I was originally an anthropology major with a sociology minor. As a consequence of that training, I have read an awful lot of papers on how minorities are treated, and so I genuinely thought I understood what it meant to be a(n often feared or hated) minority. However — as I discovered when I read…
Checklist for the Day: roses chocolate card. Check. Success. Boyfriend brownie points Redeem for valuable prizes! Today only, double bonus value: Try dinner candles jewelry lingerie more Sweetly sincere silhouetted sparkles Smiling empty glittering chains All payment Money is love is sex. Reading of the inspiration: Vali Brother of demanding murdered Spring Solely bred…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 —…
Interrelatedness One of the precepts of ecofeminism (at least as I attempt to practice it) is the recognition of not only the value and beauty of both human bodies and the physical world, but also of our deep spiritual and genetic connections with all that is. This is, I think, a serious issue with most…
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….
The End of Sexism? As an interesting aside, from other readings I’ve had that were written by Gross, it appears she believes the end of sexism will occur once we get rid of gender roles. I cannot say I agree with this. From the various studies I’ve read, gender roles are present in both matrifocal…