Chapter.11 Test Bank Answers Religion, Gender, And Sexuality

Chapter 11

Religion, Gender, and Sexuality

Essay Questions

When it comes to essay questions, students sometimes write poorly because they are guessing about what the instructor wants, even if the question seems to be perfectly clear. For that reason we strongly recommend provision of an audience (so students know how much to assume in use of sociological vocabulary as well as how much must be made explicit) and criteria for evaluation (which is information that any writer needs to know.) Below are two sample statements that might be used as part of an essay question.

A. This essay calls for presentation and defense of an informed opinion. You should write for a well-educated reader, but one unfamiliar with sociological approaches to the study of religion. You will be graded on a) provision of a clearly stated thesis, b) the clarity and sophistication of your rationale, and c) the ability to support your argument with strong evidence. Sophistication of rationale refers to awareness of the complexity of the issues. The side of the argument that you support is irrelevant to the grading criteria.

B. Your audience for this essay should be senior sociology majors who know sociological vocabulary, but have never specifically studied the sociology of religion. The criteria for evaluation will be ) accuracy of explanation, 2) clarity of illustrations or examples, and 3) thoroughness in exploring all dimensions of the issue.

Since some of these questions call for careful reflection, you might consider giving students a list of these and other essay questions in advance.

1. Analyze the relationship between Christianity and gender attitudes by showing how a religion can contribute to equality and to stratification at the same time.

2. Does Christianity contribute to gender bias? Why or why not?

3. How can the institutional subsystem of religion foster gender discrimination, even though the official policy of the church and the personal attitudes of local church leaders is opposed to sexism?

4. What is unique about a sociological analysis of sexism in Christianity? What issues does a sociological exploration raise that would not likely be explored by other disciplinary approaches?

5. How have meaning systems (religious beliefs) in Christianity contributed to sexism? Provide as many specifics as time allows.

6. How have belonging factors in religion contributed to sexism within society? How has we/they thinking resulted in the perpetuation of sexist theology?

7. What, in your opinion, are the four most important factors in the existence of gender bias among Christians? Explain how these factors work and provide your rationale for why you think these are the most important variables.

8. How is heterosexism similar and how is it different from prejudice against women?

9. Do you think anti-LGBT attitudes are rooted more in the meaning system of the religion, the belonging system, or in the organizational and structural factors? Provide your rationale and indicate the evidence that seems especially persuasive to you.

10. Given what you have learned about how denominations may officially support equality for women in ministry, but still not have much promotion of women to the higher offices, what might you predict about the careers of openly LGBTQ clergy? Will the same institutional forces limit the careers of LGBTQ ministers, even in those denominations where they are ordained?

11. What role does religion play in encouraging or combating heterosexism or homophobia in the larger society?

Multiple Choice Test Questions

1. Though the pattern varies by denomination and theological orientation, levels of sexism among church members generally show that

a. the most active church members are the most sexist, followed by inactive members. The least sexist are nonmembers.

b. nonmembers are the most sexist, followed by inactive members. The least sexist are the most active church members.

c. the inactive church members are the most sexist, followed by nonmembers. The least sexist are active church members.

d. church membership or levels of activity in a church are not related to tendencies to sexism.

2. Regarding gender concepts within the Judeo-Christian tradition, which of the following is NOT true?

a. The ten commandments were written primarily to men.

b. Wisdom, when it is personified in the Old Testament, is always depicted as masculine.

c. The New Testament indicates that Jesus violated many gender role taboos of his day.

d. In the ancient Hebrew tradition (the Christian "Old Testament" period), only males could symbolically be inducted into the covenanted community of God's people.

e. According to the Bible, a woman was "unclean" for seven days after the birth of a son but was "unclean" and defiled for fourteen days after the birth of a daughter.

3. Rosemary Reuther asserts that any belief system that divides all of life into two distinct realms, one of which is "higher" than the other, is universally associated with sexist thinking. Women are always identified with the "lower" and "evil" side of the polarity. Reuther calls such thinking

a. aligning actions.

b. dualistic feminization.

c. hierarchical dualism.

d. malleus maleficarum.

e. rank order asceticism.

4. During the 19th century, when the industrial revolution was in full swing in North America, Jesus came to be viewed as

a. independent and self sufficient (like any industrial leader must be).

b. a stern judge and firm task-master (as any successful manager must be).

c. tender-hearted and self-sacrificing (as any good mother or nurturer must be).

d. intellectual, thoughtful, and knowing (as upwardly mobile people must be).

e. consumed with his own growth needs (as any modern person must be).

5. According to your textbook, the feminization of American Christianity may have been the result of

a. women beginning to gain power in all areas of life.

b. the dislodging of religion from direct access to political power.

c. the changing image of women away from perceptions of being irrational and emotional.

d. the wondrous effects of the "miracle motif."

e. all of the above.

6. One way that religious belonging factors contributed to gender misunderstanding and discrimination is

a. strict segregation of the sexes in worship and in other activities.

b. ensuring that men and women were on different sides in all conflicts, so that boundary lines of ethnicity, class, gender, and religion were mutually reinforcing and exclusive.

c. belief systems that defined sex as evil and then defined women as more sexual and sensuous.

d. belief systems that defined women as more spiritual and men as more profane and worldly.

7. Compared to women, men are more likely to

a. rate religion as very important.

b. attend church weekly.

c. be a member of a church.

d. all of the above.

e. none of the above.

8. Edward Lehman found that pulpit committees in many churches had a built-in bias against hiring female pastors because

a. they feared that doing so would be controversial and might undermine availability of resources to the organization.

b. pulpit committees were dominated by men.

c. they believe that men are better preachers.

d. contrary to denominational policy, pulpit committees tend to be dominated by persons who believe that the ordination of women is contrary to scriptural teachings.

e. None of the above; he found no bias against women in the workings of pulpit committees.

9. Protestant congregations MOST likely to seek a woman as pastor are

a. medium-sized but growing congregations.

b. large, established congregations.

c. any multi-staffed congregation needing a senior pastor.

d. struggling congregations with few resources.

e. all of the above are equally likely to seek a clergywoman.

10. Which of the following is NOT a finding from Edward Lehman's studies of women in ministry?

a. The majority of church members have no objection to having a woman minister.

b. A large majority of the most committed members (those usually elected to pastor search committees) believe that "most church members" are opposed to having a woman pastor.

c. Official denominational policies and pronouncements encourage local churches to accept women as senior pastors.

d. The "healthiest" churches (organizationally) are most likely to accept women pastors.

e. Clergywomen still find barriers to placement and success in the ministry.

11. A misogynist is

a. a person who practices old-time ogynistic rituals.

b. a person who exhibits hatred and distrust of women.

c. a man who has exhibitionist tendencies during religious rituals.

d. a woman who is sexually abused during cultic rituals.

e. a person who leads the ceremonial at a Satanic cult ritual.

12. A major thesis of the textbook's chapter on Christianity and sexism is that

a. Christianity, unlike most religions, is almost entirely free of sexism.

b. some Christians are sexist, but they are people with personality disorders and so do not represent the majority of Christians.

c. a religious group may contribute to prejudice against women and engage in sexist actions, despite the fact that this bigotry contradicts the official meaning system of that denomination.

d. in contrast to religious racism, sexism is a relatively recent phenomenon in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

e. all of the above.

13. Which of the following is NOT an open-systems model approach to gender issues within the church?

a. Religious elites feel social pressure to conform to the norms of equality for women as secular society becomes more egalitarian; they want the church to be seen as a legitimate organization.

b. In countries without separation of church and state, laws have banned restrictions on ordination of women.

c. Certain groups of denominations stick together on theological issues and church policies, and they often pressure one another into following the policies of their alliance of denominations. Thus even if a denomination wanted to ordain women, they more than likely would not if the alliance disapproved.

d. Denominational leaders are obligated to obey historic church policy and therefore ignore external ideas and sentiments in the larger society..

14. Which of the following is part of the “Power-Control Theory” explanation for gender differences in religious behavior?

a. Men have a biological propensity for risk taking owing to higher levels of testosterone

b. Men develop a propensity for risk taking in more patriarchal households

c. Women who come from more egalitarian households are more risk averse

d. All of the above

15. Why do some churches go by names such as “More Light,” “Open and Affirming,” “Reconciled in Christ,” and “Reconciling Congregations”?

a. They are sects that have gone to more conservative heterosexist ideals and have abandoned the mainstream liberal ideology regarding homosexuality.

b. They are members of a new denomination that affirms homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle.

c. They are local churches that belong to mainstream denominations, and they proclaim that they are officially hospitable and supportive of homosexuals.

d. They are churches who are known among gays and lesbians to perform holy union ceremonies.

16. What is the difference between heterosexism and homophobia?

a. Homophobia is the fear and hatred of homosexuality and homosexuals, while heterosexism is the intense fear and hatred by homosexuals of heterosexuality and heterosexuals.

b. Heterosexism is a more sociologically based concept that refers to the idea that society reinforces and legitimates only heterosexuality; homophobia is a psychological concept suggesting that fear and hatred of homosexuals is a personality trait or an abnormality.

c. There is no difference between the two terms, except that homophobia was coined before heterosexism.

d. Homophobia is found among more members of western society, while heterosexism is found primarily in Asia.

e. Homophobia is a more serious condition than is heterosexism.

17. Some mainline denominations like United Methodist, United Church of Christ, and United Presbyterian have programs designed to welcome LGBTQ folks into their congregations. The denomination that has the largest number of congregations with this designation has __ % of its congregation that have adopted such a program.

a. 23%.

b. 41%.

c. just over 50%

d. 66% (two thirds)

d. 83%

18. Which of the following, according to an open-systems theorist, would be a catalyst in the change of conservative religious groups from heterosexism to a more liberal ideology?

a. The change in policy of one or two fairly conservative denominations to lessen the resistance to homosexuality.

b. Liberal attitudes about homosexuality may infiltrate into the church as new people from the secular society join conservative congregations.

c. Conservative churches would change toward more openness if liberal churches advocated even more liberal policies than they now do

d. Both a and b.

19. Which of the following is true about the performing of marriage ceremonies for LGBTQs?

a. Only two states legally recognize such unions: Nevada and Connecticut.

b. It is illegal in most states, but all ministers perform the ceremony privately, without telling their bishops.

c. A minister could be defrocked (removed from the ministry) for performing such a ceremony.

d. The opposition to LGBTQ rights, and thus opposition to holy unions among gays and lesbians, is becoming much more rigid among religiously committed people.

e. The Presbyterians and the United Methodists officially affirmed gay unions in the year 2000 and perform these ceremonies with the blessing of the denomination.

20. According to the textbook, which of the following are reasons given by Muslim women in American society for wearing the traditional veil (hijab)?

a. It can be a “fashion statement”

b. It helps protect them from the sun and wind

c. It reflects their identity as Arabs

d. None of the above