Judith Plaskow, a Jewish feminist, searches for ways to incorporate her mostly male-based and male-interpreted faith with her feminist’s ideals in her book of essays, The Coming of Lilith. Her essay covers a wide variety of topics concerning contemporary Judaism and its possibility for flexibility, especially concerning unfair gender roles. Plaskow also discusses how religious traditions can perpetuate a hatred of the “other” religions and how that negatively affects both parties. Judith Plaskow challenges her religious tradition and contemporary culture that is a product of all religions by using sources of Jewish ethics such as the Torah and the Talmud to back up her feminist criticism. In the first section of her book, Plaskow argues that …show more content…
She argues that the human’s constant need to categorize “otherness,” especially religious “otherness” can have dire consequences, both for society and the feminist theology movement. Plaskow discusses her fear of anti-Semitism and its effects on the feminist theology movement in her essay Anti-Semitism, The Unacknowledged Racism. She argues that Anti-Semitism, while not as severe as it was in the 1940’s still has debilitating effects on the Jewish population today. Because of certain historical circumstances, Jews are seen as the “buffer group” between the white and African American communities. This, unfortunately, in Plaskow’s eyes, makes Jews “the representatives of the exploitative white community to the black community” (Plaskow, [Anti-Semitism], 1984, 95). This situation has caused for relations between the groups to be strained. While this example of hers is a little outdated, there is no question that anti-Semitism is still a threat to today’s Jewish population. The memories of the Holocaust still have an enormous effect on Jewish lives today and in their relations with other people. There are some people in the world today who still live by Nazi ideals, and Jewish or not, that is scary and difficult to deal …show more content…
In discussing the Jewish sentiment about paganism, Plaskow reveals that hatred of other religions, reinforced by religious texts and aspects of culture can cause Jews to not know how other traditions have shaped their own. Plaskow argues that by hating paganism, the Jewish community misses out on parts of their own history. By pushing away paganism, Jews disguise “the important role that concrete artifacts played in ancient Jewish practice” (Plaskow, [Jewish Anti-Paganism], 1999, 111-112). By ignoring this fact, Jews prevent themselves from seeing the entire picture and the history of their tradition’s beginnings. Additionally, by being uneducated on how women played roles such as “dancers and diviners, musicians and priestesses” in the early days of their religions, Jews have allowed their tradition to exclude “women from religious leaderships” (Plaskow, [Jewish Anti-Paganism], 1999, 112). While Plaskow does not believe that paganism be directly incorporated into the Jewish tradition, only that the paganism should be attended more “closely and critically” in order for the tradition to not suppress “real human beings and distort our understanding of ourselves” (Plaskow, [Jewish Anti-Paganism], 1999,
In history the pagans have been viewed as godless infidels. Many who practice paganism live in fear related to the judgment of others that hold differing views on religion. Much of the persecution of the Pagan has been related to their practice of magic. What is amazing is that much of the magic once practiced by pagans was similar to that of modern medicine (Some Basic Pagan, n.d.). Despite their apprehension and fear of persecution, it has been reported that Paganism has been described as one of the most rapidly growing religious movements in the world today (Eilers, p.
Although she always denied claims of having a distinct Jewish calling, being a second generation German Jewish immigrant, she has always been associated with Jewish New York. Wald has never laid claim to being a crusader for the Jewish people, and yet most of the information published about her comes from the Jewish community trying to sell her as an activist for the Jewish cause. Marjorie N. Feld gives readers a critical look into the life and work of woman dedicated to revealing the similarities of people not their differences. Lillian Wald’s story is an important one because she spent her life working towards a universal vision that would group people together and yet remembered by her difference from other progressive reformers of the time, being Jewish. In this book Feld describes Wald not as person fighting for a particular group, but a person fighting for humanity's equality.
The reading, The Burden of Eve, sheds light upon the mistreatment and inequality women especially in Israel are faced with, brought upon by religious standards and the influence of Judaism and the cultural following of Orthodox fundamentalism. Alice Shalvi notes that religious based cultural beliefs drive inequality onto the lives of women, creating standards of modesty and gender roles that must be explicitly followed, enforced by the common threat of violence by men. The religious driven inequality of women as noted by Shalvi, translates into women remaining in roles as homemakers, and therefore separated from opportunities that male counterparts may be granted. Shalvi also reports however, that modernization has created a push against common ultra-Orthodox viewpoints that reside in the currently extremely conservative state of
One of Magliocco's main arguments is that these Neo-Pagan cults all have roots in both anthropology and folklore in their early development. Magliocco offers a detailed historical analysis and examines influences found all the way back to classical traditions. She concludes this analysis by bringing her reader back to the contemporary and offers us insight into how both the fields of anthropology and folklore have helped shape Neo-Paganism into what it has become today.
Since the advent of ordered civilization, patriarchal rule has held dominion over the kingdoms of men. Women have had equally as many influential, inspirational and imperative tales to be told as men, however their voices have been marginalized, neglected, iniquitously subjugated, and bound by the ineffable chains of bondage for centuries. One need only possess a cursory knowledge of biblical history to recognize immediately the lowly status of women in the ancient Hebrew world. There is nary a better sourcebook of patriarchy and the proscriptive treatment of women in all of literature than that of the Old Testament. One cannot possibly, however, ignore the stories of Delilah, of Sarah, of Jezebel, and, perhaps most interestingly, of Dinah. Anita Diamant, a contemporary chronicler of Jewish lore and a seminal figure in modern-day historical fiction, expressed the woes and voicelessness experienced by the women of the Old Testament in her novelistic midrash entitled The Red Tent. Narrated from Dinah's perspective, Diamant's novel presents a feministic interpretation and retelling of the story of Dinah, her mothers, and her sisters. Dinah's life in the Book of Genesis is relegated to just a few ambiguous sentences, since she was a woman and the principle authors of the Bible were men with their own bigoted agendas. Had Dinah been given the opportunity to share her story, trials and tribulations, and actual experiences, her account would have doubtlessly been different from that which is commonly accepted. As evidenced by the stories of Dinah, Mary Magdalene, and any number of marginalized genders, religions, and ethnic groups, those who maintain power write history, eclipsing the perspectives of the powerless and the weak and crushi...
Tatiana de Rosnay’s Sarah’s Key, though speaking about a particularly touchy subject, identifies feminist/ gender equality through a series of historical hardships that many had endured during the Holocaust. Keeping this in mind, Sarah’s Key is used for Mrs. Rosnay’s approval of the advances of feminism, and how women were limited by a low glass ceiling.
Harris, Grove. “Pagan Involvement In The Interfaith Movement: Exclusion, Dualities, And Contributions.” Cross Currents 55.1 (2005): 66-76. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
...ction of Classic Texts." Special Issue: Feminist Philosophy of Religion. Hypatia. 9/22/94. Retrieved from Electronic Library April 16 2001. http://www.elibrary.com
Stanley, Tim. "Give Me That Old Time Religion." History Today 63.8 (2013): 50. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.CHURCH, S. D. "Paganism In Conversion-Age Anglo-Saxon England: The Evidence Of Bede's Ecclesiastical History Reconsidered." History 93.310 (2008): 162-180. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.Mayfield, Tyler. "Hebrew Bible." Masterplots II: Christian Literature (2007): 1-7. Literary Reference Center. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.Alward, Emily. "The Soul Of Christianity." Masterplots II: Christian Literature (2007): 1-2. Literary Reference Center. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.Hallissy, Margaret. "Christianity, The Pagan Past, And The Rituals Of Construction In William Golding's The Spire." Critique 49.3 (2008): 319-331. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
Women of these times were obviously not equal to their male counterparts. In modern days however, women are thought of as equals in society. The problem is that they are still not being treated as equals in a religious aspect as well as many other aspects. Elizabeth A. Johnson draws attention to how, despite being considered equal in Genesis, women had their worth ignored “Consistently subordinated and demeaned in the theories, symbols, rituals, A large wave of pro women thinking has arisen in the form of feminist theology. This line of thought draws from Genesis and the idea that men and women were created equally.
Ancient Greek mythology has made its way into public conscience and knowledge. So much so that any person on the street would be able to name at least one deity from their pantheon. From this public knowledge, much is known about the religions including its stories and mythologies. But less is known about a person’s role in Ancient Greek religion and even less about a woman roles in their religion. What roles the Ancient Greek people did play can be gathered from the Greek stories and myths. But more specifically what roles did Ancient Greek women play in their religion. The Ancient Greek myths and stories tell of priestess and women who remained virgins as a way of worshipping their gods. But more questions come from these, why did these women become priestess and what rituals did they perform? Both the reasons behind these motives and the process one goes through to become a priestess must be explored to better a woman’s role in Ancient Greek religion.
The pagan and Christ share a great deal in common, particularly from a metaphysical perspective, and the profound influence of pagan philosophy on Christian theology and mysticism is well documented. Nevertheless, this essay will attempt to identify a few basic differences between pagan and Christian religion and religious practice. We will begin with a brief overview the pagan, using Plotinus as our exemplar, and then we will offer an account of how Christ fundamentally differed from the pagans.
The number of feminist scholars critically assessing Biblical narrative has risen since the second feminist movement of the 1970s (Scholz 2014). A common theme of their scholarship has been to what extent the Bible may be seen to favour men. Some feminist scholars may not be able to legitimately assess the Bible and remain faithful to it because of such outdated views on women in a time when women’s equality is encouraged. I will firstly discuss the difficulties of being a feminist scholar and a Christian or Jew with particular reference to belonging to men, being of less value in society, and finally with a focus on key issues arising from Genesis 2 and 3 whereby gender roles and woman’s blame for the Fall of Man have been central to feminist interpretations. I will then assess ways in which such difficulties may be overcome with a different interpretation, beginning with refuting claims concerning the Creation story. This will be followed by analysing how the Bible is read and the value of historical context when doing so. By discussing these aspects, I will reach a conclusion as to how far you can be both a feminist scholar and a faithful Christian or Jew.
Corinthians 14:34 states, “Let the women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as also saith the law” (Holy Bible, King James Edition). Edith Hamilton, "recognized as the greatest woman Classicist", says that the Bible is the only book before our century that looked to women as human beings, no better nor worse than men (Tanner). However, it cannot be said that this book was consistently favorable to women. Maybe not absolutely, but conditionally in personal opinion, the Bible shows numerous examples of a woman’s inferiority to men, an assessment that has been translated into the cultures of generations. In this essay I will address briefly instances in the bible pertaining to women, and continue on with thoughts on how I believe these notions have been interpreted into society.
I wake to the sunlight bursting through the windows onto my face. Something is off.. The air feels wrong, like evil lingered in the room. Adrenaline rushes through my body with such urgency that I throw myself up from my bed. My head slammed against the bedpost as I stood, but because of the adrenaline that rushed through me, I felt no pain. What is that smell? So unfamiliar. The only thing I can make out in it is Lilith's familiar scent, but it’s as if something strange mixed in and is masking it’s tantalizing odor. I can’t stop shaking. Maybe I’m still trapped in the final seconds of a nightmare so terrifying, that even as I stand here wide awake, I cannot escape its hold. I get a small glass of water and take a moment to gather myself. It