Religion as a form of control

Hi all,
I'm taking an english lit course right now on women writers, and it's that time of the year - time for the last project before final exams.
I'm writing my paper on the use of religion as a form of control/ tool for enslavement. My aim is to draw examples for this from Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale", and Harriot Jacobs' "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl".
If anyone is very familiar with either of these books, and can think of good examples or arguements to share, that would be great. And I'm open to different view points on the topic; looking at it from different angles always helps in making a well-rounded arguement.

Thanks!

Well, the entire government of Handmaid's Tale is a theocracy, so you can't really go wrong with that. I mean, the book is the proverbial poster boy for religious control.

Thanks, glover7... You're right, I definitely do have plenty from that book. :nod: I guess what would be really helpful is any opinions on the Jacob's book, or any other related literature.