Women in Comparative Societies
Introduction to Raines and Maguire

What Men Owe Women

My qualms about the title – who are these guys anyway?

What does Raines say about this???
Basically, two things

1) that they are “feminist” men, i.e, men interested in creating gender justice (“feminist” = what he calls “advocates on pg. 1)

2) that they included a panel of 4 women who are experts in the field of comparative religious studies and incorporated some of their comments/criticisms

What do you think??  Why are men’s voices important on this question???

I’d say (and I think Raines says too) that men have always had disproportionate power over women’s lives so they have to be a large part of changing this

 
Why should we expect religion to be libratory for women???

Aren’t these the same philosophies/worldviews that have justified women’s subordination?????

How does Raines answer these questions???

“**Each of the religious traditions has a strong theory of social justice, and these resources can be harnessed to contemporary issues of gender” (1).
 

Yet he urges the critical and constructive use of original religious texts, scriptures – use these to further gender justice (1)
 

Only feminists/feminist men can do this in an emancipatory way

Further

This process is POLITICAL, i.e, it involves entering into conflicts, making choices, taking a stand

“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”
Malcolm X

Where do you stand on the issue of gender justice?

In what ways is your stand informed by your religious background?

The answers to this question may not be obvious to you, part of your worldview in ways that make it less visible.

Is your position supported by religious texts, scripture?

If so, does this mean that your stance is THE TRUTH??

More true than other’s?
 
Note that Raines asserts that “how to improve the concrete lives of women is always culturally specific and particularized task” (3).

Does this mean there is no TRUTH?  Only many truths?

Is it possible to “contextualize” THE TRUTH?

Rest of the chapter = short bios on the contributors.  We should refer to these when we read each chapter to “contextualize” the author’s work