Women-Related Religion/Spirituality Sites

Last updated: March 11, 2008

What follows is a highly selective listing of women-related sites focusing on religion and/or spirituality. The sites have been chosen because they provide especially rich sources of information appropriate for an academic women's studies program.

And Adam Knew Eve: A Dictionary of Sex in the Bible: (Online edition of book by Ronald L. Ecker that offers both Biblical and scholarly citations to sexuality in the Bible. Includes alphabetical listings, index, bibliography, and links.)
Bibliographic References for Multicultural Perspectives on Domestic Violence in the U.S.: (Sociologist Natalie J. Sokoloff has compiled this extensive bibliography of print resources dealing with multicultural domestic violence. There are separate sections for Theories and Analyses, Racial/Ethnic Groups, Socio-Economic Status, Religious Groups, Lesbians, Social and Personal Change, Rural Domestic Violence, and Women with Disabilities.)
A Bibliography of Jewish Women's Resources: (Tsiporah Wexler-Pashkoff offers an extensive bibliography with more than a dozen topical sub-sections such as Holidays, Life Cycle, Biblical and Talmudic Women, Periodicals, Web Sites, and more.)
FaithTrust Institute: (Formerly known as the Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence, the FaithTrust Institute offers Information and resources focusing on domestic and sexual violence. The Institute describes itself as "an educational resource on abuse and religion," and considerable attention is paid to religious issues, including abuse by members of the clergy.)
Feminist Sexual Ethics Project: (The stated purpose of this Brandeis University site is "to provide information and create dialogue around issues of gender, religion, sexuality, and . . . slavery." The project's aim is "to create Jewish, Christian, and Muslim sexual ethics focusing on meaningful consent and mutuality." The site offers original essays, bibliographies, literature reviews, links to related sites, and more
Feminist Theology: see Hulda - Feminist Theology
Gender-Related Electronic Forums: Religion/Spirituality: (Annotated, frequently-updated listing of women- and gender-related email discussion forums focusing on religion/spirituality.)
Hulda - Feminist Theology: (Rebecca Unsoeld's updated bilingual site [German/English] contains links to her own Bible studies and extensive links to a variety of other feminist theology and Bible study web sites, as well as to a feminist theology bibliography.)
Jewish Feminist Resources: (This site by Renee Primack offers a range of Jewish feminist resources, including web sites, forums for discussion of Jewish feminist issues, and a useful "what's new" section that indicates current updates. Unfortunately, the site has not been updated in quite a while, but it's still useful.)
The Jewish Woman: (This site presents an Orthodox, Hasidic perspective on issues of interest to Jewish women, such as relationships and marriage, pregnancy and birth, motherhood, women's health, and religious practices.)
Jewish Women and the Feminist Revolution: (Created by the Jewish Women's Archive, this exhibit seeks to convey Jewish women's roles and contributions to the feminist movement of the 1960s and '70s. Using video clips, radio news reports, documents, artifacts, images, sounds, and fragments of memories, the exhibit delves into the meanings of feminism and its legacies to contemporary and future generations of Jewish women. Among the many women featured are pioneering activist Gloria Steinem, historian Gerda Lerner, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, artist Judy Chicago, novelist Marge Piercy, National Public Radio correspondent Nina Totenberg, and Sally Priesand and Amy Eilberg, the first American women to be ordained rabbis in Reform and Conservative Judaism.)
Joan of Arc - Maid of Heaven: (Though this site is designed to promote Ben D. Kennedy's book Maid of Heaven: The Story of Saint Joan of Arc, the site also offers abundant free information of use to anyone interested in Joan of Arc. Included are a timeline, "quick facts," background history pertinent to Joan of Arc, links to reference works Kennedy used in his book, pictorial representations, quotations about Joan of Arc, a FAQ, reviews of books, movies, and music about Joan of Arc, and an extensive, lightly annotated list of links to other relevant sites.)
Judaism 101: The Role of Women: (One section of Tracey R. Rich's much larger website devoted to explaining Judaism from a "traditional" [i.e., Orthodox] perspective. The page devoted to the role of women has links to many key terms and includes discussion of Women's Mitzvot, Women's Holiday, Women in the Synagogue, and Lilith, as well as links to a discussion of marriage and links for further study.)
Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights: (Karamah focuses on domestic and global issues of human rights for Muslims, with particular emphasis on Muslim women. The site offers legal news, information about civil rights projects, online and print publications, and more.)
Kolot: Center for Jewish Women's and Gender Studies: (Affiliated with the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Kolot offers a mix of spiritual and academic resources for Jewish women and girls. The site includes an extensive collection of related links.)
Lilith: (Alan Humm's website provides much information and many links to sources about Lilith, said to be the Biblical Adam's first wife, who was supplanted by the ostensibly more subservient Eve.)
Middle East & Islamic Studies Collection: Women & Gender Issues: (Links to news articles, essays, and other online material about women and gender in the Middle East, put together by a specialist bibliographer at the Cornell University Library.)
Monastic Matrix: Resources for the Study of Women's Religious Communities: (An ongoing collaborative effort by an international group of scholars of medieval history, religion, art history, archaeology, and other disciplines. The goal is "to document the participation of Christian women in the religion and society of medieval Europe." Includes biographies, community profiles, bibliography, glossary, archives of articles, an image library, and more.)
Muslim Women's Homepage: (Huma Ahmad's site offers extensive links to information about "the true stance Islam takes on gender issues and the role of women.")
Muslim Women's League: (Web site of "a nonprofit American Muslim organization working to implement the values of Islam and thereby reclaim the status of women as free, equal and vital contributors to society." The site includes news and analysis, essays, position papers, recommended reading, links to related sites, and more.)
Muslim Women's Studies: (Sponsored by the Zahira Abdin Chair for the Study of Women and Gender, this web site offers a number of essays that combine women's studies with a focus on Islam. More resources are planned. The essays and other materials all seem to be the work of Mona Abul-Fadl.)
Ontario Consultants on Relgious Tolerance: (This valuable site includes [under "Hot Topics"] essays and information about religious positions on abortion, homosexuality, female clergy, and other controverial issues.)
Rosh Hodesh: It's a Girl Thing!: (Rosh Hodesh describes itself as "a values-based, experiential and transdenominational Jewish program that strengthens the self-esteem and Jewish identity of adolescent girls in grades 6-12." The web site describes the program and how to find or establish one and offers an extensive set of links to related sites.)
Sakyadhita: International Association of Buddhist Women: (Information about women in Buddhism and related links.)
Under Shekhina's Wings: (Site offers links and other resources in "cross-cultural women's spirituality.")
Women Active in Buddhism: (The site offers links and resources on contemporary Buddhist women, including teachers, activists, scholars, nuns, and practitioners. Also included are teachings, projects, organizations, a partially annotated bibliography, contact information, and a guide to female meditational deities.)
Women and Religion: Web Resources: (Kathleen O'Grady compiled this useful set of annotated links and other entries for a proposed introductory seminar on Women and Religion. Arranged by sub-topics, the listing includes web sites, books, other media, email lists, online courses, and more.)
Women and the Holocaust: (A wealth of information about women's experiences in the Nazi holocaust. Personal testimony and recollections; biographies of female partisans and resistance fighters; a multi-part essay on women's holocaust narratives; poetry; historical background; a bibliography; and more.)
Women in Judaism: A Multidisciplinary Journal: (An academic, refereed, electronic journal devoted to scholarly debate on gender-related issues in Judaism. Includes essays, biographical articles, film reviews, and bibliographies, as well as links to a related encyclopedia project, non-refereed writings, announcements, and related sites.)
Women Living Under Muslim Laws: (Website of an "international solidarity network" for "women whose lives are shaped, conditioned, or governed by laws and customs said to derive from Islam." The network now links individual women and organizations in more than 70 countries. The website offers news, calls for action, publications, and extensive annotated links to related sites, as well as some resources available for purchase.)
Women's Path Into Ministry: Six Major Studies: (A 2002 report by Prof. Edward C. Lehman, Jr., that "argues that women's ordination is one of the most significant recent developments in American religion, fostering change in churchgoers' attitudes toward women in leadership and expanding the concept of ministry beyond the local congregation. Drawing upon research conducted between 1982 and 1998, Lehman sketches the broad outlines of a woman's 'career path' into ministry, from seminary and ordination through parish placement, and examines such factors as collegiality, ministry style, and the influence of female pastoral leadership on congregants, denominations, and culture." From Pulpit and Pew, an initiative of the Duke Divinity School.)
WSSLINKS: Theology: (An annotated, selective list of links to Internet resources on women and theology or religion. Compiled by librarian Christine M. Larson as part of the excellent WSSLINKS series.)

Go back to complete list of women-related WWW sites

Copyright 2008 by Joan Korenman.

Please send all additions and corrections to: Joan Korenman . However, please do not ask me to suggest web sites or other resources, and do not ask me to link to sites that are not rich in academic women-related resources. I unfortunately do not have time to respond to such requests. Many thanks.