Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Episcopal Church Women priests'

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, June, 2009.
Title from PDF t.p. Release of full electronic text on OhioLINK has been delayed until June 1, 2014 Includes bibliographical references (leaves 397-407)

This study provides an account and analysis of the role of women in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and discusses their attempts to achieve equal status with men in service to and leadership in the church. The study also examines and analyzes the personal style, skills and abilities of each of the women bishops and assesses the factors that led to her election. A case study approach was used to explain the causal links that have led to the historic election of three women bishops; to describe the context in which this event has occurred; to explore the issues and outcomes of women's efforts to gain leadership in the church; and to evaluate the likelihood that these elections signify far-reaching changes in the policy of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The researcher found that the progress of women within the African Methodist Episcopal Church has been slow but consistent throughout the history of the church, and that changes in society as well as within the church itself have culminated in the election of women as bishops. Although future elections of women can be expected based on events to date, the researcher did not achieve a definitive assertion from the women bishops that they intend to actively engage in the promotion of the advancement of women in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

This thesis explores the sexual theology and contemporary teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and considers their implications for women and priests. It examines the salience and relevance of traditional teaching in the everyday lives of priests and women. It questions the link between a traditionally formed priesthood and the customary beliefs and practices of 'ordinary' English Catholics. Feminist scholarship has produced powerful insights into the ways in which organised religion has subordinated women through patriarchal structures and organisation, although there has been little exploration of the gendered nature of Catholic sexual theology. This thesis suggests that the negative construction of women's bodies in sexual theology, underpins the continued subordination of women in the Catholic Church. It argues that religious inscriptions on women's bodies are central to the continued control of women Al a patriarchal Church. This thesis uses patriarchy, sexual theology, and power and authority, as the main themes of discussion. An examination of the discourses of traditional sexual theology and contemporary teaching reveals that patriarchal inscriptions on women's bodies are central to each of these themes and they are mutually supportive and sustaining. Sociological research has demonstrated a disjuncture between contemporary teaching and the beliefs and practices of 'ordinary' English Catholics. This thesis adds a gender dimension by suggesting that the English parish is a place of contradictions in which differing attitudes towards women are a significant factor. It also examines the links between contemporary teaching and the beliefs and practices of English Catholic priests and women. The evidence suggests that traditional sexual theology has little relevance in the everyday lives of English Catholic priests and women. There is a lack of 'fit' between the traditional teaching of the Church and social experience. Nevertheless patriarchal ideas and beliefs continue to exist and have value, both in contemporary teaching and in the day-to-day life of the parish, and contribute to the contradictions and conflict of contemporary parish life. The discourses of English Catholic the priests and women in this study suggest, that both have been affected not only by the dominant discourse of the Church , but also by the critical discourses of the surrounding world. Views of women are emerging, which are in contrast to the negative view of women in Catholic sexual theology. The discourses of women and priests have much in common with each other but little in common with either traditional sexual theology or the teaching of the current pope. Together these discourses represent a significant point of resistance to the negative view of women in Catholic sexual theology and to traditional power and authority in the Catholic Church. A 'customary Priesthood' with an affinity to the 'customary Catholicism' of English Catholics appears to be emerging. This calls to question the legitimacy of traditional teaching and papal authority.

This thesis seeks to offer new perspectives on the role of women in African-American Christian denominations in the United States in the period between the Civil War and the turn of the twentieth century. It situates the changes in the roles available to black women in their churches in the context of ecclesiastical politics. By offering explanations of the growth of black denominations in the South after the Civil War and the political alignments in the leadership of the churches, it seeks to offer more powerful explanations of differences in the treatment of women in distict denominations. It explores the distinct worship practices of African-American Christianity and reflects on their relationship to denominational structure and character, and gender issues. Education was central to the participation of women in African-American Christianity in the late nineteenth century, so the thesis discusses the growth of black colleges under the auspices of the black churches. Finally it also explores the complex relationship between domestic ideology, the politics of respectability, and female participation in the black churches.

 1958 was the year women became recognized as priests in The Church of Sweden- this event formed the initial idea for the study. This is a qualitative comparative inquiry, which seeks to understand gender structures within The Church of Sweden. It has its focus on men and women’s working conditions, which includes their experience of reality and their experienced differences and similarities in their role as priests. Six priests from one concealed diocese have been interviewed and the methodological approach is induction, which has been applied to best ability. Cross-case analysis has been implemented to enable comparison of gender conditions. Through the stage of analysis the data have been interpreted with an open mindset and was not structured in groups by male vs. female. This allowed patterns to emerge with all possibilities, not only with gender taken into consideration. Organizational and gender theories along with previous research have been the main resource for this project. The historian Yvonne Hirdman and the scientist Rosabeth Moss Kanter are two theorists in whom the results are mainly based upon, together with statements and quotations from my informants. The findings in this thesis are due to structural and gender mechanisms. A suggestion to discard the theological conviction and defining resentment against female priests as an issue solely determined by working environmental problem is to be considered. The main differences found in gender due to a structural consequence are the experience of career opportunities and discrimination. It is clear that the structure of The Church of Sweden limits ones career opportunities within a position but also sets limitations due to the lack of higher alternative positions. The women in my study have been victims of the structural powers of men and/or organizations, which could be understood through Kanter´s three-factor theory. The female priests are all struggling with their working description, the assumption of gender difference in this issue is to be drawn. This is also true when it comes to the informant’s role as priests. There are expected differences in leadership between men and women and women are being compared to their male colleges which is an indication of Hirdman´s theory A vs. a. Female vicars working conditions as well as the hierarchy system of The Church of Sweden are suggestions of further studies in the field.

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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES
Fundação São Paulo - FUNDASP
This work, Protagonists! The strength of women from the periphery in the pastoral care of women, the Brasilia episcopal region, is the result of contact with women from the outskirts of São Paulo, in the northwestern area, who meet monthly in a women's group called the Pastoral Care of Women in the Brasilia Episcopal Region. Our aim is to understand how those women became protagonist of their lives despite the unfavorable context of the place where they live, characterized by deep material and social deprivations. We focused on a particularity of that neighborhood which helped them to approach to their reality differently from how they would usually do in such social conditions, the existence there of the CEBs and the group Women Pastoral in the newborn Brasilândia Episcopal region, funded in 1989. Those ecclesial movements with social and political engagement fundamentally influenced those women’s live paths, however they were not responsible by the flourishment of the social subject and protagonism in each of them. We found out their stories through interviews guided by a questionnaire. After the transcription of the interviews, we analyzed those women life experiences making use of Max Weber’s comprehensive sociology and of Alain Touraine’s analysis in order to understand how protagonism happened in their lives. Then we established two analyses categories, the individual and the social subject. Studying the protagonism of women from outskirts involved in ecclesial movements engaged with social and political actions, we want to make them visible to society once they are usually unseen. Many see them as plain individuals, those who adopts the stereotyped view that defines the geographical place where they live. These women came from and are in outskirts, they broke the cycle of violence and abandonment, the isolation from the other women around them, showing that they are simply strong women
Este trabalho, Protagonistas! A força das mulheres da periferia na pastoral da mulher, região episcopal Brasilândia, é fruto do contato com as mulheres da periferia de São Paulo, zona noroeste, que se reúnem mensalmente em um grupo de mulheres denominado pastoral da mulher, na região episcopal Brasilândia. O encontro com estas mulheres despertou-nos a busca pela compreensão de como fora possível para essas mulheres tornarem-se protagonistas de suas vidas, inseridas num contexto periférico, permeado por diversas privações. Partimos então para olhar o que havia nesta periferia que provocou uma dinâmica diferente da realidade de privações que viviam, foi então, que encontramos a CEBs dentro da recente formada região episcopal Brasilândia em 1989 e a pastoral da mulher. Estes movimentos eclesiais de cunho social político foram de fundamental importância no caminhar dessas mulheres, mas não foram os responsáveis por determinar o surgimento do sujeito social, do protagonismo em cada uma. Para nos aproximarmos dessas mulheres e conhecermos suas histórias realizamos entrevistas semidirecionadas por meio de um questionário. Após a transcrição das entrevistas para a análise das experiências relatadas, partimos para a aplicação da corrente sociológica compreensiva de Max Weber e da análise de Alain Touraine, para entendermos como o protagonismo aconteceu, chegamos a duas categorias de análise, o indivíduo e o sujeito social. Queremos ao abordarmos o protagonismo das mulheres da periferia inseridas em movimentos eclesiais de práticas sociais, dar visibilidades a estas mulheres que são invisibilizadas pela sociedade, para muitos são apenas indivíduos, pois estão limitados a olhares que apenas enxergam o local geográfico na qual vivem. Elas emergiram na e da periferia, romperam com os ciclos de violência, do abandono, do isolamento das mulheres, no seu entorno, são simplesmente mulheres fortes

In November 1992, the Church of England took the step that would irrevocably change its ordained ministry more significantly than at any other time in its 500 year history as the governing body of the Church, the General Synod, voted by an overwhelming majority to remove the historical, legal and theological barriers to women being ordained into its priesthood. Notwithstanding this change it has remained the case that women have had to find their place within existing systems and structures which pay little or no attention to the experiences and self-understanding of ordained women as women and as priests. There is likewise little awareness of the ways in which the formation of the stereotypes of masculinity and femininity play out on the consciousness of individuals and shape institutional practices that have lived consequences for clergymen, clergywomen and the congregations to which they minister. It is, however, not the case that women experience their ministry negatively. Indeed, they find the exercising of their priestly ministry to be both fulfilling and empowering. There remains, however, a subtle play of forces at work upon the self-understanding of women as priests that makes the role an inexact fit for them, a whisper of unease in the story of their experiences. Taking its rise from a Foucauldian analysis of power relations in the construction of gender on the formation of the self-understanding of the individual, and the French feminist theoretical position of 1'ectriture feminine, this thesis will argue that women's place and role in the Church is formed and influenced by the discourses that have created the hegemonic norm of `the good Christian woman', and that this figure is the hidden constant in the consciousness of women, men and the institution. In addition, the formation of the Church of England's practice of priestly ministry has taken place from within a worldview that is founded upon masculinist discourse and patriarchal theology and that this has given rise to the paradigmatic clergyman as the primary model of ministry in the Church. It is the tensions caused by the influence of and the interplay between these two hidden constants on the self-understanding of women that gives rise to the whisper of unease that continues to be the experience of women as priests in the Church of England.

The purpose of this essay is to examine clergywomen’s experience of discrimination within the Swedish church as to clergywomen’s opinions about their work and their work situation and how they handle contingent discrimination. The method used in this essay is qualitative, and in order to create an understanding of the topic we have used semi structured interviews and text analysis. Three clergywomen have been interviewed and in addition to this we have studied four clergywomen's reports to JämO regarding gender discrimination. The analysis is based upon a social constructivist perspective and Hirdman's gender system theory. The clergywomen that were interviewed experienced that they have unique qualities that male priests lack. Two of the interviewees stated that they have never been discriminated within the Swedish church. However, all three clergywomen described situations where female- and male priests are treated differently. Our conclusions are that clergywomen are using different kind of strategies to handle discrimination on their workplace. Two of the reports to JämO regarding discrimination were about the possibility to get recruited, and the other two were about differences in wages. In three of the cases JämO could not prove discrimination and in one case were rejected in the work tribunal.

In the town of Södertälje, a great number of ecclesiastical denominations are represented, a majority of which with roots in the Middle East. To a person attending several various Christian services at many different churches, the diversified ecclesiastical scene offers many similarities among the different denominations, as well as many differences between them. An obvious difference is the view of ministry. In the Church of Sweden women may be ordained, whereas this is not possible in the Chaldean-Catholic Church or the Syrian-Orthodox Church. This paper describes how some ordinary worshippers, members of the Chaldean-Catholic Church or the Syrian-Orthodox Church, look upon their own religious practices in view of the fact that they belong to minority denominations in a secularized society in which the Church of Sweden is the major church. This paper has a Theological as well as a Sociological perspective, since these two perspectives have a reciprocal effect on each other regarding the creating of identities of both informants and churches. An important aspect of this paper is the informants’ view of the relationship between priesthood and gender. It will be obvious that the informants’ opinions of who may be allowed to take Holy Orders depend more on the person’s eligibility than on gender, irrespective of traditions in their denominations. In spite of the fact that women are not ordained in either of the churches dealt with in this paper, the informants hold the view that this may change with time. Instead, they mean that this is one in a row of adaptations that should be carried out by their churches, in order for them to be able to continue to exist in Södertälje and to achieve an ongoing increase in numbers. However, the question of priesthood and gender is complicated, partly due to traditions in their home countries, but also since the bodies of men and women, respectively, are regarded differently in Orthodox theology, not least so in comparison with that of the Church of Sweden. In this paper the informants also express questions arisen from encounters between their respective home countries and Sweden. Primarily, those questions are about the possible effects that may occur when ecclesiastical traditions meet secular values. That affects the informants’ views of culture and nationality, as well as the meaning of being an individual in a group, profoundly marked by church traditions in a society as individualistic as Sweden.
I Södertälje finns ett stort antal kyrkliga samfund representerade, flertalet med rötter i Mellanöstern. Det kyrkliga landskapet medför att det för den kyrkobesökare som rör sig i flera olika kyrkorum, är lätt att upptäcka många likheter mellan de olika kyrkliga samfunden, men också flera skillnader. En påtaglig skillnad är synen på prästämbetet. I Svenska kyrkan kan kvinnor vara präster, medan detta inte är möjligt i Kaldeisk-katolska kyrkan eller i Syrisk-ortodoxa kyrkan.   Den här uppsatsen handlar om hur några vanliga gudstjänstdeltagare, medlemmar i Kaldeisk-katolska kyrkan eller Syrisk-ortodoxa kyrkan, ser på de egna kyrkotraditionerna och -praktikerna i ljuset av att vara minoritetskyrkor i ett sekulärt samhälle där Svenska kyrkan är majoritetskyrka. Uppsatsen har ett teologiskt såväl som ett samhällsorienterat perspektiv. Anledningen till det är att dessa två perspektiv har en ömsesidig påverkan på varandra beträffande informanternas - och kyrkornas - identitetsskapande. En viktig ansats i uppsatsen är vilken syn på relationen prästämbete och kön informanterna ger uttryck för. Uppsatsen visar att informanternas uppfattning om vem som kan vigas till präst är mer beroende av personlig lämplighet än av kön, oaktat att de kyrkotraditioner de tillhör säger något annat. Trots att kvinnor inte vigs till präster i någon av de kyrkor som uppsatsen belyser, menar informanterna att det på sikt inte alls skulle vara en omöjlighet. Det är istället en i raden av anpassningar som de menar att deras kyrkor bör göra, för att fortsätta att leva och verka i Södertälje och för att tillväxten av medlemmar ska vara god. Dock visar det sig att frågan om prästämbete och kön inte är okomplicerad. Det beror dels på traditioner från hemländerna, men också på att mannens och kvinnans kropp betraktas på olika sätt i ortodox teologi, inte minst jämfört med Svenska kyrkans teologi. I uppsatsen ger informanterna också uttryck för frågor som har väckts genom mötet mellan deras respektive hemländer och Sverige. Främst handlar detta om vad som kan hända när kyrkliga traditioner möter sekulära värderingar. Detta påverkar deras syn på såväl kultur och nationalitet som vad det innebär att vara individ i en grupp, som starkt präglas av kyrkliga traditioner, i ett samhälle som är så individcentrerat som Sverige.

There has been much discussion on the roles of men and women in the church today. One of the crucial questions being asked is whether women should be ordained as ministers. Many debates have been centered on the question, "Should women teach?" "Should women exercise authority with men?" "Are men and women equal?" These questions have been approached from different angles. In recent years many denominations have increased opportunities for women in ministry. This thesis sets out to look at opportunities for women in ministry in the Evangelical Church of South Africa (ECSA). It is important to discover what Scripture says about the role of women in the church. The desire to be totally involved in ministry in the church has prompted women's struggle for emancipation. By looking at the culture and background of Indian women in South Africa we are able to ascertain some of the problems facing Indian women in ministry. In order to do this, Old Testament teachings, teachings of Jesus in the gospels and doctrinal teachings in the New Testament have been considered. Various views of those who have written on women in ministry have also been considered. This thesis is not an attempt to undermine the leadership of the ECSA, but rather it wishes to bring clarity on the issue of the ministry of women in the ECSA.
Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

This study investigates the paid and unpaid work experiences of Indian Christian women in Pietermaritzburg as they would inform a framework for a gendered theology of work. Intersecting gender and development theory with theologies of work, the study asserts that gender, particularly as it relates to understandings of what constitutes "work", has been neglected by theologians. In order to better understand the "work" roles of women, gender and development theorist, Caroline Moser (1993) has provided a framework. She asserts that women‘s work roles can be categorized in three important ways namely, productive work, reproductive work and community work. The gender-based division of labour has contributed to socially ascribed gender roles that cause women to be primarily responsible for monotonous, exasperating, tiring, time-consuming and economically unrewarding activities. Men on the other hand occupy "productive" roles that are economically rewarding and community roles that are usually seen as prestigious. Similar roles carried out by women are often not rewarded and are undervalued. Due to the social construction of differentiated gender roles, tasks associated with the reproduction of society fall almost entirely to women. Moser‘s (1993) conceptualization of women‘s roles is useful in this study, highlighting the different types of work that Indian women are involved in. However, this gendered analysis has not been prevalent in existing theologies of work. Rather, these focus solely on doctrinal, class or ethics perspectives. Furthermore, it is argued that these theologies of work are developed without the first-hand knowledge of the experiences, struggles and challenges that workers themselves encounter. This is particularly the case for women workers. In order to investigate women‘s work experiences in this study, extensive fieldwork was carried with a group of Indian Christian women in Pietermaritzburg. Four research tools, namely a questionnaire, a 24-hour time study diary, semi structured interviews and focus group discussions were developed and employed to better understand their work roles. The findings revealed that Indian women continue to remain confined to these roles of productive, reproductive and community work because of the impact of culture as well as religion. While some Indian women have entered the productive market and are financial contributors to households, they still assume the roles that are culturally seen as 'women‘s work‘. In addition, their theological understandings and Biblical interpretations of work have resulted in women remaining acquiescent to such roles which are often depicted as 'the ideal woman‘. In a context where women find themselves immersed in roles of production, reproduction and community work, it is crucial that theological reflection engages these work experiences which are intertwined with women‘s faith practices. This study is an attempt to do this as it offers a framework that points toward a gendered theology of work.
Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

This exploratory study examines the question of Mariology in the Anglican Church in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It focuses on how Anglican women priests relate to the Virgin Mary within the patriarchal structures and African context of the Anglican Diocese of Natal. It aims to ascertain the perceptions of the Virgin Mary held by a sample group of ordained, doctrinally informed, Anglican women. The premise is that because the Anglican Church is closer to Roman Catholicism than other Protestant churches, these clerics might be more open to the dogmas of Mariology as proclaimed by the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church. The depths of the subjects‘ knowledge of Marian dogma are ascertained, as well as the extent to which their spirituality and devotions are affected by this. An attempt is made to establish the potential advantages of an enhanced Marian presence in The Anglican Church in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This study is intended not merely to establish the dogmatic similarities in the Anglican and Roman Catholic traditions and underscore those issues which inhibit Marian veneration among local ordained Anglican women. Its intention is to elicit the effects of dogma on spirituality and worship, and to discern whether the subjects feel an affinity with Catholic Marian dogma and see any possibility of ecumenical progress between the two Churches. Roman Catholic Marian dogma is elucidated and examined. The four main dogmas are presented: the Theotokos, her Perpetual Virginity, her Immaculate Conception and her Assumption into Heaven. The Protestant and Anglican reservations regarding these dogmas are examined, and ecumenical dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant Churches is discussed, including the bilateral ARCIC discussions with the Anglican Communion. Nine Anglican priests are interviewed, and the data and its implications for Anglican-Roman Catholic ecumenism are examined. The findings indicate that the subjects do not subscribe to Roman Catholic dogma and praxis on Mary. It is proposed that Marian dogma per se is not a hindrance to ecumenism, but the fact of the dogmas reflecting the teachings on more fundamental theological issues such as the nature of sacraments, the trinity, the nature of grace and eschatology in the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches.
Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
As white settlers and pioneers moved westward in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, some of the first to settle the Indiana territory, near the Ohio border, were members of the Religious Society of Friends (the Quakers). Many of these Quakers focused on social reforms, especially the anti-slavery movement, as they fled the slave-holding states like the Carolinas. Less discussed in Indiana’s history is the impact Quakerism also had in the movement for women’s rights. This case study of two of the founding members of the Indiana Woman’s Rights Association (later to be renamed the Indiana Woman’s Suffrage Association), illuminates the influences of Quakerism on women’s rights. Amanda M. Way (1828-1914) and Mary Frame (Myers) Thomas, M.D. (1816-1888) practiced skills and gained opportunities for organizing a grassroots movement through the Religious Society of Friends. They attained a strong sense of moral grounding, skills for conducting business meetings, and most importantly, developed a confidence in public speaking uncommon for women in the nineteenth century. Quakerism propelled Way and Thomas into action as they assumed early leadership roles in the women’s rights movement. As advocates for greater equality and freedom for women, Way and Thomas leveraged the skills learned from Quakerism into political opportunities, resource mobilization, and the ability to frame their arguments within other ideological contexts (such as temperance, anti-slavery, and education).