Women and Ordination in the Christian Churches (edited by Ian Jones, Kirsty Thorpe and Janet Wootton) will be published by T&T Clark in July 2008 in the UK, and September in the US. The manuscript was recently sent to Rev. Kathy Galloway - leader of the Iona Community, who kindly provided the following response/commendation.
Response below:
'The editors and publisher of this substantial book are to be congratulated for an important contribution on the ordination of women in the Christian Churches. Bringing together perspectives from widely differing theological and ecclesiological traditions is in itself a vital task in a process which is by no means finished (in spite of a tendency among many to consider it a ‘done deal’). The debates and decisions of the past, present and future continue to reverberate through and affect not just individual churches and women but many other issues of church polity, ecumenism, social justice, human rights and the relationships of church and culture. This book tracks some of the paths that have led to where we are and suggests possible avenues for future exploration.
But perhaps the book’s greatest contribution is in offering international perspectives from places and contexts we do not often hear about, certainly in Britain; from East and West Africa, the Caribbean, French Polynesia and from smaller or less familiar Christian traditions. The enormous and heroic struggles of often lone pioneering women are always in danger of being overlooked, invisible or lost altogether, but it is crucial that these other voices are heard, in part at least so that we never fall back on narrow, self-satisfied assumptions that there is nothing more to hear. If that means that it is necessary to be challenged on issues of colonialism, racism, patriarchy and prejudice of any kind, then that is no bad thing.
One of the contributors, from Sweden, writes: When discussions about opening up the priesthood to women became increasingly intense, it was not only its (the church’s) view of priesthood that was at stake, but something larger: the church’s view of humanity, the basis for relationships between men and women, questions about women’s subordination and about the church and society. These things are still at stake, and this book is a significant, fascinating, sometimes moving and much-needed resource in engaging with them.'
Kathy Galloway, Leader, the Iona Community, Minister of the Church of Scotland
For more details of the book please click here UK customers | US customers
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