When God Was a Woman

by Merlin Stone

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1,859	13	9,759	(3.69)	14
History. Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. Here, archaeologically documented,is the story of the religion of the Goddess. Under her, women�s roles were far more prominent than in patriarchal Judeo-Christian cultures. Stone describes this ancient system and, with its disintegration, the decline in women�s status.… (more)

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One of many books I read in my late twenties and early thirties as part of an exploration of feminist theologies and histories. (

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Kim.Sasso | Aug 27, 2023 |

An eye-opening experience. (

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mykl-s | Mar 2, 2023 |

An important look into world religions and what that meant for women

This book was really in-depth and informative regarding the earliest religions, which have all but been forgotten in light of conquest. The amount of research needed to really give us a deeper look into what it means to be a woman in a religion which does not respect your autonomy was so well done that I didn't realize at first just how old this book is. It continues to hold up. I will definitely be reading several of the books and articles referenced in the bibliography. (

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Booksunknown23 | May 18, 2020 |

I wasn't terribly impressed, but there is some interesting historical information. (

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librisissimo | Dec 3, 2018 |

One of many books I read in my late twenties and early thirties as part of an exploration of feminist theologies and histories. (

)

Kim_Sasso | Mar 14, 2018 |

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Has as a commentary on the text

The Mismeasure of Woman by Carol Tavris

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Canonical title

When God Was a Woman

Original title

Alternative titles

The Paradise Papers: Suppression of Women's Rites

Original publication date

1976-11-15

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Epigraph

Man enjoys the great advantage of having a god endorse the code he writes; and since man exercises a sovereign authority over women it is especially fortunate that this authority has been vested in him by the Supreme Being. for the Jews, Mohammedans and Christians among others, man is master by divine right; the fear of God will therefore repress any impulse towards revolt in the downtrodden female.
-Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1949

Dedication

To Jenny and Cynthia with love

First words

Though we live amid high-rise steel buildings, formica countertops and electronic television screens, there is something in all of us, women and men alike, that makes us feel deeply connected with the past.

Quotations

At the very dawn of religion, God was a woman. Do you remember?

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Published as "When God Was a Woman" is the U.S. and "The Paradise Papers: Suppression of Women's Rites" in the U.K.

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Lifson, Martha

Original language

English

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Matriarchal religion

Merlin Stone

▾Book descriptions

History. Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. Here, archaeologically documented,is the story of the religion of the Goddess. Under her, women�s roles were far more prominent than in patriarchal Judeo-Christian cultures. Stone describes this ancient system and, with its disintegration, the decline in women�s status.

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Book description

Here, archaeologically documented, is the story of the religion of the Goddess. Known by many names--Astarte, Isis, Ishtar, among others--she reigned supreme in the Near and Middle East. Beyond being worshiped for fertility, she was revered as the wise creator and the one source of universal order. Under her, women's roles differed markedly from those in patriarchal Judeo-Christian cultures. Women bought and sold property, traded in the marketplace, and the inheritance of title and property was passed from mother to daughter.

How did the change come about? By documenting the wholesale rewriting of myth and religious dogmas, Merlin Stone details a most ancient conspiracy: the patriarchal re-imaging of the Goddess as a wanton, deprave figure. This is the portrait the laid the foundation for one of culture's greatest shams--the legend of Adam and fallen Eve.

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