HIS 534 - Women in Western Religious History (3)

The course explores problems of method, sources and conceptual framework in studying women’s history. It traces the history of women’s participation in western religion, the reactions from male ecclesiastical hierarchies and theological interpretations about women from the early church to the present, especially of Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. Analysis of subject matter includes an examination of social currents that have affected women’s religious leadership and speculates on the future of women’s religious history. Through readings, discussions and class presentations, the course will pay particular attention to U.S. black women’s religious history.