Course Code: HUMA 230
Academic Year: 2024-2025
There is much debate today about the place of religion in women's lives and how women continue to be affected by religion, both positively and negatively. From the ways women dress, to their roles in society, to the expression and control of their sexuality, religion continues to occupy a central place. This course will examine these and other important contemporary issues by exploring the roles of women in at least five of the following religious traditions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhist Traditions, Chinese Traditions, Indigenous Traditions and New Religious Movements. Students will consider a number of topics: the status and representation of women in different religions; the presence of female figures such as goddesses, mystics and prophets; the conceptions of womens sexuality; and womens "official" and "unofficial" roles in religion. Central to this course is considering the possibility of social change for the status of women within the various religious traditions.