Women, Religion, and the Fight for Equality - Essay Sample

Introduction

Feminist voices have been getting louder around the world in recent years. Different organizations and governments have also adopted policies meant to increase the participation of women in various political and social issues. The religious space has also been infiltrated by calls for gender equality. The place of women in the three Abrahamic religions varies. For instance, while Christianity seems to embrace the role of women more, Islam has been accused of suppressing the freedoms of women. Moreover, there have been more calls for the involvement of women in different religious issues, especially in Christianity. For instance, there have been calls to allow women to serve as Catholic priests (Pollak). While the call is a move in the right direction, it raises the question of why it has taken Christianity so long to allow women to take up some roles in the religion. However, the situation is much harder for women in Judaism. In light of this, it is important to explore the place of women in Judaism and discuss any changes that have occurred in the recent past.

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Generally, the Hebrew Bible and the Oral Law determine the role of women in Judaism. While various female figures are mentioned both in the Hebrew Bible and the rabbinic literature, women are treated differently. Looking at the Hebrew Bible, only a handful of women are mentioned by their names and roles (Bach 43). Therefore, it can accurately be assumed that the role of women in public culture was restricted. Also, the Bible severally mentions only men even in situations where women were involved. For instance, while both men and women were present at Mount Sinai when the covenant between God and Israelites was made, it was worded in a way that only required the men to act upon it and make sure that the members of their families, including their wives and children, followed the law too. The women were also completely dependent on men. Moreover, just like in Catholicism where women are not allowed to serve as priests, the women are not allowed to lead various religious events in Judaism. For instance, the status of Levi is only given to males (Bach 52).

Biblical laws also favored men. For instance, while a man could divorce his wife, a woman could not divorce her husband without consent. The levirate marriage laws also only applied to widows without children, but not widowers without children. Several other laws also target women in a way that could be seen as unfair by modern-day feminists. For instance, the laws regarding the loss of female virginity do not have a male equivalent (Bach 76). While most of the laws against women are no longer applied in Judaism, they help one understand the foundation on which the role of women in Judaism is built.

The status of women in Judaism did not improve much through the Middle Ages, though the changes in society consistently questioned the role of women. Various prohibitions were relaxed during this period, and women could participate in more religious events. For instance, women were allowed to visit the synagogues but were given separate sections from the men. Therefore, their roles in the synagogues remained limited. The laws regarding divorce and domestic violence were also refined to be more favorable to women.

Today, roles in the religion, especially Orthodox Judaism, are still highly gendered though different members hold different opinions regarding the same. For instance, while some believe that the roles are complementary, others hold that the differences in roles are not a reflection of religious law. Instead, they are a result of cultural, historical, and social factors. Education of women has also significantly risen, and unlike in the past women are no longer discouraged from learning various Jewish texts. However, the changes have been opposed by some Orthodox rabbis who argue that they are driven by sociological reasons rather than religious motivations. The resistance shows that despite the transformations, the participation of women in the religion is still greatly suppressed. For example, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, a prominent leader in modern Orthodoxy, discouraged women from holding the positions of leadership in synagogues, as well as performing mitzvot that were traditionally performed by men (Weiss). However, due to the rise of feminism in the religion as more Jewish women receive secular education, the situation is gradually changing. For instance, women are serving as clergy in some modern Orthodox Synagogues in the United States (Jewish Daily Forward Podcast). This group of women is also expected to champion further changes in the future.

The above discussion traces the journey of women in Judaism. Right from the Biblical times, the role of women in society has been limited and looking at it through modern feminists' lenses, it can be seen as suppression of their rights. However, despite resistance by various prominent leaders in the religion, a change is being witnessed. For instance, more and more women are taking up roles that were traditionally reserved for men. Moreover, as more women get educated, the need for equality in gender roles is going to become more prominent.

Works Cited

BIBLIOGRAPHY Bach, Alice. Women in the Hebrew Bible: A reader. Routledge, 2013. <https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=YQrfAQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=the+place+of+women+in+the+Hebrew+Bible&ots=yw0Ill5eDV&sig=PfVLy4gcENQqZbwYaRMsP0ib-kc>.

Jewish Daily Forward Podcast. "Female Orthodox Leaders: New and Old." 21 June 2013. The Jewish Daily Forward. 18 December 2019. <https://forward.com/articles/179052/female-orthodox-leaders-new-and-old/>.

Pollak, Sorcha. "Priests' group calls for ordination of women to end 'injustice'." 29 October 2019. The Irish Times. 18 December 2019. <https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/priests-group-calls-for-ordination-of-women-to-end-injustice-1.4065787>.

Weiss, Avraham. Women at Prayer: A Halakhic Analysis of Women's Prayer Groups. KTAV Publishing House, 2018. <https://books.google.com/books?id=GQHwIAxpZRAC&pg=PA107>.