The Creation of Feminist Consciousness

About “The Creation of Feminist Consciousness”

Gerda Lerner, a pioneer in women's studies and former president of the Organization of American Historians, is a leading scholar of women's history. Her two-volume work, Women and History, includes The Creation of Patriarchy (1986), which received critical acclaim and won the Joan Kelly Prize. The book explored how men institutionalized their dominance over women through ideas and symbols. In The Creation of Feminist Consciousness, the second volume, Lerner examined women's struggle over twelve centuries to develop a feminist consciousness and create women's history. She traced women's efforts from the Middle Ages to the late 19th century, highlighting their attempts to challenge patriarchal thought. A major section focused on feminist Bible criticism, as women repeatedly analyzed religious texts to challenge male authority and assert their equality. Lerner's work provided a detailed and inspiring account of women's long fight for autonomy and recognition.