Feminine Power: The Divine to the Demonic

By Belinda Crerar

Divine women - in many guises - have featured in every world faith from deep history until the present day; inspiring people and cultures across the world. In a cross-cultural and global approach; this book discusses Eve alongside Inanna; Radha; and Aphrodite in the context of sex and desire; while in the chapter on evil; witches and Hecate are compared with other deities; like Lamashtu and the Cihuateotl; as well as monstrous women such as Taraka; Medusa; Rangda; and Lilith. Ideas of justice and defense are explored in the figures of Athena; Sekhmet; and Kali; and the final chapter on compassion and salvation uncovers links between Isis; Mary; Tara; and Guanyin. The publication concludes with a discussion of contemporary art and modern interpretations of goddesses. Until the mid-twentieth century; the disciplines of theology; archaeology; and history were heavily dominated by male academics; resulting in the under-representation of women's experience and fewer studies on female divinity. This timely book; which is packed with fascinating insights into different cultures and beliefs; seeks to redress that balance.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0714151300
• ISBN13: 9780714151304
• Release Date: June 2022
• Publisher: British Museum Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 2.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.5" x 9.6"