Although most historical and contemporary religions are governed by men, there are, scattered throughout the world, a handful of well-documented religions led by women. Most of these are marginal, subordinate, or secondary religions in the societies in which they are located. The one known exception to this rule is the indigenous religion of Okinawa, where women lead the official mainstream religion of the society. This book is the first in-depth look at this unique religious tradition, exploring the intersection between religion and gender. Based on fieldwork in an Okinawan village, Susan Sered argues that the absence of male dominance in the religious sphere is part of a broader absence of hiearchical ideologies and cultural patterns. In addition to providing important information on this remarkable and little-studied group, this book helps to overturn our mostly unexamined assumptions that male dominance of the religious sphere is universal, axiomatic, and necessary.

"This important work gives a voice to some of the 44 million Americans who are at the center of the debate over coverage for the uninsured in this country. While there is much discussion of how to address this crisis, these individuals tell us why we must solve this problem: the costs and consequences of living without health insurance are dire."--Karen Davis, Ph.D., President of the Commonwealth Fund"A vivid, indignant, and important book, and it does one thing better than any other before: "Uninsured makes the abandoned millions visible again. Read it. You will not see the people at a subway stop, behind a cash register, or in your government the same way again."--Atul Gawande, M.D., author of "Complications"The next time someone tells you the United States has 'the best health care system in the world, ' ask them to read this powerful, heartbreaking book. Never have the real stories of America's uninsured been told with such clarity and insight."--John E. McDonough, DPH, Health Care For All, Boston""Uninsured is both compassionate and insightful. Necessary reading for all policy makers and anyone who wants a deeper understanding of how our health care system must be reformed." --Judy Norsigian, Executive Director, "Our Bodies Ourselves

Although most historical and contemporary religions are governed by men, there are, scattered throughout the world, a handful of well-documented religions led by women. Most of these are marginal, subordinate, or secondary religions in the societies in which they are located. The one known exception to this rule is the indigenous religion of Okinawa, where women lead the official, mainstream religion of the society. In this fieldwork-based study, Susan Sered provides the first in-depth look at this unique religious tradition, exploring the intersection between religion and gender. In addition to providing important information on this remarkable and little-studied group, this book helps to overturn our mostly unexamined assumptions that male dominance of the religious sphere is universal, axiomatic, and necessary.