Restoring the Goddess: Equal Rites for Modern Women

by Barbara G. Walker

"In the beginning, in the time that was no time, nothing existed but the Womb. And the Womb was a limitless dark cauldron of all things in a chaotic blood-soup of matter and energy, fluid as water yet mud-solid with salts of the earth; red-hot as fire yet restlessly churning and bubbling with all the winds. And the Womb was the Mother, before She took form and gave form to Existence. She was the Deep. . . ."With this dramatic, poetic recasting of the Genesis myth, Barbara Walker begins this highly original and fascinating work, which is both an incisive critique of patriarchal religion and a bold proposal to establish a liberating alternative to the Judeo-Christian myth. She envisions a religion and a spirituality compatible with women's essential role in society and free of all the superstition and demeaning imagery characteristic of traditional, male-dominated religion. In place of theology she suggests "thealogy," replacing the academic study of the God concept with a down-to-earth "knowledge of the goddess" - a knowledge that incorporates the scientific understanding of the universe and recognizes the symbolic nature of religious concepts and the psychobiological foundations of religion. Rejecting the transcendent deity of patriarchal religion, thealogy would revere an immanent personification of the real universe, especially of the sacred Earth, the only source of life we know.Hearkening back to the widespread worship of a mother goddess at the dawn of civilization, Walker argues for a restoration of this primal religious sensibility, which celebrated the Earth's fertility and woman's innate power to bear new life. Women are already rediscovering this ancient form of spirituality, Walker shows, and redefining modern religion to conform to woman's new appreciation of their rights and the long history of male dominance.

Genres: Womens, Feminism, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Paganism

424 pages, Hardcover

First published March 20, 2000

About the author

Barbara Walker studied journalism at the University of Pennsylvania and then took a reporting job at the Washington Star in DC. During her work as a reporter, she became increasingly interested in feminism and women's issues.

Her writing career has been split between knitting instruction books, produced in the late 1960s through the mid-80s; and women's studies and mythology books, produced from the 1980s through the early 21st C.

Reviews

[Stacy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this book two stars because I felt two points about the books ruined it for me. One, at the end of every chapter are paragraphs of supposedly "real" women's one sided views on everything and I think that marred the book by making it drag and taking away from the point the book was trying to make. The other reason was although I agree whole heartedly with the author's views on how christianity, judaism and islam are patriarchial religions that degrade, humiliate and keep women down, I do not agree with that women are somehow just automatically gentle souls who the only they every want to do is create life and nuture it. I believe that feeling over generalized the complexity of women. The point is supposed to be women are humans too and should be treated with respect.

On the other hand this book is interesting because it points out so many things I never knew about the history of monothestic religion. Although I've always been aware of the sexist and cruelness of these religions the information she gave furthered my awareness at the horror that man has done in the name of God.

[Beth Geyer]

One of my absolute favorite books. All women should read this. ALL WOMEN!

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting material. There is a dark heaviness to the overall tone. Not what I expected, but I am glad I finished it.

[Zara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for every woman!