Because religion has such a compelling hold on the deep psyches of so many people, feminists cannot afford to leave it in the hands of the fathers.

Carol P. Christ (1945–2021) was a leading figure in feminist theology and the feminist spirituality movement, known for arguing that religious symbols and institutions shape people at deep psychological and cultural levels. The quote reflects a recurring theme in her work from the 1970s onward: that feminism must engage religion rather than dismiss it, because religious narratives, rituals, and images profoundly influence identity and social order. Christ wrote in the context of second-wave feminism’s debates over whether to reject patriarchal religions or to transform/reimagine them—often advocating the latter through feminist reinterpretation and the development of women-centered spiritual language and practice.

The statement argues that religion is not a superficial “add-on” to life but a formative force that reaches into the unconscious—shaping values, self-understanding, and social legitimacy. If feminists abandon religion as irredeemably patriarchal, Christ suggests, they cede a powerful cultural instrument to male authority (“the fathers”), allowing patriarchal meanings to continue reproducing themselves through sacred stories and symbols. The quote therefore frames feminist engagement with religion as strategic and transformative: reinterpreting traditions, challenging male-exclusive images of the divine, and creating alternative practices can loosen patriarchy’s grip on the imagination and open space for women’s authority and spiritual agency.