Can there be religion without gender?

Abstract

Is religion always formed along gendered lines? Or can we find-or at least imagine-religion in which gender plays little or no role? And if religion is inevitably gendered, what does this tell us about the nature of religion? This article explores these questions, drawing on both cross-cultural examples and the author’s own research experience. In so doing, it critiques both Western concepts and anthropological approaches to religion in order to move beyond stereotypes regarding women’s religious roles in both Western and non-Western societies. It concludes by suggesting ways that new forms of spirituality and religious experience can both take account of and transcend gender.