Feminist theology

Feminist theology is a diverse movement found across many different faiths. It includes religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. It also appears in Sikhism, Jainism, the Baháʼí Faith, and Neopaganism. Some followers belong to the New Thought movement. This movement seeks to reconsider religious traditions, practices, and sacred scriptures from a feminist perspective. The goal is to examine how religious systems view women and their roles.

Scholars in this movement often follow a specific process to create change. Researchers Grenz and Olson describe this methodology in three distinct steps. First, feminist theologians critique how women were treated in religious history. Second, they search for alternative religious or biblical texts that support feminist ideas. Third, they claim a new theology through reclamation, abolishment, or revision. This means they might reclaim old ideas, abolish unfair ones, or revise existing doctrines. While most agree the current system has flaws, they often disagree on how far they should go from traditional texts to find support.

Some thinkers look toward prehistoric history to find inspiration. Many modern matriarchists advocate for the primacy of a "Great Goddess." They view this as a female version of the monotheistic God found in Abrahamic traditions. In prehistoric times, goddesses were worshipped for fertility and agricultural bounty. Throughout history, priestesses held power in many religions. These included the Incan, Assyrian, Babylonian, Slavonic, Roman, Greek, Indian, and Iroquoian traditions. Today, many use the image of "Mother Nature" to represent the life-giving and nurturing aspects of the world.

Within Western monotheism, feminist spirituality often reinterprets the concept of God. Many practitioners reject the idea that God has a male gender. They avoid using only male pronouns when speaking about the divine. Some also object to images of God that seem authoritarian or purely parental. Instead, they emphasize maternal attributes like creativity, acceptance, and nurturing. Carol P. Christ is a notable figure in this area. In 1978, she gave a keynote address titled "Why Women Need the Goddess" at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She later co-edited important anthologies like "Womanspirit Rising."

Different religious groups show this movement in unique ways. The Latter-day Saint movement is unique among Christian denominations. It includes the "Heavenly Mother" as a core part of its doctrine. She is considered the equal partner and wife of the Heavenly Father. In the New Thought movement, women have been the primary leaders since the 1880s. Notable founders include Emma Curtis Hopkins, Myrtle Fillmore, Malinda Cramer, and Nona L. Brooks. Their churches and community centers have been mostly led by women for over a century.

Jewish feminism seeks equality for women in religious, social, and political life. Some Jewish theologians promote feminine characterizations of God within the siddur, or prayerbook. In 1976, Rita Gross published a theoretical article regarding female God-language in a Jewish context. Since then, many prayerbooks have changed to be more inclusive. The American Reform prayerbook, Mishkan T'filah, removed references to God as "He." It also includes the names of female matriarchs like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah. The 2015 book Mishkan HaNefesh even refers to God as a "Compassionate Mother."

Christian feminism focuses on moral, social, and spiritual equality. These theologians argue that God does not discriminate based on sex or race. They often discuss the ordination of women and the role of women in marriage. Some thinkers, like Mary Daly, believed in reforming Christianity from within. However, Daly eventually concluded that the religion could not enact necessary changes. This led her to believe that condemnation of the system was the only way out. Other scholars, like Rosemary Radford Ruether, have explored how these theological ideas impact the wider world.