By Morgen Shirin KaufmanLatifeh Alvieh (1926–1999) was the wife of renowned Iranian scholar Ehsan Yarshater (1920–2018). This relationship warranted her inclusion in archives at the Stanford University Library, but Alvieh was a prominent Iranian feminist in her own right, who was involved in several women’s organizations in the 1950s and 60s and was integral to […]
By Olivia Marr Robinson As religious studies scholar Dr. Margaret D. Kamitsuka observes, “no theology can go forward that does not recognize its rootedness in experience” (2007, 7). Whilst feminist theologians do not all share the same methods or emphases, many draw on this insight to argue that interpretation should attend to the lived experiences […]
By Gurmeet Kaur Himalayan region is known for its untouched lands, difficult terrains and limited access. While these features have attracted many (Sages, travellers and traders) for eons, the region is now actively acknowledged as living repository of ecological knowledge, spirituality, and memory. The role of women to pass on the lived memory to next […]
Over the years, Dr. Kate Ott has helped shape the voices, questions, and commitments of feminist studies in religion. As she steps back from her role, we honor her legacy by revisiting some of her most impactful contributions. Thanks to a special arrangement with Indiana University Press, the following articles by Dr. Ott will be […]
By Christy Cobb. In the United States, female undergraduate students are twice as likely to experience rape than to be robbed. Approximately 13% of all students—male and female; graduate and undergraduate—experience sexual assault or rape. These statistics are likely not a surprise to those of us who regularly teach undergraduate students, like myself. What might […]
By Emma Cieslik. Gabrielle Cerince, Devotee of the Goddess, smeared period blood across her cheeks, then her forehead, then down her neck before licking her fingers. On July 2nd, 2023, Cerince shared a reel of this Blood Magic and Womb Ritual on Instagram. In patriarchal religious institutions and societies, Cerince explains during the video, period blood […]
By Oluwatomisin “Tomi” Oredein. “It is a form of struggle and survival, an epistemic existence-based response and practice—most especially by colonial and racialized subjects—against the colonial matrix of power in all of its dimensions, and for the possibilities of an otherwise.” – cultural theorist Catherine Walsh on decoloniality Decolonization Decolonization—the active and actual commitment to […]
By Sharon Jacob. “When a Hindu man marries a Muslim woman, it is always portrayed as romance and love by Hindu organizations, while when the reverse happens it is depicted as coercion.” Charu Gupta, Historian at University of Delhi Genesis 34 is the story of Dinah and the Shechemites. The most common interpretations of Genesis […]
By Andrea Corso Johnson. The Magnificat is the first of four “hymns” in Luke’s Gospel. Although located in the New Testament, the Magnificat is closely connected to the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament). Its structure and thematic expression are similar to Hannah’s song (I Sam. 2:1-10). It also bears similarity to the Hebrew Bible theme, […]
By Sharon Jacob and Leonard McMahon. The current hostility among representatives on both sides of the aisle sheds important light on the relationship between respectability politics and speech. It is sadly yet another experiment where people of color (POC), who historically have relied on their voices to communicate grievance, can test whether the right words […]