Feminist theology
Movement reexamining religions through feminist perspectives.
Feminist theology is a movement that appears across multiple religions—including Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Jainism, Neopaganism, the Baháʼí Faith, Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and New Thought—aiming to reexamine those faiths’ traditions, practices, scriptures, and theologies through a feminist lens. Its goals often involve expanding women’s roles in clergy and religious leadership, rethinking male-dominated imagery and language used for God, exploring women’s roles in both career and motherhood, analyzing how women are depicted in sacred texts, and considering matriarchal religion.
The movement’s development is commonly traced to a 1960s article, “The Human Situation: A Feminine View,” by Valerie Saiving Goldstein. She challenged theologies written by and for men, seeking to dismantle the patriarchal systems that oppress women. After her work, many scholars expanded on her ideas. According to Grenz and Olson, feminist theology typically proceeds in three steps: critiquing past treatment of women, identifying alternative religious texts that support feminist views, and then reclaiming, abolishing, or revising theology accordingly. While all feminist theologians agree that the system is flawed, they disagree on how far beyond the Bible or Christian tradition they should go for support—a question that also arises when feminist theology engages with other religions or spiritual paths.
Some modern matriarchists advocate for a “Great Goddess,” seen as a female counterpart or predecessor to the monotheistic Abrahamic God, linked to the historical rise of monotheism in the Mediterranean Axis Age. Mother Nature or Mother Earth is a timeless representation of nature’s life-giving and nurturing qualities. In prehistoric times, goddesses were worshipped for fertility, fecundity, and agricultural bounty, and priestesses held authority in Incan, Assyrian, Babylonian, Slavonic, Roman, Greek, Indian, and Iroquoian religions before patriarchy took hold.
Others in feminist spirituality reinterpret Western monotheistic traditions, rejecting the idea that God is male and avoiding male pronouns for God. They may also object to images of God as authoritarian or disciplinarian, instead emphasizing maternal attributes like nurturing and acceptance. Carol P. Christ’s essay “Why Women Need the Goddess,” first presented as a keynote at the 1978 “Great Goddess Re
- field
- Theology, Religious Studies, Feminism
- known_for
- Reinterpreting religious traditions from a feminist perspective
- origins
- Traced to 1960s article by Valerie Saiving (Goldstein)
- scope
- Multiple religions including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Neopaganism, and others
Lore & Background
While there is no specific date to pinpoint the beginning of this movement, its origins can be traced back to the 1960s article, 'The Human Situation: A Feminine View', written by Valerie Saiving (Goldstein). Her piece of work questioned theologies written by men for men in a modern perspective to then dismantle what it had created over the years: patriarchal systems that oppress women. After Saiving's work was published, many scholars took up her ideas and elaborated upon them, which built the feminist theology movement further. Grenz and Olson view the steps of feminist theology in threes: first, feminist theologians critique the treatment of women in the past, second, they determine alternative biblical/religious texts that support feminist ideologies, and third, they claim the theology that adheres to such standards, through reclamation, abolishment, and/or revision. Grenz and Olson also mention that while all feminists agree there is a flaw in the system, there is disagreement over how far outside of the Bible and the Christian tradition women are willing to go to seek support for their ideals.
Reader's Guide
Feminist theology has had a significant impact across multiple religious traditions, challenging patriarchal structures and reinterpreting sacred texts and practices. Its legacy includes the increased role of women among clergy and religious authorities, as well as the reexamination of gendered language about God. The movement has generated both support and controversy within religious communities, particularly regarding the use of female pronouns for God in Judaism and Christianity. Carol P. Christ's essay 'Why Women Need the Goddess' argued for an ancient religion of a supreme goddess, while the Latter-Day Saint movement uniquely affirms a Divine Feminine called 'Heavenly Mother' as part of its core doctrine. The New Thought movement was notably feminist, with most of its teachers and students being women, including founders Emma Curtis Hopkins, Myrtle Fillmore, Malinda Cramer, and Nona L. Brooks. Feminist theology continues to evolve, with scholars like Rita Gross and Judith Plaskow contributing to discussions of female God-language in Jewish contexts. The movement's influence extends to prayer books, such as Siddur Nashim, which first referred to God using female pronouns and imagery.
Did You Know?
- The movement's origins are traced to Valerie Saiving's 1960s article 'The Human Situation: A Feminine View'.
- Carol P. Christ's essay 'Why Women Need the Goddess' was first published in Heresies: The Great Goddess Issue (1978).
- The Latter-Day Saint movement affirms a Divine Feminine called 'Heavenly Mother' as part of its core doctrine.
- New Thought was a feminist movement with most of its teachers and students being women from the 1880s to today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is feminist theology?
Feminist theology is an academic and activist movement within religious studies that reads and reinterprets sacred traditions, scriptures, and practices through the lens of gender equality. It is not tied to a single faith but appears across many religious communities.
Where did feminist theology come from?
The movement is generally traced back to a 1960s article by Valerie Saiving, which is widely cited as a foundational text. From that starting point it expanded into a broader field spanning theology, religious studies, and feminist scholarship.
Which religions does feminist theology apply to?
It is far from limited to Christianity; scholars apply feminist readings to Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Neopaganism, the Baháʼí Faith, Zoroastrianism, and New Thought, among others. The core method—questioning gender assumptions embedded in doctrine and practice—transfers across all of these traditions.
What does feminist theology actually focus on?
Typical concerns include rethinking male-coded language and imagery for the divine, pushing for women's inclusion in clergy and leadership, examining how women are portrayed in holy texts, and reconsidering the tension between women's professional lives and expectations around motherhood. Some branches also explore the possibility of earlier matriarchal religious structures.
Why is feminist theology important in religious studies?
It challenges the assumption that a tradition's original or authoritative reading is the only valid one, opening space for voices that were historically marginalized within those communities. By doing so, it reshapes both academic scholarship and the day-to-day practice of believers.
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