8vo. xiii, 162 pp., cloth backed boards, foreword by Karen Armstrong, bibliography, index, copy in mint condition, University Press of Florida, Florida, first edition, 2001.

Synopsis

[Important for a general audience interested in women and religion, this book will be especially valuable to scholars in the fields of feminist theology, comparative religion, and interfaith studies.
Based on the premise that women’s struggles to have their voices heard are shared throughout the monotheists, these essays offer new insights into the traditions of three religions during the past century. Six scholars engage in dialogue with their own faith communities, reflecting on their scripture and theology in order to understand the process by which women have been constrained within the patriarchal teachings of the religion. Looking at texts and narratives long utilised to keep women within boundaries, they open up the scriptures and traditions to a feminist interpretation of the historical teachings of their faiths.
CONTENTS:
Women, Religion, and Empowerment, by John L. Esposito
1. Settling at Beer-lahai-roi, by Amy-Jill Levine
2. Hearing Hannah’s Voice: The Jewish Feminist Challenge and Ritual Innovation, by Leila Gal Berner
3. The Influence of Feminism on Christianity, by Alice L. Laffey
4. Christian Feminist Theology: History and Future, by Rosemary Radford Ruether
5. Hagar: A Historical Model for “Gender Jihad,” by Hibba Abugideiri
6. Rethinking Women and Islam, by Amira El-Azhary Sonbol]