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Barstow and Stuckey both used the prehistoric mother goddess to explain the role of women in Neolithic societies. Barstow drew on the idea of fertility cults, and stated that women were worshipped and powerful because of their role in motherhood and in agriculture (they were seen as “in control” of those things) (Barstow, “The Prehistoric Goddess™). Stuckey, however, held the opposite view and believes that with the introduction of agriculture, women grew weak and that their ability to have children made them weak as well- they were seen as valuable to men only for their body (Stuckey, “Ancient Mother Goddess and Fertility Cults”). It follows that the story of Gilgamesh and Ishtar supports Stuckey’s conclusions in that it portrays women as weak and needy, which not only supports Stuckey, but greatly opposes Barstow as well (Babylonian Myths). The idea of the mother goddess has continued into contemporary times and contemporary traditions. Contemporary goddess traditions have relied on the image of the prehistoric mother goddess for their development in that they see the idea of the mother goddess as an alternative to the patriarchy, as proof that we can live in a society that is not a patriarchy and thrive and be functional. And according to Carol Christ, even if the mother goddess never actually existed, we must still hold on to the idea of her as a symbol of hope (Griffin, Her Voice Her Faith Chapter

Throughout history, feminism has been seen with negative meanings. In Feminism, Walters says women used to be “called, to their resentment, feminists,” emphasizing that “feminist” was a derogatory word (Walters, 2005). However, according to Young in Feminisim & gions, feminism is “...the emerging movement for ~ b vy uce women’s rights...and equality with men” (Young, 1999). The term feminism is more than the definition; it is also agreement upon the three main tenants according to Renfro

in Defining Feminism: The “History Té{afiblmpact Tenant, [and] Call-to-action Tenant” (Re/ufi'o, 2003). The history ten@nt states that history is male-dominated, the impact / J o tenant states that history has been oppressive, and the call-to-action tenant stresses the ) need for a change. 9 Feminism has been shapéa in by ltS\ "§pread throughout America and Europe. Renfro writes that in America, feminism st;u“ted “tied to abolition movement” and spread in different waves (Renfro, 2003). These waves fought for women’s rights, primarily the ~) right to vote. In Europe, the spread of feminism started from a religious movement. , Women who were not “fit” to marry were sent to convents where they had more time to think of their freedoms. In Goddess Spirituality and Wicca, Griffin states that feminism was starting to be seen as “...something within...” afigx,\EbOZ). As feminism ) - sowel spreaded throughout Europe, the American visitors Who shared the same ideas supported European women. This greatly enhanced the thought of feminism as a necessity. N In order to better understand feminism, it is important to undersm@ngfiiffers A Q ~from Women’s Studies. Feminism is a call for change whereas Women’s Studies is an “academic field ‘focused on women as a specific category of analysis’...” (Young, 1999). When Women’s Studies in Religion emerged, feminists could not relate to the field % \ ( because it seemed to be siding with the patriarchy. In her writing reAlso Your / _ Sister, Plaskow states “...that for many people in women’s studies, the negative impact U"J R of religion on women constitutes a good reason to simply dismiss it” (Plaskow 1993). Women’s Studies in Religion is actually very beneficial to feminism. Women’s 7 Studies aims to criticize religion, re-include the female voice, and reconstruct existing traditions. Plaskow’s The Coming of Lilith is an excellent example of these three aspects.

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Plaskow analyzed the male-centered story of Adam and Eve, she re-included the female/ i voice thorugh Lilith, and reconstructed the tradition by changing the whole outcome of / - story, but this time not succumbing to the patriarchy. J fosmedn = Bl s