Women, identity and religious education: a path to autonomy, or dependence? Nuraan Davids In: Chapman, J., Macnamara, S., Reis, M. & Waghid, Y. (eds.) Handbook in faith-based schools (Dortrecht: Springer), (Forthcoming) One of the most common misunderstandings about religious education is that it is confused with education in a particular religion – meaning that the teaching of religion is confused with the teaching about religion. I will, therefore, commence this chapter by exploring a cogent understanding of what it means for women, in particular, to acquire education in the religions of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Premised on an understanding of a common historical patriarchal culture, and by drawing parallels across these major religious traditions, I will continue with an examination of what women hope to achieve through having an education in their religion. One of the questions I intend to address here is whether education in religion assists women in their realization of an autonomous identity, or whether it impedes them in enacting their full humanity. Lastly, by taking into account that the three major religious traditions are bound by a common pursuit of justice, and by arguing as Nussbaum (1997) does, that one of the capacities of cultivating humanity is critically thinking about one’s own culture and traditions, I will explore whether having education in religion, ultimately leads to an enhanced enactment of social justice. Religion and Women It is difficult to clearly articulate what is understood by religion without being trapped in a frustrated position of what is meant by words, such as belief, transcendent Being/being, or spirituality. It is equally difficult dissecting a conception of religion from a conception of culture or a way of life. And then there is the added difficulty, that to define religion means excluding anyone and anything that does not conform to that definition, which could lead one to the mistaken belief that belief in a transcendent being, or laying claim to a spirituality, can only be couched within an understanding of a religious nature. So, perhaps an easier approach is to look at religion in terms of its associated meanings, rather than a singular meaning. To me, these would include, and not necessarily exclude any of my omissions, notions of sacred or revealed texts, moral values, rituals, traditions, customs, imagery, symbols, spirituality, sacred histories, cultures, Divinity, origin of life, legislation, prophecy, gods, goddesses, high priests, narratives, scriptures, places and forms of worship – all of which might or might not exclude a conception of indigenous religions, which at its most fundamental understanding, pertains to a rooted connection between the people and their place of being. Smart maintains that while we should not define religion too narrowly, we should also recognize secular ideologies as part of the story of human worldviews, continuing that ‘It is artificial to divide them too sharply from religions, partly because they sometimes function in society like religions, and partly because