GENDER AND SEXUALITY: Female ordination in the CofE, feminist theology

Question 1

What did the General Synod in the Church of England agree in 1981?

Answer 1

Women could be ordained as deacons

Later, women could be ordained into the priesthood

Question 2

Who was the first female bishop in the Church of England?

Answer 2

Elizabeth Lane

Question 3

What was the traditionalist view on female bishops?

Answer 3

Ordination/confirmation carried out by a woman wouldn’t be valid because she couldn’t continue the tradition of male ordination and consecration
Some Anglican clergy felt the Church of England had ceased to have a legitimate ministry

Question 4

Feminist theology

Answer 4

Began in the late nineteenth century

Challenged the place of women in religion

Question 5

What do feminist theologians argue?

Answer 5

That Christian theology is patriarchal

Question 6

What are the different strands of feminist theology?

Answer 6

Liberal- the patriarchal system denies women equality
Biblical- God is loving and caring, qualities associated with women. Points to the importance of own in the life and teachings of Jesus
Radical- Seeks to find ways to speak of God which are true to our gender inclusive present day

Question 7

Who is Daphne Hampson?

Answer 7

A post-Christian theologian

Question 8

Hampson on Christian ‘baggage’

Answer 8

Christianity carries the patriarchal baggage of first century Palestine to the present

Question 9

Hampson on Christianity as negative

Answer 9

The Resurrection can’t be true; it makes no sense
Christianity is immoral- people should take responsibility for themselves
Christianity is irredeemably sexist- women are seen as the other. Therefore, Christianity is fascist
God shouldn’t be gendered

Question 10

Hampson on Christianity as positive

Answer 10

Christianity has served as a vehicle that has carried people’s love of God in the West

Question 11

Who is Rosemary Ruether?

Answer 11

Feminist, liberation theologian, and member of the Roman Catholic Church

Question 12

Ruether on Christianity

Answer 12

She sees a parallel between Jesus’ teaching in the Gospels and feminist critiques of society today- Jesus sided with the oppressed and outcasts of society and was critical of oppressive society
Jesus embodies male and female aspects of human nature (healing and power)