The National Organization for Women (NOW) included a Task Force on Women and Religion among its initial group of task forces.
Elizabeth Farians was the original chairwoman of NOW's Task Force on Women and Religion. She was a pioneering woman who earned her doctorate in theology but was nonetheless shut out of organized religion by some males. She spoke out often about religion and misogyny.
Members of NOW worked hard to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. Elizabeth Farians, as head of the Task Force on Women and Religion, worked hard to gain the support of religious groups by explaining how the ERA was compatible with religion. Other members of NOW went on to study such concepts as how the language of the Bible portrays women and how the choice of words such as "father" and "king" has influenced the Christian concept of God.
Feminists are often thought of as dismissive of religion because of its historical place in patriarchal society. Contrary to this perception, the founders of NOW included religious women, and the organization clearly made it a priority to start a Task Force on Women and Religion.