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Religion, Religiosity, and Gender

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Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender

Introduction

Religion is an ideology, meaning “… that part of culture which is actively concerned with the establishment and defense of patterns of beliefs and values” (Geertz, 1964, p. 64). But it is clearly different, in the nature of its claims, from all other ideologies we know, such as leftwing or right-wing world views in politics. Religion as an ideology involves the individual in a unique commitment and a unique network of relationships, real and imagined. The irreducible belief core common to all religions contains the belief in spirit entities inhabiting an invisible world, and our relationship with them (Beit-Hallahmi, 1989). The working definition of religion used here is the straightforward everyday description of religion as a system of beliefs in divine or superhuman powers, and ritual practices directed towards such powers (Argyle & Beit-Hallahmi, 1975).

It is the premise of every religion—and this premise is religion’s defining characteristic—that souls, supernatural...

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  1. Human Relationa Area Files/Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

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Beit-Hallahmi, B. (2003). Religion, Religiosity, and Gender. In: Ember, C.R., Ember, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-29907-6_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-29907-6_12

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