Jana:
I spent my M.A. years wrestling with the very problem of the exclusion or
inferior placement of women within religious structures. During the course of
my Religious studies degree, I took some courses in women's expression within
Christianity, esp women's religious experiences. I also examined other
religion's attitudes towards women. Islam is one of the most interesting,
because they state that all should be equal. It was even something that
Mohammed taught. However, in practice that isn't how it has come out. If you
are interested in Islam read Mernissi's book called the "veil and the male
elite." Mernissi is I think Egyptian and has studies Islamic tenets very
thoroughly. THis is a brilliant analysis of how patriarchal culture twists
things to mould their own ideas.
Christianity is also very frustrating in many ways. Catholicism still won't
allow women priests because they would distract the male priests from their
vow of celibacy. This is also the argument for women to wear veils. Its as
if men are so base they cannot control themselves. its a shame isn't it?
(sarcasm) Instead of taking the blame themselves...they make women cover up
and exclude them from religious vocation. SOmehow forgetting the problem will
make it go away. Yeah right.
ANother really interesting book on women's bodies within modern culture and
religion is Bordo's "Unbearable weight." It is also a brilliant book.
One of my interests is how women particularly feminist writers have taken
religious myths and interverted them. Muriel Spark and Angela Carter (even
Anne Sexton and SYlvia Plath) have taken biblical myths and played with them
to expose the chauvenism of them. I think "Passion for a NEw Eve" by Carter
exposes the social construct of gender. SHe really is a very witty and
ascerbic writer.
Julien
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