Guest guest Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 I just ran across the following book at Amazon. It looks intriguing; have any of you (group members) read it? What did you think? Max, have you read this? It's on my wishlist for now. Sigh. Too many books; too little time! Goddesses and the Divine Feminine : A Western Religious History Rosemary Radford Ruether List Price: $27.50 Amazon Price: $18.15 (also available used) Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: University of California Press (May 1, 2005) Language: English ISBN: 0520231465 >From Publishers Weekly [copied from Amazon.com] Ruether charts a medium between, on the one hand, historically male-centered Western religious traditions and, on the other, the 1970s assertion (courtesy of Marija Gimbutas, Riane Eisler et al) that prehistoric societies were matricentric and matrilinear. It is possible, Ruether says, to support ecofeminism and beliefs in the divine feminine "without embracing theories about gender in human social evolution that are not historically tenable. One can affirm the validity of alternative Goddess spirituality in the contemporary context without insisting that everyone accept the thesis of a literal 'feminist Eden' in prehistoric human existence." Ruether adopts a roughly chronological approach, opening with an anthropological and archaeological look at what we know about gender in prehistory (which, it turns out, is not a lot), and about goddesses in the ancient Mediterranean world. She then examines gender and the divine feminine in Hebrew scriptures, ancient mystery cults, the New Testament and medieval Christianity before turning her attention to a particular case study of gender in the cultural contact between Aztec religion and Christianity in Mexico. The final chapters explore possible reasons for the popularity of the idea of matriarchy, with Ruether raising the overarching question: Do we need a myth of matriarchal prehistory today? Scholars and educated lay readers who are looking for a fair, comprehensive assessment of what is at stake in the debates about the divine feminine will read this with great interest. Ruether is an informed and lively guide, and her book (complete with nearly four dozen illustrations) manages to be both opinionated and balanced. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author Rosemary Radford Ruether is Carpenter Professor of Feminist Theology at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. She is author of numerous books, including Sexism and Godtalk: Toward a Feminist Theology (second edition, 1993), Gaia and God: An Ecofeminist Theology of Earth Healing (1992), and Women and Redemption: A Theological History (1998). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 Rosemary Radford Ruether is a Western feminist/intellectualist scholar who sort of pioneered that area of study. Her work may not pique the interest of SS members (or maybe so, who knows?). My mother studied with her at one of the divinity schools in the Bay Area last year. Riane Eisler also falls into that same quasi-feminist category. There is also book by her (Eisler) called "The Chalice & the Blade" from the late 80s. JANARDANA DAS msbauju <msbauju wrote: I just ran across the following book at Amazon. It looks intriguing; have any of you (group members) read it? What did you think? Max, have you read this? It's on my wishlist for now. Sigh. Too many books; too little time! Goddesses and the Divine Feminine : A Western Religious History Rosemary Radford Ruether List Price: $27.50 Amazon Price: $18.15 (also available used) Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: University of California Press (May 1, 2005) Language: English ISBN: 0520231465 >From Publishers Weekly [copied from Amazon.com] Ruether charts a medium between, on the one hand, historically male-centered Western religious traditions and, on the other, the 1970s assertion (courtesy of Marija Gimbutas, Riane Eisler et al) that prehistoric societies were matricentric and matrilinear. It is possible, Ruether says, to support ecofeminism and beliefs in the divine feminine "without embracing theories about gender in human social evolution that are not historically tenable. One can affirm the validity of alternative Goddess spirituality in the contemporary context without insisting that everyone accept the thesis of a literal 'feminist Eden' in prehistoric human existence." Ruether adopts a roughly chronological approach, opening with an anthropological and archaeological look at what we know about gender in prehistory (which, it turns out, is not a lot), and about goddesses in the ancient Mediterranean world. She then examines gender and the divine feminine in Hebrew scriptures, ancient mystery cults, the New Testament and medieval Christianity before turning her attention to a particular case study of gender in the cultural contact between Aztec religion and Christianity in Mexico. The final chapters explore possible reasons for the popularity of the idea of matriarchy, with Ruether raising the overarching question: Do we need a myth of matriarchal prehistory today? Scholars and educated lay readers who are looking for a fair, comprehensive assessment of what is at stake in the debates about the divine feminine will read this with great interest. Ruether is an informed and lively guide, and her book (complete with nearly four dozen illustrations) manages to be both opinionated and balanced. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author Rosemary Radford Ruether is Carpenter Professor of Feminist Theology at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. She is author of numerous books, including Sexism and Godtalk: Toward a Feminist Theology (second edition, 1993), Gaia and God: An Ecofeminist Theology of Earth Healing (1992), and Women and Redemption: A Theological History (1998). Traditions Visit your group "" on the web. FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 Janardana Dasa, I think that you're correct that the majority of SS readers wouldn't be interested in the book (or the topic.) I had asked for comments as the group (appears to, based on past conversations) have a small minority of members who might have read the book. I am not trying to stir up off-topic conversation; my apologies if it seemed so. (Folks who have read the book can email me with opinions/reviews/comments. I am curious as to if the work is as balanced as its jacket copy makes it out to be.) , Janardana Dasa <lightdweller> wrote: > > Rosemary Radford Ruether is a Western > feminist/intellectualist scholar who > sort of pioneered that area of study. > Her work may not pique the interest > of SS members (or maybe so, who knows?). > [....] ------------ > msbauju wrote: > [....] > Goddesses and the Divine Feminine : A Western Religious > History > Rosemary Radford Ruether > List Price: $27.50 > Amazon Price: $18.15 > (also available used) > Hardcover: 336 pages > Publisher: University of California Press (May 1, 2005) > Language: English > ISBN: 0520231465 > [....] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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