Women and Religious Art Representation of Goddesses, Feminine Power, and Gender in Sacred Traditions

Abstract

This research explores the complex intersections of women, religious art, and the representation of goddesses, feminine power, and gender across sacred traditions. Religious art has historically functioned as both a symbolic site of divine reverence and a cultural medium reinforcing gender hierarchy. While the goddess figure in various traditions—such as Hindu Shakti, Buddhist Tara, Christian Madonna, and indigenous mother deities—embodies creation, protection, and spiritual authority, these representations often contrast with women marginalized social realities. The study highlights this paradox, examining how the sacred feminine simultaneously empowers and constrains within patriarchal frameworks. By drawing on feminist theology, gender studies, and art history, the research reveals how visual traditions negotiate women’s roles, spiritual agency, and societal positions. Furthermore, it considers contemporary feminist and postcolonial reinterpretations of goddess imagery that challenge hegemonic structures, reclaim feminine power, and affirm women’s identities, thus situating religious art as a dynamic space of both control and resistance.