Gender played a role in many aspects of religious life in ancient Egypt and ancient Sudan, from gender-specific conceptions of the cosmos and individual gods to cultic activities essential to kingship and queenship. There is a wealth of evidence for religious practices at the interface between the feminine and the divine in ancient Egypt and Sudan. However, the history of research on concepts of feminine theology in Egyptology and Sudanese archaeology shows interesting phases of neglect and ignorance as well as emphasised interest in relation to gender archaeology and feminism. This paper provides a historical overview and discusses in particular whether and how the combination of Egyptological and western perspectives influenced the interpretation of gendered religion in ancient Sudan. The blatant racism of many early Egyptologists, which distorted the image of Egypt and Egyptians as superior to their southern neighbours in almost all respects, including religion, must be considered, as well as androcentric concepts and western-centric perspectives that continue to shape the discipline today. This led to a lively discussion on the question of whether a large part of the Kushite religion was either indigenous or 'Egyptianised'. Prominent examples are the discussion of the origin of the god Amun and the question of the religion of Osiris, in particular during the so-called Napatan and Meroitic empires in Sudan. However, female aspects of religion can also be mentioned in this context. Using the examples of the goddess Isis and the God's wives of Amun, a more balanced look will be taken at key aspects of religious practices that are traceable on the basis of textual and material evidence. This will lead to the overarching question of the African influence on later female theology.