Religion and Women’s Activisms

4 credits

The course surveys women’s formal and informal roles and activities in a number of faiths, examining how women’s agency and activism may be constrained or fostered by religious ideologies and norms in various historical and political contexts. Examples are drawn from a range of male-centered religions (Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism), woman-centered religions (Sande, Afro-Brazilian, Z-ar Cult), and newly formed theologies (Womanist, Native American, and Mujerista; New Age feminist spiritualities). Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.