Recently Received: Desert Patriarchy: Mormon and Mennonite Communities in the Chihuahua Valley, by Janet Bennion.There seems to be some connection between patriarchal society/religion and desert communities. The two appeared together in the ancient Near East, giving rising not only to Judaism but its "descendants" Christianity and Islam. In America today we can see similar arrangements with remote communities of both Mormons and Mennonites. What role, if any, does a desert environment play in the development and maintenance of fundamentalist ideology? Are strict patriarchal religions a useful social adaptation that helps communities survive in the harsh desert?
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This comment is late, but I have only just come across this blog.
Not all deserts incubate patriarchal religions. The San lived in small groups and belief seems of sympathetic worshipping-nature type. So what is the difference between this and the Abrahamic religions & their extremes such as those in the Middle East and Eldorado?
A suggestion: In a pastoral society like the Middle Eastern male strength is needed to guard the moveable assets. The Bushmen were hunters & gatherers, not herdsmen. The economy relied largely on the efforts of the women who did the gathering and this was about 60% of the food eaten. So maybe patriarchal religions develop in societies where male qualities are highly valued.