Hi,

I'm an anthropologist, and this is not really my terrain, so maybe you can help:

I'm trying to find out more on the reasons why feminist theology and/or feminist religious studies developed much later (or much less?) in Western Europe compared to the U.S. since second wave feminism. All I have come across are some remarks by Rosemary Radford Ruether, giving the following yet only brief general explanations which I interpret as:

1: a question of tradition of feminism: more secular, anti-religion in Europe compared to the U.S. (having 'foremothers' such as Stanton)

2: a question of differential structure of theological/religious studies faculties, especially in European historically Catholic countries where even till date Ruether claims there is 'still no real conversation between feminism and theology' (in Women and Redemption 1998)

So are there any European equivalents to e.g. Mary Daly, R.R. Ruether, Judith Plaskow, Rita Gross, particularly during the late sixties-seventies period? What about in the field of religious studies (or history of religion) in Europe, when (and with whom) did the impact of feminist critique begin to be felt there?

Any comments/knowledge/references are welcome!

Chia Longman

Ghent University, Belgium