God Gave Us the Right

CHRISTEL MANNING is an assistant professor of religion at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT.

• AcknowledgmentsPart I. Who Are We Talking to? Chapter 1. Stories of Ordinary WomenChapter 2. The Rhetoric of the EliteChapter 3. Three Conservative Religious CommunitiesPart II. Yes to Feminist ValuesChapter 4. Femininists in SocietyChapter 5. Traditionalists in Church and SynagogueChapter 6. But What about the Home? Chapter 7. Understanding InconsistencyPart III. No the the Feminist MovementChapter 8. Profeminist or Antifeminist? Chapter 9. Conflict with Secular America--Abortion and HomosexualityChapter 10. Understanding the DifferencesAppendix AAppendix BNotesBibliographyIndex

Manning unravels the broad stereotypes of religiously conservative women as servile and passive. This book brings to life the many dimensions of conservative religions and their relationship to women's feelings about their rights and roles, as well as opinions about the broader women's movement....This book...reveals how these women weave meanings for and from religion and gender issues....Well written and discerning. (Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion) The points of agreement and disagreement among the members of Manning's three constituencies are provocative and illuminating. Manning argues persuasively that we need to think about cultural conflict in new ways that reflect and expose the complexity and diversity in the traditionalist religious worldview. Recommended. (Choice) Highly accessible....Manning introduces us to some thoughtful women from evangelical Protestant, Orthodox Jewish, and conservative Catholic backgrounds, analyzing their lives as a complicated blend of modern values and traditional belief. - Margaret Bendroth (author of Fundamentalism and Gender, 1875 to the Present) Christel Manning's ethnographic study of conservative Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Jewish women is a cautionary tale about the dangers of generalizing about traditionalists/fundamentalists across the lines of historic religious traditions. Her method entailed a study of documents, extensive participant-observation fieldwork, and over seventy-five interviews with women who are members of three anonymous congregations....This work is an impressive scholarly achievement. Those looking for careful Calvin exegesis, detailed analysis, and excellent discussions of contemporary debates about Calvin would be well-advised to read it. (Journal of Religion) This book shatters stereotypes and portrays the religious lives of ordinary women as they really are. - Wade Clark Roof (J. F. Rowny Professor of Religion and Society, Department of Religious Studies,) Delves into the complex, seemingly contradictory, emotions and behaviors of women who embrace conservative religious traditions as they come to terms with feminism. - Debra Renee Kaufman (author of Rachel's Daughters)