Women of the Sacred Groves: Divine Priestesses of Okinawa
Although most historical and contemporary religions are governed by men, there are, scattered throughout the world, a handful of well-documented religions led by women. Most of these are marginal, subordinate, or secondary religions in the societies in which they are located. The one known exception to this rule is the indigenous religion of Okinawa, where women lead the official mainstream religion of the society. This book is the first in-depth look at this unique religious tradition, exploring the intersection between religion and gender. Based on fieldwork in an Okinawan village, Susan Sered argues that the absence of male dominance in the religious sphere is part of a broader absence of hiearchical ideologies and cultural patterns. In addition to providing important information on this remarkable and little-studied group, this book helps to overturn our mostly unexamined assumptions that male dominance of the religious sphere is universal, axiomatic, and necessary.
"1116929493"
Women of the Sacred Groves: Divine Priestesses of Okinawa
Although most historical and contemporary religions are governed by men, there are, scattered throughout the world, a handful of well-documented religions led by women. Most of these are marginal, subordinate, or secondary religions in the societies in which they are located. The one known exception to this rule is the indigenous religion of Okinawa, where women lead the official mainstream religion of the society. This book is the first in-depth look at this unique religious tradition, exploring the intersection between religion and gender. Based on fieldwork in an Okinawan village, Susan Sered argues that the absence of male dominance in the religious sphere is part of a broader absence of hiearchical ideologies and cultural patterns. In addition to providing important information on this remarkable and little-studied group, this book helps to overturn our mostly unexamined assumptions that male dominance of the religious sphere is universal, axiomatic, and necessary.
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Women of the Sacred Groves: Divine Priestesses of Okinawa

Women of the Sacred Groves: Divine Priestesses of Okinawa

by Susan Sered
Women of the Sacred Groves: Divine Priestesses of Okinawa

Women of the Sacred Groves: Divine Priestesses of Okinawa

by Susan Sered

Hardcover

$220.00 
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Overview

Although most historical and contemporary religions are governed by men, there are, scattered throughout the world, a handful of well-documented religions led by women. Most of these are marginal, subordinate, or secondary religions in the societies in which they are located. The one known exception to this rule is the indigenous religion of Okinawa, where women lead the official mainstream religion of the society. This book is the first in-depth look at this unique religious tradition, exploring the intersection between religion and gender. Based on fieldwork in an Okinawan village, Susan Sered argues that the absence of male dominance in the religious sphere is part of a broader absence of hiearchical ideologies and cultural patterns. In addition to providing important information on this remarkable and little-studied group, this book helps to overturn our mostly unexamined assumptions that male dominance of the religious sphere is universal, axiomatic, and necessary.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780195124866
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication date: 03/04/1999
Pages: 320
Product dimensions: 6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile: 1240L (what's this?)

About the Author

Bar-Ilan University

Table of Contents

IntroductionPrologue: Okinawan History, Henza Village, and ‘nthodologyPart I: Divine Dis-order1. Divine Dis-order: On Social Planes2. Divine Dis-order: On Cosmological PlanesPart II: Questions of Gender3. Gender in an Egalitarian Society4. Gender Separation and Social Integration5. Women and Men and RitualPart III: Sitting in the Seat of the Gods6. Priestesses and Ritual: Feeding the Kami-sama7. Divine Dis-order: Signs, Symptoms, and Sitting in the Right Seat8. Born to Be Kami-samaPart IV: Questions of Power9. The Problematics of Power10. Priestesses, Yuta, and Ogami PeoplePart V: Deconstructing Gender11. Un-gendering Religious Discourse12. Gender Bending(?) and Ritual DeconstructionConclusion: Religion, Power, and the Sanctification of GenderAppendixes:1. Glossary of Japanese and Okinawan Words2. Dramatis PersonaeNotesReferencesIndex
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