"When God was a Woman"

 -by merlin stone

1976

Historian stone looks at the archaeological/textual evidence for the argument that 3000-2000 years ago, invading indo-european patriarchal religions conquered matriarchal religions. Early judaism and christianity existed side by side with goddess religions, and were instrumental in erasing them. Stone contends that the matriarchal religions were more peaceful, sex-positive, and literate - a claim that may only be a projection of feminist wishful thinking...but no one can argue that patriarchal religions aren't hotbeds of violence, womyn-hating, and sex-shaming, and it's disturbing to see how deeply biblical scripture is both an overt and veiled degradation of half the humyn race. Were these earlier religions truly matriarchal, or just matrilineal/matrifocal? In any event, it's fascinating to see how patriarchy co-opted and re-wrote the myths of these earlier religions.