In patriarchal religions, divinity is male; hence men see an image of themselves in the divine, while women are denied this identification with divinity. What are the cultural consequences of this?

The ancient Middle East was the birthplace of Christianity and Islam; these faiths came to have an immense impact on human culture and religious beliefs. In one form or another religion is found in all societies, it has had a strong hold over men and women for thousands of years. All religions seem to have similar characteristics; these involve symbolism that evoke feelings of reverence and awe. This essay will explore the ancient history of Egyptian religion that can be linked to Christianity and Islam. It will show how patriarchal religion has been used for thousands of years to control the thoughts and actions of women, and how ancient scriptures have been re-written to serve the interests of men. It will consider and discuss comments and theoretical perspectives made by leading feminist writers, which include Karen Armstrong and Elaine Pagels and also text taken from The Nag Hammadi Library (1990).

Ancient Egyptian religion, gave Egyptians a way to make sense of the world aro...