Women and Religion

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Summary: Women and Religion
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In eight chapters, author Marianne Ferguson lays out an historical survey with contemporary ramifications on the topic of Women and Religion - the title of her 1995 book, published by Prentice Hall of Englewood cliffs, N.J.

As a professor At Buffalo State college, Marianne Ferguson developed a course for her Women and Religion class. She searched in van for an appropriate text book. When one salesperson suggested she write her own, Ferguson jumped into the task. The book and the course trace the story of women and religion from the early goddess cultures (Chapter 1) through patriarchal cultures (Chapter 2), on to ways that creation myths reflected the demise of the mother goddess (Chapter 3) to alienation myths and other practices that affect women (Chapter 4) - such as those that blame women for evil and women's adaptation to discriminatory religious practices.

The examples and explanations take on a world view of all cultures and religions in which threads and patterns of similarities point to the unersality of women's experiences.

Competent women who helped shape their religious traditions (Chapter 5) include the Iroquois women of the League of Five Nations as well as Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish - both ancient and contemporary, Christian - women saints of the early Church, of the Middle Ages, and of contemporary times, Catholic women religious, Protestant women, women in the Islam tradition - both historical and contemporary. This chapter stands out as the core of the book a chapter worthy of reflective reading and study.

Some practical ramifications emerge in a study of language as representation of reality (Chapter 6) which leads into a review of contemporary feminist religious movements (Chapter 7) - with a section on "Women Crossing Worlds: In Solidarity and Friendship," authored by Diann Neu, and "Gathering: an Interreligious Worship Service," prepared by a group of women. Reasons for women to value religion (Chapter 8) delves into meaning and belonging aspects of women's spirituality and relationship with God especially in mystical prayer.

A glossary nicely rounds out the book by offering an explanation of terms. Readers and students might wish for an index which is not there to trace certain holy women in particular religions.

Maps, timelines, photos of art and artifacts give visual aids integral to the text. Chapter summaries, discussion questions, and suggested readings and works cited offer readers and students more ways to learn the fascinating ways of religion and women, of women and religion.

"All women are put down by all religions," Ferguson said in a late 1994 interview about her book, "yet women find satisfaction and strength in religion." She spent about a year in collecting research notes and sorting class notes and weaving them into the book. At the time of its publication, Ferguson used the book in her Women and Religion class composed of 33 women and 7 men. The readership audience should also include men and the book would work well for book clubs, study groups, and discussion sessions. Well- researched, the book also calls for readers to continue personal research and reading into not only popular religion where women have been more at home, but also into the scholarly aspects of religion such as those presented in this book.