Women's and Men's Liberation: Testimonies of Spirit

This collection of spiritual testimonies is committed to the idea that genuine dialogue between men and women that acknowledges the essential fully-gendered human aspect of each is the foundation for achieving true liberation of the sexes. This study looks to the traditions of the five major religions of the world for guidance. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism are examined by five women who, drawing on their own personal experiences, individually address how the issues of justice and equality are manifested in their respective religions, and search for teachings within those traditions that would promote meaningful dialogue.

Of central concern to the text is the concept that both sexes have responsibility for extracting the core lessons from their own particular cultural and religious framework, and the inclusion of writings by men as partners in this pursuit evidences the work's dialogical approach. Hopeful that men and women will witness the essential equality that is the heart of our belief systems, the work concludes with an outline of educational methods designed to encourage the kind of dialogue that can promote authentic freedom.

LEONARD GROB is Professor of Philosophy and Chairperson of the Department of Philosophy at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

RIFFAT HASSAN is Associate Professor of Religion at the University of Louisville.

HAIM GORDON is Senior Lecturer, Department of Education, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.