REL 374 - Women's Religious History

In this course, students use historical and feminist frameworks to explore some of the major themes, questions and tensions that shape the study of women in religious history. The course focuses on the lives and images of women in various traditions in different eras, using both primary and secondary texts. Students will investigate the ambiguous function of religion in the lives of historical women – its capacity for oppressing and/or empowering women in different circumstances, cultures, traditions and eras. This course can also count toward the women’s and gender studies program.