Rita Gross facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rita Gross
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Speaking at an international conference in Germany
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| Born | July 6, 1943 |
| Died | November 11, 2015 (aged 72) Eau Claire, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Chicago (PhD) |
| Subject | Theology |
Rita M. Gross (born July 6, 1943 – died November 11, 2015) was an American scholar. She studied religions and wrote many books. She was known for her work on Buddhist feminism. This means she looked at Buddhism through the lens of women's rights and equality. Before she retired, she was a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.
Gross grew up on a dairy farm in the Rhinelander, Wisconsin area. She was born into the Lutheran faith. Later, in her twenties, she converted to Judaism.
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Rita Gross's Important Work
In 1974, Rita Gross was chosen to lead a new group. This group was called Women and Religion at the American Academy of Religion.
Her Groundbreaking Research
She earned her PhD in 1975 from the University of Chicago. A PhD is a very high university degree. Her special research paper, called a dissertation, was about women's roles in Aboriginal Australian religion. This was the first time anyone had written a dissertation on women's studies in religion.
In 1976, she wrote an article called "Female God Language in a Jewish Context." Another scholar, Judith Plaskow, said this was likely the first article to talk about using female words for God in a Jewish setting.
Becoming a Buddhist Teacher
In 1977, Gross became a Tibetan Buddhist. She took refuge with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, a respected teacher. In 2005, she was given the title lopön. This means "senior teacher" in Tibetan. She taught at Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche's Lotus Garden Center in the United States.
Books by Rita Gross
Rita Gross wrote many books about religion and feminism. Here are some of them:
- Buddhism beyond Gender: Liberation from Attachment to Identity, 2018.
- Religious Diversity: What's the Problem? Buddhist Advice for Flourishing with Religious Diversity, 2014.
- A Garland of Feminist Reflections: Forty Years of Religious Reflection, 2009.
- Religious Feminism and the Future of the Planet: A Buddhist-Christian-Feminist Conversation (with Rosemary Radford Ruether), 2001.
- Soaring and Settling: Buddhist Perspectives on Contemporary Social and Religious Issues, 1998.
- Feminism and Religion: An Introduction, 1996.
- Buddhism After Patriarchy: A Feminist History, Analysis, and Reconstruction of Buddhism, 1993.
Books Edited by Rita Gross
Rita Gross also helped edit several books:
- Editor (with Terry Muck): Christians Talk About Buddhist Meditation: Buddhists Talk About Christian Prayer, 2003.
- Editor (with Terry Muck): Buddhists Talk About Jesus: Christians Talk About the Buddha, 2000.
- Editor (with Nancy A. Falk): Unspoken Worlds: Women's Religious Lives, 1989.
- Editor (with Nancy A. Falk): Unspoken Worlds: Women's Religious Lives in Non-Western Cultures, 1980.
- Editor: Beyond Androcentrism: New Essays on Women and Religion, 1977.
Later Life and Passing
Rita Gross passed away on November 11, 2015. She died from a stroke at her home in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
