Women's Studies in Religion: A Multicultural Reader

by Kathleen McIntosh, Kate Bagley

Women's Studies in Religion: A Multicultural Reader uses essays written by today's most respected feminist voices to examine the impact of contemporary feminism on the practice and study of religion. Many in the field have expressed the need for a reader that is both accessible to undergraduates who have little background in the study of religion and that shows the transforming impact of feminism on the religious lives of American womean. This book meets that need.

Genres: Religion, Feminism, Nonfiction

254 pages, Paperback

First published February 16, 2006

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally got around to finishing this, and overall I think it's a good collection of essays. I especially liked it because the essays were extremely diverse. The religions they dealt with ranged from Christianity, Judaism, and Islam to indigenous and Goddess religions, and featured points of view of women from all walks of life. It definitely made me look at these religions differently, and I found it extremely comforting to find women who shared my views on religion, complex though they are.
However, some of the essays were better than others. Some were long, some short, and while some were easy to understand, others were more difficult, hence the three star rating. For those who are wondering, advanced knowledge of any of the religions is not necessary, but it definitely helps. I was able to get by fine, but there were often religion-specific words, terms, and rituals that I didn't understand because I wasn't familiar with the religion. Overall, however, I learned quite a bit from reading this and would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in religion or feminism.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspiring! This was the required text book for my Women and Religion class. Reading this book helped to push me toward a minor in Women's Studies!