Women and Fundamentalism in Islam and Catholicism: Negotiating Modernity in a Globalized World

Description

This book takes a historical-theological approach to understanding the complex relationships among gender, religion, economics and politics in a global context, with particular reference to Islam and Catholicism as two worldwide, culturally diverse and patriarchal religious traditions. It looks at ways in which Catholic and Muslim women, both within and between their respective traditions, are critiquing fundamentalist theological and cultural positions and reclaiming their rightful place within the life of their religious traditions. In so doing, it argues that they offer to their respective religious communities, and beyond, a holistic way of negotiating the impact of modernity in a globalized world. The final chapter of the book gives voice to some Australian Muslim and Catholic women who, at a local level, reflect many of the overall concerns of women who find themselves at the cutting edge of their respective religious tradition’s negotiation of modernity. Contents Acknowledgements vii CHAPTER ONE Introduction 1 CHAPTER TWO The Dynamics of Islamic Fundamentalism 29 CHAPTER THREE The Dynamics of Catholic Fundamentalism 89 CHAPTER FOUR Economics, Gender and Neo-patriarchy 155 CHAPTER FIVE Muslim and Catholic Feminist Responses to Fundamentalism 209 CHAPTER SIX Sydney Women Speak: Results of Survey 277 Conclusion 303 Bibliography 307 Index 329