The film The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc will be presented free of charge on Nov. 27 from 7-9 p.m. in Room 102 of Rogers-Stout Hall.
Jeanne d’Arc was a 17-year-old peasant girl who led the French to victory over the English at the siege of Orleans and four other battles in the 15th century. She was burned at the stake in 1431 in Rouen, France and declared a saint in 1920.
This film, which is the final in the “Women, Religion and Power” series funded by ETSU’s Women’s Studies Program, will be followed by a discussion of the ways that religion confines and liberates women.
The talk will be led by Dr. Rebecca Hanrahan, assistant professor of philosophy.
‘This was a response to Sept. 11,” she said.
In the eyes of religious fundamentalists, including the Taliban, Hanrahan said the West has sinned by liberating women.
Surprisingly, American religious leaders such as Pat Robertson have said the terrorist attacks occurred because of American moral decay. Their opinion was women were not under control and that they should be.
These issues and events led to the series that dealt with religion and issues in a broader context.
One theme of the series and discussions is in what ways does religion confine women, and do participants perceive their religious affiliation as being a controlling one?
“Women in these varying religions don’t experience it that way, and why not?” said Hanrahan.
Hanrahan said it is just as important to recognize the high value that religion places on family and motherhood. Women have greater economic opportunities in America than was previously true, but corporate America makes it difficult to be a mother and a professional.
Hanrahan said she would be “hard-pressed” to say govern ment and business value motherhood because quality childcare is difficult to obtain, and maternity leaves are so short.
Hanrahan said many religions demand the same behavior of men and women, but women are held to a different standard than men are.
She said that, for example, although male and female chastity is stressed, women are judged, and sometimes punished more harshly than men are when those vows are broken.
“How that law is applied is often applied a little harsher toward women,” Hanrahan said.

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