Losing God to Find Equality: Feminist Essays and the Departure from Religion
Submission Type
Event
Faculty Advisor
Molly Robey
Expected Graduation Date
2019
Location
Room E106, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Start Date
4-13-2019 11:00 AM
End Date
4-13-2019 12:00 PM
Disciplines
Education
Abstract
Feminist theory of today presents religion as a hindrance or blatant contradiction to feminism; however, religion played a foundational role in original feminist theory. By thoroughly investigating feminist writings of the past and present, this paper addresses the lack of scholarly criticism regarding religion in the feminist essay. With thorough analysis on the origins of feminist theory, as well as the transition away from religion in feminist writings, the feminist essay of the past and present can be fully understood and examined side by side. I tentatively propose the argument that the representation of early feminism’s religious roots in feminist essays are generally ignored or overlooked; however, religion was a key component of early feminist theory and the transition to feminist essays sans religion provide a new perspective on feminist writings. Analysis of authors such as Mary Wollstonecraft and Roxane Gay emphasize the fact that while today’s feminist writings may be absent of religion, there are still a shocking amount of similarities between feminist essays of the past and present.
Losing God to Find Equality: Feminist Essays and the Departure from Religion
Room E106, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Feminist theory of today presents religion as a hindrance or blatant contradiction to feminism; however, religion played a foundational role in original feminist theory. By thoroughly investigating feminist writings of the past and present, this paper addresses the lack of scholarly criticism regarding religion in the feminist essay. With thorough analysis on the origins of feminist theory, as well as the transition away from religion in feminist writings, the feminist essay of the past and present can be fully understood and examined side by side. I tentatively propose the argument that the representation of early feminism’s religious roots in feminist essays are generally ignored or overlooked; however, religion was a key component of early feminist theory and the transition to feminist essays sans religion provide a new perspective on feminist writings. Analysis of authors such as Mary Wollstonecraft and Roxane Gay emphasize the fact that while today’s feminist writings may be absent of religion, there are still a shocking amount of similarities between feminist essays of the past and present.