If Religion Is So Bad, Why Are Women Still In It?-A Feminist Assessment of Buddhism at the Beginning of the Twenty-first Century

如果宗教這麼糟，為什麼女人還要參與？─當代淨土佛教中的女性參與者

鄭維儀(Wei-Yi Cheng)

《玄奘佛學研究》 9期 (2008/03) Pp. 175-194

https://doi.org/10.29955/HCJBS.200803.0002

摘要

本文是以一項正在進行中的田野調查為基礎，所作的初步研究報告。加拿大Arvind Sharma教授在思索宗教與女性關係的時候，注意到大部分女性主義對宗教的論述，都以「宗教壓迫婦女」的假設為出發點，因此不禁問道：「如果宗教這麼糟，為什麼女人還要參與？」藉由當代台灣某淨土宗佛教團體的女性參與者為例，筆者嘗試回答Arvind Sharma教授的問題。結果發現，所研究的淨土團體雖然引用了如男性神聖、男性導師等陽剛符號，以及如建議「女轉男身」、女體盈弱等的男性本位經典，但其中女性媒介，卻仍有辦法將該團體的宗教實踐與儀式，轉化為陰柔演現；且將男性本位的經典，詮釋為中性救贖。似乎，即使該團體的性別倫理充滿矛盾之處，但因為有陰柔演現與中性救贖，女性仍願意參與該團體的宗教。

關鍵字

宗教與婦女 ； 女性特質 ； 中性救贖 ； 宗教實踐與婦女

並列摘要

This paper is based on an on-going research which is at a very preliminary stage. When Arvind Sharma contemplates at the relationship between religion and women, he notices that feminist discourse on religion often starts with the assumption of ”religion oppresses women”. He thus wonders, ”If religion is so bad, why are women in it?” Using the example of women participants in a contemporary Pure Land Buddhist organization in Taiwan, this paper will attempt to answer Sharma's question. Although the group under discussion employs male symbols and androcentric texts, its women agency were still able to transform those into feminine performance and androgynous salvation. Apparently, as conflicting as gender ethics might in the group, feminine performance and androgynous salvation might explain why women take part in the religion of this group.

並列關鍵字

religion and women ； femininity and performance ； androgynous and salvation ； religious practice and women

參考文獻

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