Dictionary of Women in Religious Art

The "Dictionary of Women in Religious Art" is designed to give basic information about the roles and images of women in religious art. Religious art is here broadly defined to include the art of all the major religious traditions of the world, even those whose art is distinguished by the absence of the human figure. The women or female figures considered are frequently goddesses, celestial beings, demons, metaphorical entities, and legendary women, but also historical women as well: women religious leaders, women artists, women writers, and even women patrons of the arts. There are over 2000 entries in the dictionary and more than 100 illustrations. With a mind and eye open to the symbolism and the multiple meanings of the details found in the many entries, the reader should come not simply to learn about the cultural history of women but commensurately to re-evaluate and thereby learn about the cultural history of men. The fullness of the human experience to which the art of world religions stands as an elegant and profound witness argues persuasively for the necessary duality and parity of the sexes, and thereby for a new definition of society.