Religion 318.01: Feminism and
Spring 2009
M/W 2:30-4:30
240-895-4277
Office hours: M 12:00-1:00PM
Religion
Katharina von Kellenbach
AA 110 G
Goals of the Course:
This course is an introduction to the feminist critique and reclamation of religion(s). Major
feminist thinkers from the Jewish, Christian and neo-pagan traditions will be discussed as
they revise central religious concepts of God, revelation, morality and tradition in light of
women’s full humanity. We will proceed historically and chronologically by beginning with
Mary Daly, whose publication of Beyond God the Father in 1973 began the second wave of
feminist scholarship. We will then sample some of the more contemporary feminist religious
thinking and end the semester with student research projects on feminist biblical scholarship.
Learning Outcomes:
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What is the feminist analysis of religion? Why does God language matter?
How do women express their experiences with the sacred?
How does one read theological and philosophical texts critically?
How does one interpret biblical text and history?
Skills you will pick up along the way:
How to write a book review
How to conduct library research
How to speak publicly and conduct class discussion.
Assignments and Grade Policies:
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Student attendance is required. More than three absences affect the final grade.
Attendance, preparation and the quality of your informed and respectful class
participation accounts for 10 % of the final grade. Your consideration, respect and
willingness to engage in serious dialogue with fellow students and the instructor is
critical for learning in this class.
Every student will prepare short summaries, questions and reactions on the readings.
These short reaction papers become the basis for your book review and should be
appended as draft statements to the book review. There are four book reviews (15%
each), not exceeding three pages (1000 words, 1.5 line spacing, no title page), one for
each of the following required books: Mary Daly, Beyond God the Father, Judith
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Plaskow, Standing Again at Sinai, Judith Plaskow, Carol Christ (eds.). Weaving the
Visions, StarHawk. The Spiral Dance
A research paper, involving library instruction, a bibliography of five to ten sources, oral
presentation class presentation (10%) and final paper (20%). For more detailed
instructions, see the appendix. Your paper should be approximately 5-10 pages long,
excluding the bibliography. It should be more than a summary of facts and include a
scholarly review and evaluation of your sources (see below on bibliography). Any
plagiarism will result in F for the course and a note in your academic student records.
Attendance, participation, preparation………………..10%
Book Review …………………………………………15%
Book Review …………………………………………15%
Book Review …………………………………………15%
Book Review …………………………………………15%
Research oral presentation…………………………….10%
Research written presentation…………………………20%
Required Books
Mary Daly, Beyond God the Father: Toward a Philosophy of Women’s Liberation, Boston:
Beacon Press, 1973
Judith Plaskow, Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective, San Francisco:
Harper & Row, 1990
Judith Plaskow, and Carol Christ (eds.). Weaving the Visions: New Patterns in Feminist
Spirituality, Francisco: Harper & Row, 1989
StarHawk. The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess Francisco:
Harper & Row, 1999
Syllabus:
W 1/21 Introduction
The Feminist Critique of Religion
M 1/26 Mary Daly, Beyond God the Father, Introduction and chapter 1-2
W 1/28: Mary Daly, Beyond God the Father, chapter 3-4
M 2/2: Mary Daly, Beyond God the Father, chapter 4 (library instruction: meet in LI 321)
W 2/4: Mary Daly, Beyond God the Father, chapters 5-6
Naming the Sacred
M 2/9: Falk in Weaving, p. 128
First book review due; (all book reviews will be checked for plagiarism!)
W 2/11: F 2/20: Morton and McFague in Weaving, p.111-118; 139-150
M 2/16: Ruether, in Weaving, p. 150-162
Towards a Feminist Judaism
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W 2/18: Judith Plaskow, Standing Again at Sinai, chapter 1 + 2
M 2/23: Judith Plaskow, Standing Again at Sinai, chapter 3
W 2/25: Judith Plaskow, Standing Again at Sinai, chapter 4
M 3/2: Judith Plaskow, Standing Again at Sinai, chapter 5
W 3/4: Judith Plaskow, Standing Again at Sinai, chapter 6
Video: The Goddess Remembered
Second book review is due, and so is your topic statements are due)
M 3/9: Starhawk, (Introductions and chapter 1, p. 25-40)
W 3/11: Starhawk, (Introductions and chapter 2,3,4, p. 42-102);
W 3/16- F 3/20 SPRING BREAK
Creating New Traditions: Wicca
M 3/23: Starhawk, 102-135; 135-166; 214-229 Video: The Burning Times
W 3/25: Starhawk, 135-166; 214-229
March 24-26: Tenth Annual Women Studies Colloquium: Caution: Women at Work
8:00 PM: Cole Cinema—Mama PhD, Jennifer Cognard-Black, Della Fenster, E. Gruner
W 3/25 at 4:45, Cole Cinema—Women’s Work Elizabeth Wayland Barber
W 3/25 at 8:00, St. Mary’s Hall—Stand-Up Sister!, Marga Gomez
TR 3/26 at 4:15, Cole Cinema—On Meaningful Work, Andrea Veltman
TR 3/26 at 8:00, Cole Cinema—Roundtable Discussion
M 3/30: Starhawk, completed
Towards a Feminist Religious Ethics
W 4/1: Harrison, “Christian Love,” p. 214-226, Thistletwaite, “Violence,” in Weaving, 302-314
Third Book Review due
M 4/6 Audre Lorde, p. 208-214 and Carter Heyward on “Love,” in Weaving, 293-302
W 4/8: student presentation: Nora Olney, womanist theology,
Read: Delores Williams, Weaving, p. 179-187; Cannon, Weaving, p. 281-293
M 4/13: Becky Reynolds, Violence against women
Read: Thistletwaite, in Weaving, 302-314
W 4/15: Molly Schoming, Traditions of the Goddess
Read: Spretnak, 72-76; Anzaldua, 77-92
M 4/20: Biblical Women:
Jess Earlbeck, Lilith, Jezebel, Delilah
Hannah Fegley, Queen Vashti and Esther
Ariella Azoulay, Women in the Genealogy of Matthew
Alex Thompson, Rahab and Tamar
Fourth book review due
W 4/22: Sara Gregorini, Jeptah’s daughter
Ben Cumbo, Potiphar’s wife
M 4/27: Prostitution:
Katie Zawodny, Sacred Prostitutes
Watkins, The Non-Prostitute Mary Magdalene
Jesse Hartmann, The prostitute Mary Magdalene in Art History
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W 4/29: Witches:
Bryan Miller, witches
Hannah Werme, saints and witches
Hannah O’Toole, witch persecutions and birth control
F 5/8 @ 9:00-11:15 Megan Roper, Sexuality and Christianity/middle ages, virginity
Stephanie Wood, Medieval Women Mystics
Niki Novak, Quiverful Movement
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Appendix
The Art of Book Reviews
A book review is more than a summary. It aims to formulate your assessment and critical
commentary on a book. Of course that involves writing a summary of the book's content, but you
can either begin by giving a brief overview of the content before you launch your critical
remarks or you can integrate the summary into you commentary by citing particular examples or
points as you go along.
The specific questions you should ask of the book follow the general outline for annotated
bibliographies (see below): What is the thesis and purpose of this book? Is it convincing, i.e.
does the evidence or do the arguments support the thesis well? What are the author’s particular
theological, political, cultural and methodological assumptions, biases and presuppositions? How
would you characterize the book’s strengths and weaknesses? In what ways does this book
contribute to general knowledge? What are its limitations? What concerns about the book do you
have? The main point of a book review is the thoughtful exposition of your considered opinion.
Book reviews are evaluative and should employ key sentences like: "This book shows
convincingly...the author fails to argue," rather than "This happened...this is the case."
Examples of scholarly book reviews written by your esteemed professors have been loaded onto
Blackboard under “course documents.” This will give you a taste of how book reviews are used
in intellectual discourse. You may also search journals in religious studies and general
publications for additional book reviews through electronic research bases ATLA ATLA Religion
Database / (EbscoHost), Project Muse and JSTOR. But do not, under any circumstance, use
them for your own reviews! You are obviously not the first to complete this assignment and
I will check vigorously for plagiarism. Please resist temptation and do your own thinking
and writing!)
Bibliography Guidelines and Critical Source Assessment
1. Record Complete Citation
Religious Studies uses the Chicago Manual of Style (minimally” author, title, place of
publication, publisher, date; for articles, author, title, journal, volume, issue, date, page
numbers; do not forget the including the authors of encyclopedic entries) .
2. Evaluate the Source:
Is this an academic book, popular journal, scientific writing, religious text? Is this a
primary source? A secondary source? What is the purpose of this publication?
3. Author:
Determine the author’s qualifications. What is his or her occupation? Training?
Professional position? Experience in the field? Is this author qualified and credible for
your purposes?
4. Audience:
Is this writing directed to the general public? Scholars? Religious communities? Clergy
or laypeople? Students?
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5. Methodology:
Is this an academic (i.e. historical, phenomenological, sociological, psychological)
approach to religion? Does this source use a theological method, involving scriptural
interpretation, drawing on a particular theological tradition (which one?)? Does the
author use textual analysis, observation, interviews?
6. Summarize the Thesis:
What conclusions does the author reach?
7. Evaluate the Thesis:
Do you detect theological, political, cultural, methodological assumptions, biases and
presupposition? Does the evidence support the conclusion? Why or why not? Does this
source agree with other trustworthy sources? Does the source give you supplementary
resources, additional sources to consult?
For a search engine of religious studies journal, please go to the library or department
website and click ATLA Religion Database / (EbscoHost)
Research Paper Topics
The following list for your in-class-presentation and research paper is suggestive and openended. You are encouraged to propose and pursue your own topic.
Cluster 1: Feminist God Language
Wisdom
Female Biblical God Symbolism
Ancient Goddess Religions
Female Jewish God Symbolism: Shekhina, Lilith
Cluster 2: Women’s Work
Prostitution, sex work, textile work, food preparation
Women’s Service/Ministry/Work (diakonein)
Women Slaves (Hagar, etc)
Women as witches, soothsayers
Cluster 3: Women in Leadership Positions
Prophets (Miriam, Hulda)
Judges (Debora) Queens (Esther, Jezebel)
Apostles (Prisca, Junia), Deacons (Phoebe), Missionaries
Mary Magdalene
Cluster 4: Women’s Relationships
Women as Friends, Sister (Mary and Martha), Competitors and Enemies (Sarah, Hagar)
Women as Lovers and Partners (Ruth and Naomi; Euodia and Syntyche)
Love and Marriage (Laws)
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Cluster: Violence against Women
Rape in the Bible (Tamar, Hagar, Dina, Concubine)
Violence against Women (Phyllis Trible, Texts of Terror, Jephtah’s Daughter,)
Cluster: Women’s Sexuality
Women’s Sexuality (Prophets)
Reproductive Rights in the Bible (Abortion)
Song of Songs
Cluster: Texts of Equality and Submission
Genesis and Creation
Midrashic Commentaries
Paul in Corinthians, Galatians
Cluster: Black, Latina, Asian Approaches to the Bible and Traditions
Presentation Guidelines:
1. During the class session preceding your presentation, you should distribute the following
items to your class mates:
1. A reading assignment (e.g. Biblical passage or relevant text) for us to read and prepare
for better understanding and discussion.
2. A written outline of your paper, including your bibliography!! Remind yourself of the
guidelines for the critical evaluation of sources that are part of this syllabus as you
engage in research.
Your failure to hand out either one of these will result in a lower grade! The class will give you
feedback on your presentation style, as well as the structure and content of your paper. You can
then take back this information to rewrite your final research paper.
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