Summary

Women and Religious Traditions analyzes women and religion in the context of the major world religious traditions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese religions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Aboriginal religions, and new religions that focus on the concept of the Goddess. Each chapter is organized around the following common themes: history and the staus of women in the respective religions; texts and interpretations; symbols and gender; sexuality; social change; women's official and unofficial roles; fundamentalism; and unique features of each religion as it pertains to women. Examples have been drawn from both Canadian and United States contexts. The volume also includes two case studies which highlight the historical and contemporary experiences of religious women in North America. Students will be introduced to the contemporary issues that surround the study of women and religion and will also be introduced to feminist theory by the editors in their introductory chapter.The essays are organized around five main themes.History and Status of Women: How each religious tradition has viewed the role of women.Text, Rituals, and Interpretations: How the central texts of each religion treat women and how the authorities use these texts to sanction religious rituals.Symbols and Gender: How the main symbols of each religion affect the role of women.Sexuality: How each religion contributes to the configuration of women's sexuality.Social Change: How each religion might contribute to the changing roles of women.Each essay follows the same basic structure, allowing students to make useful comparisons across these widely divergent religious traditions.