Laura Vance

Women in New Religions - Women in Religions Laura Vance

Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index. Biographical Note: Laura Vance is Director of Gender and Women's Studies and Faculty of Sociology at Warren Wilson College. She is the author of Seventh-day Adventism in Crisis. Table of Contents: Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction: Why Study Women in New Religions? 1 1. Mormonism: Gendering the Heavens 19 2. Seventh-day Adventism: Women s Changing Role in an Endtime Religion 49 3. The Family International: Sexualizing Gender 77 4. Wicca: Valuing the Divine Feminine 101 Conclusion 121 Questions for Discussion 131 Notes 135 Works Cited 169 For Further Reading 183 Index 185 About the Author 189"Review Quotes: "Clearly the result of intensive research, this book offers invaluable insights into the different and shifting attitudes towards and experiences of women in four alternative religions. I recommend it most strongly not only to scholars interested in the study of gender and of new religions, but also to the general reader curious about the extraordinary variety of ways in which half the population can be viewed and treated according to widely differing perceptions of reality. -Eileen Barker, author of "New Religious Movements: A Practical Introduction""Review Quotes: "This engaging new book shows us why and how gender plays a powerful role in the formation and growth of new religions. Integrating gender and social theory with illuminating accounts of spiritual entrepreneurs both strange and familiar, this is a thorough, well-crafted, and eminently useful addition to an important field of study."-Margaret Bendroth, Congregational Library"Publisher Marketing: Women in New Religions offers an engaging look at women's evolving place in the birth and development of new religious movements. It focuses on four disparate new religions--Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism, The Family International, and Wicca--to illuminate their implications for gender socialization, religious leadership and participation, sexuality, and family ideals. Religious worldviews and gender roles interact with one another in complicated ways. This is especially true within new religions, which frequently set roles for women in ways that help the movements to define their boundaries in relation to the wider society. As new religious movements emerge, they often position themselves in opposition to dominant society and concomitantly assert alternative roles for women. But these religions are not monolithic: rather than defining gender in rigid and repressive terms, new religions sometimes offer possibilities to women that are not otherwise available. Vance traces expectations for women as the religions emerge, and transformation of possibilities and responsibilities for women as they mature. Weaving theory with examination of each movement's origins, history, and beliefs and practices, this text contextualizes and situates ideals for women in new religions. The book offers an accessible analysis of the complex factors that influence gender ideology and its evolution in new religious movements, including the movements' origins, charismatic leadership and routinization, theology and doctrine, and socio-historical contexts. It shows how religions shape definitions of women's place in a way that is informed by response to social context, group boundaries, and identity. Additional Resources Contributor Bio:  Vance, Laura Laura Vance is Director of Gender and Women's Studies and Faculty of Sociology at Warren Wilson College. She is the author of Seventh-day Adventism in Crisis.