The Woman’s Bible

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

—

Title

The Woman’s Bible

Language

en

Book source

Global Grey

Description max 80 words

Elizabeth Cady Stanton's bold feminist critique revises scripture to expose how biblical interpretation has historically justified women's inequality. This pioneering work argues for a freer, more equal spiritual and social order by re-examining texts that have long constrained women's roles.

Summary up to 500 words

Published in 1895 and 1898, Elizabeth Cady Stanton's *The Woman's Bible* stands as a foundational text for the women's rights movement, offering a comprehensive revision of scripture from a feminist perspective. Stanton and a committee of women scholars systematically analyzed the Bible, focusing on passages that directly referred to women or excluded them. The work argues that traditional interpretations have been used to enforce a 'divinely ordained sphere' for women, teaching that they were made inferior to men, brought sin into the world, and were destined for subjection. Stanton contends that creeds, laws, and church ordinances reflect this degrading spirit, using scripture to deny women political rights, ordination, and civil liberties while simultaneously relying on the Bible for moral support. The book features commentaries on both the Old and New Testaments, offering new translations and interpretations that challenge traditional dogmas. Contributors included notable figures such as Lillie Devereux Blake, Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford, and Matilda Joslyn Gage. The text highlights the hypocrisy of using scripture to justify women's oppression while claiming divine inspiration. Stanton urges a shift from superstition to reason and from subordination to equality, suggesting that the Bible's teachings on women were products of their time rather than eternal truths. Despite facing criticism and even repudiation by some suffrage leaders who feared it would alienate religious supporters, the book remains a significant work. At the 1896 National-American Woman Suffrage Association convention, a resolution was adopted distancing the organization from the *Woman's Bible*, a move Stanton and others viewed as censorship. The work stands as a testament to the struggle for women's emancipation, urging a re-evaluation of religious texts that have historically marginalized women.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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https://www.globalgreyebooks.com/ebooks/elizabeth-cady-stanton_womans-bible.epub

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data/epubs/url-13e548dc5a94a12e.epub

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Categories

• Religion
• Women's Rights
• Social Science