February 2013

After Patriarchy: Feminist Transformations of the World Religions, edited by Paula M. Cooey, William R. Eakin, & Jay B. McDaniel. This book is an exploration of what changes might occur in the current largest — and rather androcentric — world religions, in order for them to grow past their current — and usually obsessive —…

Unspoken Worlds article reviews, pt. 2

Posted onSaturday 9 February 2013Friday 8 February 2013

The Divine Feminine The entire modern concept of Goddess (whether omnipotent or not) is still relatively new and shocking to many, though it has much more ancient roots than most of us imagine. Nevertheless, when faced with even a modest conceptualization of Goddess, most members of the modern androcentric world religions react with quick anger….