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Women and Religion |
Scroll down for information about each item in the exhibit. |
Exhibit curated by Katherine Smith, '07
Published Fall 2007
The incorporation of women into various religious groups in the
United States has gained speed in the past quarter century. As this
exhibit demonstrates, for example, a feminist voice has gained influence
within various denominations of Christianity and Judaism. Women's
activism in their religious lives has developed into the movement for
women's ordination, an expansion and reevaluation of women's roles in
Orthodox, Conservative and Reformed Judaism, and the incorporation of
feminist ideals and analytic interpretations of religious texts into
church institutions. The documents included here—organizational newsletters,
pamphlets, informational studies, journals, and resolutions—reveal
diverse approaches to women's
involvement in these religious communities, as well as the influence of religion and
spirituality in asserting women's rights throughout the U.S. and
abroad.
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Click image above to download (PDF, 9.1 MB) |
Are Catholics Ready?:
An Exploration of
the Views of "Emerging Catholics" on Women in Ministry
By Maureen Fiedler and Dolly Pomerleau
Published by the Quixote Center, Inc., 1978
This study was initiated by Priests for Equality and the Quixote
Center, Inc. to determine public opinion on women's leadership within
Catholicism. The report provides statistical data and analysis on
questions pertaining to both feminist and traditionalist Catholics and the
existence of women in ministry. The population interviewed for this
study was labeled "Emerging Catholics" because they were young,
religiously-involved, well-educated, and liberal. The conclusions
of this study suggest that it would take ten years from the date of the
study for most Catholics in the U.S. to be ready for women priests.
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Click image above to download (PDF, 968 KB)
Click image above to download (PDF, 460 KB)
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Jewish Women's Resource Center Newsletters
1979 (Vol 1, no. 1); Spring 1986
The Jewish Women's Resource Center was created to offer women the
opportunity to research Jewish history and the role of women within it.
As stated in the first newsletter, published in 1979, the Center
functions as an "information collective." The first JWRC Newsletter
presented debates in the Jewish community (such as whether women will be
Conservative rabbis), postings for community events in the New York Metro
area, letters from individuals, and descriptions of important
publications about women and Judaism. The Newsletter was revamped in
1986, and focused on the accomplishments of women in Jewish movements,
as well as event postings and book reviews. The JWRC, by serving as a
collective of women's history in Judaism, seeks to reassert women's
historical and current contributions to Judaism.
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Click image above to download (PDF, 2.6 MB) |
We Are the Mainstream:
Dissent in the Catholic Church
By Jenefer Ellingston
From the series Abortion in Good Faith
Catholics for a Free Choice, 1981
This booklet was part of a series entitled "Abortion in Good Faith,"
and it addresses the history of institutionalized authority within the
Catholic Church. Jenefer Ellingston examines how the Church at the
institutional level often remains static on issues relevant to the lives
of its members, resulting in a division between Church doctrine and
actual practices of Church members.
This is especially the case when "natural and divine law . . . is applied to
their own sexuality and childbearing decisions."
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Click image above to download (PDF, 6.9 MB) |
Genesis 2:
Special Focus on Judaism and Feminism
Vol. 15, No. 5, April 1984
Genesis 2 was a newspaper that served as a forum for the
rejuvenation of the Jewish community in the U.S. This edition of
Genesis 2 includes a section on Judaism and Feminism that challenges the
typical responses to women's involvement in and critique of the Jewish
community. These articles focus on the participation of women in
Judaism, the incorporation of feminism into Judaism (rather than an
opposition between feminism and Judaism), and the changing nature of
Jewish families.
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Click image above to download (PDF, 1.1 MB) |
B'nai B'rith Resolutions
Jewish Women International, formerly B'nai B'rith Women
Executive Board Meeting, Oct. 26-29, 1985
B'nai B'rith Women, part of B'nai B'rith and now called Jewish Women
International, works to improve the lives of Jewish women worldwide.
This collection of resolutions demonstrates the variety of issues on
which BBW works. Among the issues covered are the U.N. Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW),
affirmative action, terrorism, international family planning, and women
and tax reform. In 1985 BBW followed the lead of the United Nations
Conference on Women in Nairobi, Kenya to advocate for the U.S.
ratification of the U.N. CEDAW. BBW's resolution on affirmative action
advocated for the use of realistic goals rather than quotas. The
resolution on terrorism not only calls for a total rejection of violence
as a means of achieving political goals, but petitions governments to be
diligent in finding and punishing terrorists. The international family
planning resolution calls for the U.S. to continue to fund international
agencies that educate women on all their reproductive health options,
rather than only those that advocate the "rhythm method." The
resolution on women and tax reform advocates for a redistribution of the
tax burden so that those in poverty, especially women, do
not pay more than their equitable share.
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Click image above to download (PDF, 10.5 MB) |
For Such a Time as This:
1988 Report of the Women's Division
Women's Division, General Board of Global Ministries
The United Methodist Church, 1988
This report was developed to educate women in the United Methodist
Church about the purpose and actions of the United Methodist Women. It
outlines the areas of commitment, the main departments of United Methodist
Women (Christian social relations, finance, and mission and membership
development), staff members for each section, and the UMW's role within
the larger United Methodist community.
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Click image above to download (PDF, 1.7 MB) |
Presbyterian Women Practice and Support Ecumenicity
Presbyterian Women, circa 1988
Presbyterian Women created this pamphlet to publicize the
achievements and goals of the "Ecumenical Decade" (1988-1998), a
movement to increase women's involvement and visible presence in the
Presbyterian Church. The pamphlet highlights six major organizations
within the Presbyterian Church that encourage women's involvement or are
already useful resources for women: Church Women United, Church World
Service, Friendship Press, Bread for the World, The Fellowship of the
Least Coin, and IMPACT.
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Click image above to download (PDF, 1.1 MB) |
Neshama:
Encouraging the Exploration of Women's Spirituality in Judaism
The K'fari Center, Inc., Summer 1990
This newsletter includes articles, poems, and interviews that focus
on women's involvement in Jewish spirituality. Topics include prayer
at the Western Wall, kinship systems in the Torah, an analysis of the
mechitzah (the male/female divider in a Synagogue), and meditation.
Neshama was published by The K'fari Center, Inc., an organization
created to reenergize the Jewish community in the northeastern United
States.
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Click image above to download (PDF, 2.5 MB) |
An Agenda for the 1990s
The Commission for Women's Equality of the American Jewish Congress
circa 1990
The Commission for Women's Equality of the American Jewish Congress
is a diverse group of individuals throughout the U.S. dedicated to
women's equality within Judaism and Jewish communities. This pamphlet
lists the pioneering efforts since the Commission's establishment in
1984, the areas in which they pursue equality—including employment, health rights,
sexual violence, and international networking—and the benefits
of membership to the Commission for Women's Equality of the American
Jewish Congress.
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Click image above to download (PDF, 672 KB) |
Proudly Jewish, Actively Feminist
The Commission for Women's Equality of the American Jewish Congress
Vol. I, No. 1, December 1993
The Commission for Women's Equality began to publish this newsletter
in the early 1990s to inform its members of pertinent conferences and campaigns,
as well as news in the Jewish community. The first
edition of this newsletter, published December 1993, highlights the
Women's Economic Summit, the National Breast Cancer Coalition meeting
with President Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the CWE Woman of Achievement
Awards.
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Click image above to download (PDF, 2.6 MB) |
The Communicator
Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation
September/October 1993
The Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation (UUWF) is a collection
of women's groups and individuals from all UU churches and societies.
This newsletter addresses topics pertinent to the Unitarian Universalist
community, such as women's roles in Christianity, humanitarian work, and
the reformation of UU's ministry. The September/October 1993 issue
focuses on the feminist theology awards, the UUWF's biennial convention,
the first WomanSpace Retreat, the changing role of UU ministry, and
other topical issues.
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Click image above to download (PDF, 360 KB) |
Gay Women's Alternative
Calendar of Programs
Gay Women's Alternative, Universalist Church
October 1992-June 1993, November 1994-June 1995
The Gay Women's Alternative was a women's group that met at the 4th
Universalist Society in New York City and served as a forum for
discussion on feminist and gay issues. The group met weekly to discuss
a range of topics pertaining to lesbian and feminist issues.
Past speakers included Bella Abzug, Robin Morgan, and Ruth
Messenger, among others. The Gay Women's Alternative serves as an
example of the Universalist Church's inclusion of women and the LGBT
community.
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Click image above to download (PDF, 23.4 MB) |
Voices for Change:
Future Directions for American Jewish Women
The National Commission on American Jewish Women, 1995
This document developed out of a 1994 conference that included
members of the National Commission on American Jewish Women, researchers
at Brandeis University's Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern
Jewish Studies, and individuals from Hadassah. These three groups met
to discuss the reality of the lives of Jewish women in America and to
formulate proposals for incorporating these women back into the Jewish
community. The first chapter of Voices for Change outlines the
conference's 'Call to Action' for reinvesting in American Jewish women.
This four part recommendation includes building community, achieving
equality, nurturing the soul and connecting to Israel. This document
also includes the research conducted over 10 years that informed the
conference. It concludes with various essays on women's involvement in
the Jewish community.
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Click image above to download (PDF, 14.2 MB)
Click image above to download (PDF, 23.8 MB)
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Journey
Ma'yan, The Jewish Women's Project
Winter 1998; Winter 2000
Ma'yan is a component of the Jewish Women's Project that works to
change the Jewish community to include and value women more. Ma'yan
accomplishes this in part through its journal publication
Journey. Typical editions include articles, poems, and stories
about issues pertinent to women in the Jewish community; current events;
inspirational Jewish women; and a listing of Ma'yan's programs. A
sampling of the issues covered in Journey include Chanukkah
heroines, Esther's role in Purim, Jewish writers, financial empowerment,
women's stories of Kaddish, and Jewish women's history.
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