Women and Authority: Re-Emerging Mormon Feminism

Mormon women today might be surprised to learn about their foremothers' views on feminist theology and women's issues, according to Maxine Hanks. In 1842, founder Joseph Smith foresaw the LDS Women's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1560850140
• ISBN13: 9781560850144
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Signature Books
• Length: 494 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.3" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

The Mormon Woman's Bible

Even if you don't want to use the "F" word -- feminist -- to describe yourself, you will find this book tremendously interesting. Chock full of inspiring original documents from the founding mothers of Mormonism and thoughful, varied essays by modern writers, this book contains the writings of those on the "who's who" list of Mormon Feminists, from Eliza R. Snow to Sonia Johnson to Todd Compton. For those doing any sort of research on LDS women, this is an invaluable collection of original quotations and thoughful modern reflection.

Spirituality has no gender!

This book is just jolly good! I mean you get to read about all these aspects of LDS women's life and spirituality. The editor has really done a remarkable job, gathering all these essays from believing and cultural LDS, which illuminate the situation of many passed and present women of LDS. Some essays are interviews with LDS women, there is a long excerpt from the 19th century LDS women's magazine, a lot of space is dedicated to the equal rights movement taking place in US and how LDS women handled it. The question of authority and priesthood is discussed which gave a great knowledge about the old days, when the LDS movement was charismatic, not so institutionalised as it became later. It is not only the facticity of women healing, administering to the sick, praying and having religous seances that is mentioned, but also how how this can be used today, in women's and men's lives. Do we actually need female priests? What kind of measures would it take? Is there a possibility for creating a forum besides the Relief society to empower women's sprituality? The role of language and its patriarchal structure, another essay, reminded of my own church's struggle (I am Swedish Lutheran) in the 1950s when the first women were ordained to be priests. The question of language is also connected to the image of god, is it a man, a father, and how comforting can a father image be, when fathers seem so absent in our lives? There is according to LDS a mother in heaven but she is rather silent, but through this book you get to know people who were touched by her and answered by her. I loved the book and you will like it independently of your relation to the LDS movement, because it raises important questions and can be a start-off for a change, just like that research which finally opened the priesthood for all males regardless of skin colour in 1978. But as always, change takes time, I mean it took five hundred years for the Lutherans in Sweden to finally "let" the women become priests, it will take time and a lot of effort. As an essay in the book says, there is hardly any women in the place where the action in the church takes place, because many posts in the LDS hierarchy are connected to the priesthood, so it will take time. It is a faith-promoting book in many ways, it showed how faithfulness to the religion can be empowering even if it never gives you the actual chance to be empowered. Two constructive suggestions, when editing another collection: one: why the silence about polygamy? How did it affect authority? How did it effect women's chance to be priestesses and godesses of the new heavens and earths? I mean even if the women had an independence during Joseph's life time and a bit afterwards, many of them, were living in polygamous relationships. It is sad that not one essay mentioned this and I believe that polygamy had to do someting with the Relief society in the beginning and that polygamy helped institutionalise the patriarchy in the church

Reclaiming Female Spirituality in Mormonism

This book is an amazing collection of women's voices. Unlike many feminist books which protest religion or agitate for change, this book takes a positive approach that celebrates and reclaims women's spirituality in Mormonism. The book heals women's loss of spiritual power in the Church simply by reclaiming that power, individually. These voices are brave and authentic, spiritual and sincere. They show that Mormon women have not lost their connection to God, but are finding their inner pathway to the divine. None of these voices is weak or plaintive, they have the energy of living spirituality, flowing from the true source, God. Reading this book fills one with the Spirit. It is soundly based on Mormon theology and doctrine, careful to reclaim female spirituality without veering outside of the faith. Every Mormon woman could benefit from reading this book, and may find that it strengthens her testimony of Mormonism, increases her personal connection to God, and expands her spiritual life. This is a healing book for Mormon women.

Reclaiming Female Spirituality in Mormonism

This book is an amazing, unparalleled collection of women's voices. Unlike many feminist books which critique or protest religion or lobby for change, this book takes a positive approach that celebrates and reclaims women's spirituality in Mormonism. The book heals women's loss of spiritual power by simply reclaiming that power, individually. These voices are brave and authentic, spiritual and sincere. They show that Mormon women have not lost their connection to God, but are finding their inner pathway to the divine. None of these voices is weak or plaintive, they have the energy of living spirituality, flowing from the true source, God. Reading this book fills one with the Spirit. It is soundly based on Mormon theology and doctrine, very careful to reclaim female spirituality without veering outside of the orthodox faith. Every Mormon woman could benefit from reading this book, and may find that it renews her testimony of Mormonism, increases her personal connection to God and expands her spiritual life. This is a healing book for Mormon women.

An powerful examination of Mormon Feminism.

This beautifully edited books is a collection of articles written by Mormon women of this century who have come to realize the negative impact that Mormon patriarchy has imposed upon them.Aside from the controversial nature of these works, every Mormon female should read this book, perhaps in conjunction with the book "In Sacred Lonliness" a biography of the many polygamous wives of Joeseph Smith. When the lives of the strong, powerful and empowered women of the past are imposed over the current lives and roles of women today, one can clearly see the deterioation of the female "godhead" once so central to church doctrine.This is a wonderful book. As I read it, I felt not only empowered, but enervated and comforted as well. Any Mormon woman who has heard the phrase "Men can enter the priesthood, but women make sure their feet are clean before they do" and has felt some unquiet in their soul will likely find some soul sisters or soul mates in this text.As a 5th generation Mormon female and given the promise that the prophet Joseph Smith made to the women of the church which referred to their roles as those of "...healer and goddess..." I think I can safely say that I would rather be a goddess than a doormat!Best wishes to the authors and editors of this magnificent book - read it if you are interested in Mormonism, women's roles in any church, or Mormon Feminism.