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Religions with a female founder

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Shakers

Seventh Day Adventists

Christian Science (not to be confused with scientology)

All that I can think of atm.
 

SethZaddik

Active Member
Just wondering if you could share some Religions founded by women? Thanks

There is the 7th day Adventists by E.G. White, Theosophy by H.P. Blavatsky, Christian Science by some lady whose name escapes me.

Marcellina was a leader of a movement, the only movement on record as having actually "styled themselves Gnostics" as opposed to it being applied to groups with names not "Gnostics."

She was not the founder but I believe her husband was, which is just as good since she did lead. This is in the Ante Nicene era.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
There is the 7th day Adventists by E.G. White, Theosophy by H.P. Blavatsky, Christian Science by some lady whose name escapes me.

Marcellina was a leader of a movement, the only movement on record as having actually "styled themselves Gnostics" as opposed to it being applied to groups with names not "Gnostics."

She was not the founder but I believe her husband was, which is just as good since she did lead. This is in the Ante Nicene era.


Mary Baker Eddy was the founder of the Christian scientists
 

SethZaddik

Active Member
Plenty of "New Age" religions have women founders but I do not know any as I have little to no interest in any religion started this millennium other than my previous fascination with Mormons and Scientologists that has gotten to the point I don't need (or want) to anything else as I have better things to study, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Apocrypha of both, Zoroastrianism and someday Hinduism.

Women have always played an important role in the founding of religions.

Sarah, Miriam, Rebecca, others.

Miriam the Virgin, Miriam Magdala, Martha and Salome, Thecla.

Khadija, Aisha, others.

God be pleased with them all.
 
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SethZaddik

Active Member
I just remembered the daughter of Anton Lavey, Zeena I believe, started a religous movement under the name Set/Seth, Egyptian murderer of Osiris. Osiris is Nimrod to the Hebrews which makes his killer (Shem in some accounts, Esau under orders from Shem in other's) the mythological equivalent of Set/Seth to the ancient Egyptians.

Fascinating.

Especially since Seth is the good son of Adam and took the place of Murdered (by Cain) Abel.

Making Seth a man of God instead of the enemy of Osiris and Horus, Isis, seems deliberate considering.
 

Politesse

Amor Vincit Omnia
Realistically, no religion could possibly survive more than a generation without the combined efforts of both men and women. We cannot function without one another in this world that we share and the work of child-raising that requires us both. I see the tendency to name men as the "founders" of religion and women as mere "accessories" to be a product of cultural bias. It would have been difficult for a woman to found a faith without the help of a male in most times and places throughout history, but that doesn't make their contributions any less valuable. Now that society has become more egalitarian, we have seen and will continue to see more overt female religious leaders.

Some others that I don't see listed above:

Tenrikyo was founded by a woman, Nakayama Miki.

The Drum Dance was given to the Dakota and Ojibwe nations through a woman.

Orthodox Christianity can be seen as the product of a woman, as the faithfulness and unique sinlessness of Mary allowed for the birth of the Christ.

The Discalced Carmelites were established by the combined effort of a man and woman, Sta Teresa de Avila and S Juan de la Cruz.

Reclaiming Wicca was a group project of sorts, but largely the work of female thealogians, Starhawk msot critically.
 

Saint Frankenstein

Here for the ride
Premium Member
Orthodox Christianity can be seen as the product of a woman, as the faithfulness and unique sinlessness of Mary allowed for the birth of the Christ.
Why name Orthodox Christianity in particular here? Catholicism believes in the Immaculate Conception.

The Discalced Carmelites were established by the combined effort of a man and woman, Sta Teresa de Avila and S Juan de la Cruz.
That's a Catholic religious order, not a religion unto itself.
 

Politesse

Amor Vincit Omnia
I'm sure she would agree with you, so I won't argue the point. Just trying to add to the list of admirable religious ladies.
 
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