Religious Studies

Volume 1 - Asia and Africa;
Volume 2 - Eastern Mediterranean and Europe;
Volume 3 - Australia and the Americas
This set brings readers the fascinating stories of close to 100 of the world's goddesses, ranging from the immediately recognizable to the obscure. These figures, many of which derive from ancient cultures and civilizations, serve as points of departure for examining questions that go well beyond the role of women in religion and spirituality to include social organization, environmental awareness, historical developments, and psychological archetypes.

Introductory and background materials -- Feminism and the development of feminist theology -- Topical literatures in feminist theology -- Feminism and womanist theology --The religious leadership of women -- Responses and recent developments.

Although women constitute half of the Jewish population and have always played essential roles in ensuring Jewish continuity and the preservation of Jewish beliefs and values, only recently have their contributions and achievements received sustained scholarly attention. Scholars have begun to investigate Jewish women's domestic, economic, intellectual, spiritual, and creative roles in Jewish life from biblical times to the present. Yet little of this important work filters down beyond specialists in their respective academic fields. Women and Judaism brings the broad new insights they have uncovered to the world, presenting their work in an accessible and engaging way. Key senior scholars discuss women's approaches to Jewish law and Torah study, the spirituality of Eastern European Jewish women, Jewish women in American literature, and many other issues.

In 2005, Amina Wadud made international headlines when she helped to promote new traditions by leading the Muslim Friday prayer in New York City. In her provocative new book, /Inside the Gender Jihad/, she brings a wealth of experience from the trenches of the jihad to make a passionate argument for gender inclusiveness in the Muslim world. Knitting together scrupulous scholarship with lessons drawn from her own experiences as a woman, she explores the array of issues facing Muslim women today, including social status, education, sexuality, and leadership. A major contribution to the debate on women and Islam, Amina Wadud's vision for changing the status of women within Islam is both revolutionary and urgent.

One chapter discusses Feminism’s Impact on Religion and Religious Studies: A Brief History.