--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because religion has such a compelling…" description: "\"Because religion has such a compelling hold on the deep psyches of so many people, feminists cannot afford to leave it in the hands of the fathers.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/211/carol-p-christ-23213_compelling_because-religion-has-such-a-compelling-h_106986.jpg" --- # Because religion has such a compelling hold on the deep… ![“Because religion has such a compelling hold on the deep psyches of so many people, feminists cannot afford to leave it in the hands of the fathers.” quote by Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/211/carol-p-christ-23213_compelling_because-religion-has-such-a-compelling-h_106986.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/211/carol-p-christ-23213_compelling_because-religion-has-such-a-compelling-h_106986.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/211/carol-p-christ-23213_compelling_because-religion-has-such-a-compelling-h_106986.jpg) > “Because religion has such a compelling hold on the deep psyches of so many people, feminists cannot afford to leave it in the hands of the fathers.” [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feminist strategy must confront religious authority because faith deeply shapes many people's identities and social structures. **In simple terms:** Religion's grip makes it a battleground for gender equality. Key Takeaway Challenge religious power to advance feminist goals. Themes gender religion power social change Mood determined critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - activist organizing - policy advocacy - educational curricula Key Concepts intersectionality institutional authority Practical Applications - Develop feminist curricula that address religious narratives - Engage faith leaders in gender‑equity dialogues Questions to Reflect On - How can feminists collaborate with religious communities without compromising core values? - What alternatives exist when religious institutions resist reform? A Different Perspective Some argue that separating religion from feminist discourse risks alienating believers and reducing coalition breadth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Feminists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminists/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [I do think that more people are feminists than they realize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/i-do-think-that-more-people-are-feminists-than-they-realize/) [Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/) > [All the decent people, male and female, are feminists. The only people who are not feminists are those who believe that women are inherently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/all-the-decent-people-male-and-female-are-feminists-the-only-people/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [Feminists are those who cannot stand female characteristics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/feminists-are-those-who-cannot-stand-female-characteristics/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [BUT MY RECENT RESEARCH HAS SHOWN ME THAT FEMINISM HAS BECOME AN UNPOPULAR WORD. WOMEN ARE CHOOSING NOT TO IDENTIFY AS FEMINISTS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/but-my-recent-research-has-shown-me-that-feminism-has-become-an/) [Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/) > [The audience I have in mind is always me and my friends. And my two sisters. 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I think it's got a bad reputation because when feminism came into being,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twinkle-khanna/people-feel-feminists-are-aggressive-men-hating-women-with-a-little/) [Twinkle Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twinkle-khanna/) > [Feminists were psyched that I had armpit hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-cole/feminists-were-psyched-that-i-had-armpit-hair/) [Paula Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-cole/) > [A lot of women are turned off by the physical appearance of some of the first feminists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-reddy/a-lot-of-women-are-turned-off-by-the-physical-appearance-of-some-of/) [Helen Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-reddy/) > [“All men should be feminists. If men care about women’s rights the world will be a better place. We are better off when women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/all-men-should-be-feminists-if-men-care-about-women-s-rights-the/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [All men should be feminists. If men cared about women's rights, the world would be a better place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/all-men-should-be-feminists-if-men-cared-about-women-s-rights-the/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [“Feminists will not be satisfied until every abortion is performed by a gay black doctor under an endangered tree on a reservation for handicapped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-king/feminists-will-not-be-satisfied-until-every-abortion-is-performed-by/) [Florence King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-king/) > [I don't know why people are so reluctant to say they're feminists. Could it be any more obvious that we still live in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-page/i-don-t-know-why-people-are-so-reluctant-to-say-they-re-feminists/) [Ellen Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-page/) > [Men have been adjudicating on what women are, and how they should behave, for millennia through the institutions of social control such as religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-jeffreys/men-have-been-adjudicating-on-what-women-are-and-how-they-should/) [Sheila Jeffreys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-jeffreys/) > [“The representation of women in the society, especially through mass media has been the most delusional act ever done on the grounds of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-representation-of-women-in-the-society-especially-through-mass/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) ## More by Carol P. Christ > [In my book I specifically discussed the structural nature of injustice and offered Nine Touchstones of Goddess ethics as an alternative to the Ten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/in-my-book-i-specifically-discussed-the-structural-nature-of/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [Beliefs and values that have held sway for thousands of years will be questioned as never before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/beliefs-and-values-that-have-held-sway-for-thousands-of-years-will-be/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [Our great symbol for the Goddess is the moon, whose three aspects reflect the three stages in women's lives and whose cycles of waxing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/our-great-symbol-for-the-goddess-is-the-moon-whose-three-aspects/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [The women's movement will present a growing threat to patriarchal religion less by attacking it than by simply leaving it behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/the-women-s-movement-will-present-a-growing-threat-to-patriarchal/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [“Religions centered on the worship of a male God create "moods" and "motivations" that keep women in a state of psychological dependence on men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/religions-centered-on-the-worship-of-a-male-god-create-moods-and/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [“Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler.- Albert Einstein Watching birds has become part of my daily meditation affirming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/things-should-be-made-as-simple-as-possible-but-not-any-simpler/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [In Old Europe and Ancient Crete, women were respected for their roles in the discovery of agriculture and for inventing the arts of weaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/in-old-europe-and-ancient-crete-women-were-respected-for-their-roles/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [I first became interested in women and religion when I was one of the few women doing graduate work in Religious Studies at Yale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/i-first-became-interested-in-women-and-religion-when-i-was-one-of-the/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [In Goddess religion death is not feared, but is understood to be a part of life, followed by birth and renewal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/in-goddess-religion-death-is-not-feared-but-is-understood-to-be-a/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [Throughout the years, many Christian women have told me of their great respect for the bravery and courage evident in my work, perhaps even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/throughout-the-years-many-christian-women-have-told-me-of-their-great/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [If we do not mean that God is male when we use masculine pronouns and imagery, then why should there be any objections to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/if-we-do-not-mean-that-god-is-male-when-we-use-masculine-pronouns-and/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [The simplest and most basic meaning of the symbol of the Goddess is the acknowledgment of the legitimacy of female power as a beneficent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/the-simplest-and-most-basic-meaning-of-the-symbol-of-the-goddess-is/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [Subversive language, however, must be constantly reinvented, because it is continually being co-opted by the powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/subversive-language-however-must-be-constantly-reinvented-because-it/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [At first the ancient images of the Goddess did not interest me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/at-first-the-ancient-images-of-the-goddess-did-not-interest-me/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [Why does everyone cling to the masculine imagery and pronouns even though they are a mere linguistic device that has never meant that God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/why-does-everyone-cling-to-the-masculine-imagery-and-pronouns-even/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) [Explore all 26 Carol P. Christ quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) ## More Compelling quotes > [In early drafts, one of the trickiest things for me to do was to realize that the techniques and devices that make readable and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-rooney/in-early-drafts-one-of-the-trickiest-things-for-me-to-do-was-to/) [Kathleen Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-rooney/) > [In writing, I want to be remembered for telling good stories in beautiful and powerful language, using the poetry of words to reflect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/in-writing-i-want-to-be-remembered-for-telling-good-stories-in/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [The epic poet has behind him a tradition of matter and a tradition of style; and that is what every other poet has behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lascelles-abercrombie/the-epic-poet-has-behind-him-a-tradition-of-matter-and-a-tradition-of/) [Lascelles Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lascelles-abercrombie/) > [Lexicon grabbed me with the opening lines, and never let go. An absolutely thrilling story, featuring an array of compelling characters in an eerily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/lexicon-grabbed-me-with-the-opening-lines-and-never-let-go-an/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) > [For what higher, more exalted, and more compelling goal can there be than to know God?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/for-what-higher-more-exalted-and-more-compelling-goal-can-there-be/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [I write what I like to read, and I enjoy love triangles in YA and adult fiction - not to mention in other media…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/i-write-what-i-like-to-read-and-i-enjoy-love-triangles-in-ya-and/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [Among the most compelling truths in some of the early photographs is their implication of silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-adams/among-the-most-compelling-truths-in-some-of-the-early-photographs-is/) [Robert Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-adams/) > [Michael Jackson is an extremely productive ethnographer, a serious reader of phenomenological and existential philosophy, and a remarkable writer at a level that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-kleinman/michael-jackson-is-an-extremely-productive-ethnographer-a-serious/) [Arthur Kleinman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-kleinman/) > [For me, being on set is no different than being at a dinner table or riding the subway next to someone; inevitably their life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-mahoney/for-me-being-on-set-is-no-different-than-being-at-a-dinner-table-or/) [Victoria Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-mahoney/) > [“…the excitement of doing something for the first time had passed. I laid there in the back seat looking at the moon. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hinton/the-excitement-of-doing-something-for-the-first-time-had-passed-i/) Karen Hinton > [My experience is that an original and compelling idea for a novel is a rare thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thayer/my-experience-is-that-an-original-and-compelling-idea-for-a-novel-is/) [James Thayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thayer/) > [Evil is relative - and what I mean by that is that our villains are as complex, as deep and as compelling as any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-johns/evil-is-relative-and-what-i-mean-by-that-is-that-our-villains-are-as/) [Geoff Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-johns/) > [The most compelling evidence for God's existence is Christ. If God does not exist, then Christ was the biggest fool who ever lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/the-most-compelling-evidence-for-god-s-existence-is-christ-if-god/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [The poem is the device through which the ordinary world is seen in a new way - engaging, compelling, even beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-kooser/the-poem-is-the-device-through-which-the-ordinary-world-is-seen-in-a/) [Ted Kooser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-kooser/) > [The tantalizing and compelling pursuit of mathematical problems offers mental absorption, peace of mind amid endless challenges, repose in activity, battle without conflict, refuge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-kline/the-tantalizing-and-compelling-pursuit-of-mathematical-problems/) [Morris Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-kline/) Browse all 749 Compelling quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Because religion has such a compelling hold on the deep psyches of so many people, feminists cannot afford to leave it in the hands of the fathers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carol P. 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