Project (D. Min.)--Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, 1988. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 282-286).

Project (D. Min.)--Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, 1988. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 282-286).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2008. / A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, Centre for Cultural Research, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliographies.

Thesis (M.A.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Sociology. / Electronic thesis. Bibliography: leaves 114-121. Also available in print ed.

La thèse sur le sujet suivant : le culte des divinités féminines en Gaule Belgique et dans les Germanies sous le haut empire romain consiste en une analyse la plus exhaustive possible des divinités féminines rencontrées dans les trois provinces de l'empire romain que sont la Gaule Belgique et les Germanies. Tout d'abord, il s'agit de faire une recherche approfondie concernant des caractères des divinités féminines, qu'elles soient indigènes, importées de Rome ou importées de la partie orientale de l'empire romain. Cette thèse a aussi pour but d'analyser les formes de cultes et les rites consacrés à ces divinités - cela passe par une étude des cérémonies, des rites, des formes de dédicaces, des sanctuaires et des temples consacrés aux déesses. Ce sujet a ensuite pour ambition d'examiner l'importance des marques de la romanité dans ces cultes. Enfin, cette recherche doit envisager le rôle que peuvent avoir la romanisation et les différents groupes sociaux dans l'implantation et la propagation des cultes des divinités féminines en Gaule Belgique et dans les Germanies sous le haut empire romain pour ainsi comprendre pourquoi il existe de tels différentiels selon les provinces en fonction des divinités. / This thesis is on the following subject: the cult of the goddesses in Gallia Belgica and in the Germanies under the Early Roman Empire consists in the most possible exhaustive analysis about the goddesses met in the three provinces of the Roman Empire: Gallia Belgica, Germania Inferior and Germania Superior. First, the thesis consists in a deep research on the goddesses’ characteristics, even if the goddesses were “indigenous”, imported from Rome or imported from the eastern part of the Roman Empire. This work also has as a goal to analyse the various forms of cults and rites dedicated to those deities – it consists in a study of the ceremonial, the rites, the form of dedications, the sanctuaries and temples dedicated to these goddesses. This subject then has as an ambition to examine the importance of the impact of the Romanity of these cults. Finally, this study has to think about the role played byt “Romanisation” and the different social groups in the implantation and broadcast of these cults in Gallia Belgica and in the Germanies to understand why there were such differences between the provinces because of the goddesses.

In this bachelor’s thesis I have studied portraits from the 18th century where the person portrayed is named and in the guise of an antique goddess. I have used a gender perspective through out the paper and have used Judith Butler´s ideas about gender performativity. I have also used Carolina Brown’s Liksom en herdinna. Litterära teman i svenska kvinnoporträtt under 1700-talet and Anna Lena Lindberg’s En mamsell i akademien – Ulrica Fredrica Pasch och 1700-talets konstvärld which both has a gender perspective when they examine portraits and the art world during the 18th century. I have used iconological and iconographical analyses to study what it means to be portrayed as an antique goddess, what the portraits communicate and how they create gender identities. I have also done literature studies to understand and explain the society that created the portraits I’m analysing. My study has shown that it was more common for women to be portrayed as antique goddesses than it was for men to be portrayed as antique gods, and that class was more important than gender but that gender performativity still had an important role.

This thesis examines the belief in and use of the concept of Mother in Heaven among some women's support groups comprised of female members (and attached males) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The expectations were that those surveyed would express belief in Heavenly Mother, but that the concept would not be a central one. Various propositions suggested relationships between religious dimension, feminism, and alienation variables and belief in and salience of Mother in Heaven. Most of those surveyed believe in the Goddess, but the concept is underutilized among those surveyed. Belief in Mother in Heaven was found to be strongly a function of religious orthodoxy. Salience of Mother in Heaven was found to be related to a more complex set of model variables.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In studying ancient Egypt researchers have a great advantage, in that there is a multitude of recorded material to draw from. Unfortunately for anyone interested in studying ancient Egyptian women, the recorded material was most often recorded by, commissioned by, and concerned with, men; royal or high-ranking men to be precise (Robins, 1993: 11-12). Thus, we must look into non-textual artefacts and offerings which may have a symbolic meaning. Though, the textual sources should not be neglected, since these may hold clues to the position and perception of women in society: perceptions held by men. This thesis has drawn largely on art and artefacts to investigate the relationship between women in ancient Egypt and the goddess Hathor. Women are traditionally the mothers, caretakers and homemakers of society. But they are not only that. Women are also individuals, capable of individual thought, feelings, anxieties, hopes and dreams; and like their male counterparts, women also experience religion. But, as was clearly displayed in the thesis, Egyptian women not only experienced religion, they lived religion. In the ancient Egyptian context there was no escaping religion. It must also be understood that the ancient Egyptians thought that the man was the seat of creation and that semen was the essence of creation (according to the cosmogony of Heliopolis, cf. Cooney, 2008: 2). A failure to conceive would be placed directly upon the shoulders of the woman, and could be grounds enough for divorce (Robins, 1993: 63). Women in ancient societies served the main function of child-rearing. This may seem backward, but it was an essential function, without which society would cease to function. When a woman failed to conceive, she in essence failed her function as a woman; many women (and men) in this situation turned to religion. This is where this thesis topic comes into play, since Hathor was a goddess of sexuality and fertility, but also had aspects of safeguarding and caretaking. Women were naturally drawn to her and she developed a large cult following, with cult centres scattered throughout Egypt. Not only were many of her followers female, but her priests were also female (Gillam, 1995: 211-212). Hathor might have been the most relatable of the goddesses because of her dual-nature; she is a caretaker and sexual being, but she can also become fierce and even bloodthirsty. Devotion to Hathor was widespread, with cult centres at Deir el-Bahari, Faras, Mirgissa, Serabit el-Khadim, Timna, Gebel Zeit and elsewhere, each with its own large deposit of votive offerings (Pinch, 1993). Hathor is also referenced in letters between females in a family, as one daughter writes to her mother: “May Hathor gladden you for my sake” (Wente, 1990: 63). It is because of this that this thesis investigated to what an extent ancient Egyptian women had a relationship with her. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die ondersoek van ou Egipte, het navorsers `n groot voordeel, deurdat daar `n groot verskeidenheid bronne beskikbaar is om mee te werk. Ongelukkig, vir enigeen wat daarin geïnteresseerd is om die antieke Egiptiese vrou na te vors, is die meerderheid van die bronne deur mans opgeteken, of in opdrag van hulle, en het ook betrekking op mans; koninklike of hooggeplaaste mans, om meer spesifiek te wees (Robins, 1993: 11-12). Daarom, moet ons ook ongeskrewe artefakte en offerandes bestudeer, wat moontlik simboliese betekenisse kan inhou. Dit beteken egter nie dat ons wel geskrewe bronne moet ignoreer nie, aangesien dit tog leidrade oor die posisie van vroue in die samelewing en hoe hulle deur mans beskou is, kan verskaf. Hierdie tesis het grootliks gebruik maak van kuns en artefakte om die verhouding tussen die vroue van antieke Egipte en die godin Hathor na te vors. Volgens tradisie, is vrouens die moeders, oppassers en tuisteskeppers van `n gemeenskap, maar hulle is nie net dit nie. Vroue is ook individue, in staat tot hul eie gedagtes, gevoelens, vrese, hoop en drome; en nes hul manlike eweknieë, kan vroue ook geloof ervaar. Maar, soos duidelik in die tesis uiteengesit is, het Egiptiese vroue nie net geloof ervaar nie, maar geloof geleef. In die antieke Egiptiese konteks was geloof onontkombaar. Die leser moet ook verstaan dat die antieke Egiptenare geglo het dat die man die skeppingsbron was and dat semen die kern van die skepping was (volgens die Heliopolis Kosmogonie, vgl. Cooney, 2008: 2). Indien „n egpaar probleme ondervind het om swanger te raak, het die blaam direk op die vrou se skouers gerus en was ook `n aanvaarde rede vir egskeiding (Robins, 1993: 63). Vroue in antieke gemeenskappe het hoofsaaklik gedien om kinders groot te maak. Dit mag dalk “agterlik” voorkom, maar dit was `n essensiële rol, waarsonder die gemeenskap nie sou kon funksioneer nie. Indien `n vrou nie kon swanger word nie, het sy in essensie in haar doel as `n vrou misluk; daarom het baie vroue (en mans) in hierdie situasie hulle na godsdiens gekeer. Dit is hier waar hierdie tesis aansluit, aangesien Hathor `n godin van seksualiteit en vrugbaarheid was, maar ook aspekte van beskerming en versorging gehad het. Vroue was natuurlik tot haar aangetrokke, `n groot gevolg het om haar kultus versamel en kultus-sentrums het deur Egipte versprei. Nie net was haar navolgers vroulik nie, maar ook haar priesters was vroulik (Gillam, 1995: 211-212). Hathor was moontlik die godin waarmee die mense die maklikste kon identifiseer, omdat sy `n tweeledige natuur gehad het; sy was `n versorger en `n seksuele wese, maar sy kon ook kwaai en bloeddorstig raak. Die aanbidding van Hathor was wydverspreid, met kultus-sentrums by Deir el-Bahari, Faras, Mirgissa, Serabit el-Khadim, Timna, Gebel Zeit en elders, elk met sy eie groot versameling artefakte (Pinch, 1993). Hathor word ook benoem in briewe tussen vroulike familielede, soos een dogter aan haar moeder skryf: “Mag Hathor jou bly maak vir my onthalwe” (Wente, 1990: 63). Dit is hoekom hierdie tesis nagevors het tot wat `n mate daar `n verhouding tussen antieke Egiptiese vroue en Hathor bestaan het.

La principale question à laquelle cette thèse tente de répondre, c’est la façon dont est abordée et révélée la question de la maternité et, plus largement, de la parentalité dans la mythologie grecque et comment, par le biais de cette approche, nous pouvons déceler et expliquer la situation sociale des femmes et leur statut maternel dans le système de valeurs que véhicule la mythologie. En utilisant la catégorie du genre dans le traitement de cette thématique, cette thèse s’efforce de proposer de nouvelles possibilités pour interpréter et expliquer l'abolition de la maternité et plus largement de la parentalité, l'infanticide, mais aussi la survivance du système pré-patriarcal dans le système religieux androcentré du panthéon grec. On examine les mythes en prenant en compte leur contexte social, culturel et historique afin d’en tirer des conclusions sur la position de chaque sexe dans la sphère publique et privée, sur le rôle respectif des hommes et des femmes dans leur vie privée, sur les relations de pouvoir et de subordination entre les sexes, ainsi que sur le système des valeurs et des perceptions qui dominent, mais – surtout – sur la représentation qui est donnée de ce système dans les mythes grecs. En sens, cette thèse se veut une contribution à la tentative plus large qui est universellement en cours pour réintégrer les femmes dans le contexte non seulement de l'histoire, mais aussi de la mythologie. / The main question that this thesis tries to answer is how the subject of maternity and, in general, parenthood is discussed and revealed through the Greek mythology and how we can, through this approach, pinpoint and explain the social status of women and maternity in the mythological value system. By using the category of “sex” in this subject’s approach, analysis and conclusions, the purpose of this thesis is to offer new possibilities to interpret and explain, regarding the abolishment of maternity and, generally, parenthood, the act of infanticide, but also the survival of the prοpatriachal system in the male-dominated religious belief of the Greek pantheon. The myths are being examined by taking into consideration their social, cultural and historical context in order to come to conclusions about each sex’s position in the public and private sector, about the roles of men and women in their private lives, about the relationships of power and submission between them, as well as the dominant value and perception system and, above all, about the representation of this system in the Greek mythology. In this sense, this thesis aims to be a contribution to the ongoing wider global effort to reintegrate women not only in a historical context but also in mythology

Iris, l’arc-en-ciel, la rapide messagère « aux ailes d’or », est une divinité de rang B dont les représentations sur la céramique attique des VIe et Ve siècle avant notre ère ont été peu étudiées. Cet état de fait est dû aux très nombreuses représentations de déesses ailées dans la céramique attique, lesquelles entraînent nécessairement confusions et problèmes d’identification : avec Niké en premier lieu, avec Éos, Hébé, et d’autres divinités dans une moindre mesure. Nous avons alors cherché à comprendre ce lieu d’expérimentations et de jeux qu’est l’image attique et, plus particulièrement, que constitue ce « panthéon d’images » en analysant les confusions, en déterminant de probable fusions imagées, tout en envisageant la diversité mais aussi la polysémie de l'iconographie de la déesse Iris. L’enjeu de ces analyses est de nous permettre d’appréhender une vision grecque de l’image des femmes ailées, de voir l’évolution des représentations des dieux sur la céramique attique, et ce qu’implique la conceptualisation imagée des rapports entre monde divin et monde humain. Pour ce faire nous avons mené différentes enquêtes en fonction des thématiques que nous avons été amenés à aborder à cause de ces images et à partir de ces images. Nous avons envisagé non seulement les images mais aussi les lectures des textes antiques qui ont pu être faites ces dernières années, ainsi que la société qui a produit ces images. Nous cherchons donc à utiliser une perspective plurielle, amorcée, entre autres, par Jean-Pierre Vernant, alliant trois approches : l’anthropologie, l’histoire des religions et l’histoire du visuel afin de saisir l’étendue des représentations de la déesse Iris. / Iris—the rainbow and the “Golden Winged” swift messenger—is a divinity of the second rank whose representations on Attic ceramics of the 6th and 5th centuries BC have been little studied; this is due to the great number of representations of winged goddesses on Attic ceramics, which necessarily leads to confusions and identification problems, first and foremost with Nike, but also with Eos, Hebe and other divinities to a lesser extent. Therefore, we have tried to understand the experimentation and games of Attic images and, more specifically, what constitutes this “pantheon of images”: to this end, we have analysed the confusions by determining probable fusions of images, while at the same time considering both the diversity and the polysemy of the iconography of the goddess Iris. What is at stake with these analyses is the possibility to apprehend a Greek vision of the image of winged women, to see the evolution of the representations of gods on Attic ceramics, and what the conceptualisation of the connection between the divine and the human worlds through images implies; to do so, we have carried out various investigations depending on the themes that we have been led to address because of and starting from these images. We have considered not only the images but also the interpretations of Attic texts which have been made these last years, and the society which produced these images as well. Thus, we have tried to use a pluralist perspective, one which was initiated by Jean-Pierre Vernant, among others, and combining three approaches—anthropology, the history of religion and visual culture—in order to grasp the scope of the representations of the goddess Iris.