Session 5: Women and Religion

Goals

Our goals for this session are that your group members will:

• reconsider Bible texts traditionally seen as patriarchal
• be able to evaluate both negative and positive views of women in world religions

Before the session:

Before starting this session you should have read Chapters 12 and 13 of Scars Across Humanity, and you should have identified a Bible text which speaks about the role of women.

Recap (5 mins)

Think about what impacted you the most from the previous session.

• Trafficking and Prostitution: An intimately linked problem of supply and demand
• Rape: A product of inequality and culture?

Women and Religion

In this video clip, Professor Kecia Ali briefly shares her experiences of being a Muslim woman.

Consider the following questions:

• In the video, Prof. Kecia Ali says that Muslims differ about which of them embodies the core of the faith. How do you think women represent their faith in Islam? How do you think Christian women represent their faith?
• Elaine Storkey quotes Mirna Yacob who criticises religious ideas that blame women for the sins of men. 

The quote is “In Islamic dogma, these men (who molest their child daughters) are seen as the victims. A girl is a sexual creature. Hence it is her responsibility to spare men around her the agony of desire for if she does not, she will ultimately be responsible for her own molestation. The daughter is a sexual temptress in front of her father. The rapist is the victim of her wiles. 

In this universe of divine patriarchy, a female is defined by her eternal guilt, a shameful criminal responsible for her own violation and victimhood … Exposing and opposing the injustice of this guilt and blame will bring down the house of Islamic patriarchy.” [p195]

• What do you think lies at the root of the idea that women are responsible for men’s sexual behaviour?
• What do you think Jesus has to say about the notion that women bring sexual harm upon themselves?

Women in the Bible

Watch Video 7: Women in the Bible (7 mins)

In this video, Helen Paynter from the Centre for the Study of the Bible and Violence talks about how the Bible has been used to subjugate women in the church and in society.

Reflection:

• Thinking about the Bible passage or story that you brought, how did you view it before this course?
• Did the video or any other part of this course change the way you look at it?
• How do you understand it now? 

Response and Action (5 mins) 

Read Genesis 1:26-27. 

Pray:

Father, we thank You that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We thank You that as men and women together we make up Your likeness. We are sorry for the times we have used Your Word to drive a wedge between men and women. Please forgive us. May Your Holy Spirit enlighten us and help us to do better. Amen

Before starting the next session, re-read chapter 13 Seeing Signs of Hope (page 221ff). See if you can find an encouraging news story about changes in attitudes towards gender-based violence.Resources

Revd Helen Paynter PhD, is the author of The Bible Doesn’t Tell Me So: Why you don’t have to submit to domestic abuse and coercive control published by BRF in 2020.

Rediscovering Scripture’s Vision for Women: Fresh Perspectives on Disputed Texts, by Lucy Peppiatt, is an excellent, readable book about male and female in the Bible. (IVP, 2019)

We highly recommend both these books!

End of Session 5.