Sonia Johnson

Sonia Johnson's book, From Housewife to Heretic, depicts her early life as a Mormon, to the trial in which she was excommunicated, and to her life after her excommunication. In the small excerpt provided by Mathisen, Johnson points out the unfair way in which she is treated during her trial but what the small excerpt does not show is the way Johnson felt about how women were treated in the Mormon faith and also in society. It was not until Johnson began to attended college that she looked back at her childhood and saw all the unfair treatment that women had in the Mormon faith. Her strong devotion to the cause of equal rights comes from her need to breakaway from religious and cultural bonds that enslaved her into a subservient life.

In another book by Johnson, Going Out of Our Minds: The Metaphysics of Liberation, she goes more in depth with her feelings about the ERA and the treatment she was receiving from the people that she once prayed with and looked to for guidance. She describes how and why the Mormon people were so upset with her activities in the ERA. Johnson was fighting for Equal Rights with other Mormon women and they called themselves "Mormons for ERA". The Mormons Johnson was affiliated with accused her of dragging their religion into politics which they believed was unholy and for that reason they felt she needed to stop. But what the Mormon church failed to see was that they were already part of the ERA movement because they were opposing it. After her excommunication Johnson describes how for the first time she felt spiritual freedom. Not only did Johnson make visible the unfair treatment and male hierarchies of the Mormon church she also pointed out the patriarchies in other religious, specifically Catholicism and Judaism (Johnson). Johnson was latter label as a heretic by the Mormon church because of her beliefs that went against everything they had taught her and fellow believers.

Johnson participated and lead movements that fought for women's right. She was trying to reinvent that role given to women through the patriarchs set up by society. One controversial topic that Johnson had strong beliefs for was abortion. In the beginning of her battles with equal rights and women's rights Johnson found herself fighting religious groups and patriarchies but by the time of Roe vs. Wade Johnson found herself fighting political patriarchs as well. Which leads to the topic of religion in politics and how gender plays into the heiraches. Johnson was fighting these battles during the 70's when women were not allowed the same rights as men but she also makes it clear how religion has had an affect on politcal outcomes.

Works Cited

Mathisen, Robert R. Critical Issues in American Religious History. Waco, Texas. Baylor University Press. 2006.

Johnson, Sonia. From Housewife to Heretic. Garden City, New York. Doubleday & Company, Inc. 1981.

Johnson, Sonia. Going out of our Minds: The Metaphysics of Liberation. Freedom, California. The Crossing Press. 1987.