Gender and religion
Gender, defined as the range of characteristics pertaining to, and differentiating between, masculinity and femininity, and religion, a system of beliefs and practices followed by a community, share a multifaceted relationship that influences both individual and collective identities.
[1] This investigation is part of a greater interest in the phenomenon of religion and is strongly tied to the larger study of gender and sexuality.
It has been proposed, since the 19th century, that polytheism arose out of animism, as religious epic provided personalities to autochthonous animist spirits in various parts of the world, notably in the development of ancient near eastern and Indo-European literature.
The earliest evidence of monotheism is the worship of the goddess Eurynome, Aten in Egypt, the teaching of Moses in the Torah and Zoroastrianism in Persia.
[citation needed] Hinduism Kali, the Hindu goddess of both the life cycle and destructive war, breaks the gender role of women representing love, sex, fertility, and beauty.
"[10] Some commentators interpret the parallelism to be deliberately stressing that mankind is, in some sense, a "unity in diversity" from a divine perspective (compare e pluribus unum),[11] and that women as well as men are included in God's image.
[12] Pierre Chaunu argues that Genesis' gender-inclusive conception of humanity contrasts sharply with the views of gender found in older literature from surrounding cultures, and suggests a higher status of women in western society due to Judæo-Christian influence, and based on this verse.
[13] Some scholars, such as Philo, argue that the "sexes" were developed through an accidental division of the "true self" which existed prior to being assigned with gender.
This is the case in the creation account of Genesis 2, where the first woman (Eve) is created from the rib of the first man (Adam), as a companion and helper.
"[18] The book intends to set a specific idea of what a man and women should, and should not wear based on their gender, or they will disappoint the Lord.
For instance, women are not permitted to become priests in the Catholic Church, and in Orthodox Judaism, the role of a rabbi is traditionally reserved for men.
For example, while roughly six-in-ten American Catholics (59%) in a 2015 Pew Research Center survey expressed support for ordaining women in their church, the official stance remains unchanged.
[24] This underrepresentation underscores the broader societal challenges women face in asserting their leadership in traditionally male-dominated spheres.
As the discourse around gender equality continues to evolve, it's crucial to understand and address the systemic barriers that women encounter in religious leadership.
John the Baptist, Jesus and his apostles, and Saul of Tarsus again give the New Testament an impression of the founders and key figures of Christianity being male dominated.
On the other hand, The Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus of Nazareth, is not associated with leadership or teaching, but is nonetheless a key figure in Catholicism.
Women serve in higher percentages of leadership in appointed and elected national and international institutions of the religion than in the general population.
[36] In relation to Augustine's views on marriage and virginity, some women preferred the celibate lifestyle in order to gain freedom from male control.
[38] Eishet Chayil says about an ideal wife, ”Piha patcha b’chochma”, she opens her mouth in wisdom, and “batach ba lev baala”, her husband trusts her judgment.
[42] In Islam, a woman's primary responsibility is usually interpreted as fulfilling her role as a wife and mother, whereas women still have the right and are free to work.
Although the Islamic religion requires the woman to repay her dowry, she is also entitled to receive financial support from her former husband if needed.
Roman and Greek goddesses' domains often aligned with culturally specific gender expectations at the time which served to perpetrate them in many cases.
The quadrennial Bear Festival, known as Arkteia, was held on the outskirts of Athens in honor of Artemis and involved girls ages seven to fourteen.
The girls would compete in public athletic events as Greek men sat as onlookers, observing potential wives.
Within the early empire, Dionysius of Halicarnassus referenced a law which states that no Roman is permitted to walk or participate in processions with the Galli on account of hesitance of foreign customs.
As such, the rationale for such proscriptions is not clearly evident, though avoidance of procreation and contribution to society via establishing families are sometimes offered as pragmatic considerations.
During PantheaCon in 2011, a group of Dianic Wiccans performing an all-female ritual turned away trans-women from joining due to their concept of women as capable of experiencing menstruation and childbirth.
[13] Priyamvada Gopal, of Churchill College, Cambridge, argues that increased gender equality is indeed a product of Judeo-Christian doctrine, but not exclusive to it.
[66][clarification needed] In studies pertaining to gender patterns in religions, it has been widely accepted that females are more likely to be religious than males.
The second explanation is that female socialization is more likely to align with values that are commonly found in religion such as conflict mediation, tenderness, and humility.
