Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Santa Barbara, 1983. / Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 424-436).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Princeton University, 1992. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Bibliography: pages 407-418. / This thesis sets out to make a comprehensive study of the debate on the ordination of women to the priesthood in the Anglican Communion. This required, first and foremost, an historical examination of the development of the debate. Chapters 1-3 trace the movement of thought and attitude within the churches which make up the Communion, focusing particularly on the Church of the Province of Southern Africa, the Church of England, and the Episcopal Church of North America. A gradual shift in attitudes is revealed, away from grossly sexist understandings of women's roles in the church, and towards an acceptance that women have both the gifts and the calling for priesthood and indeed, for any role in the church. The next step after tracing the movement of attitudes in the past, was to examine the attitudes of the present. Chapter 4 contains the results of empirical research, undertaken in South Africa, on present-day attitudes and arguments in the debate. These, as might be expected, reveal a wide spectrum of opinion, from ultra-conservative stereotypes of women's role to an open acceptance of women occupying any role for which they have the gifts and abilities. Each response, of course, produced theological and scriptural evidence in its own support. Chapters 5 and 6, therefore, provide a biblical and theological evaluation of the evidence and arguments upon which these responses were based, both for and against the ordination of women to the priesthood. The biblical and theological evaluation revealed the crux of the thesis - namely, that the debate on the ordination of women to the priesthood is an integral part of the phenomenon of ecclesial and social sexism. The arguments of the opponents of women's ordination are invariably based on sexist modes of thought. At the same time, however, the arguments of the proponents of women's ordination are, to a large extent, influenced and. shaped by those same sexist modes of thought which they are attempting to address. For this reason the arguments in favour of women's ordination are unable to create a new theology in which the full humanity of Christian women as created in the image of God is a non-negotiable assumption; a theology in which therefore the priesthood, and women's participation in it takes on a new form closer to the revelation of the servant priesthood of Christ. Chapter 7 thus moves beyond the debate on women's ordination to an analysis of the structures and principles of sexism, and especially the manifestations of the sexism in past and present church history. It is only by the complete abolition of sexism in the churches that the true priesthood of both women and men can be achieved. In Chapter 8 the first tentative steps towards this goal are explored. It is obvious that the abolition of sexism in the churches must primarily take place through the self-liberation of Christian women and men from sexist patterns of thought and behaviour. Groups such as the Movement for the Ordination of Women in Britain can contribute much towards this end by their outreach to their members who in turn can communicate with fellow parishioners. In this way various groups may be started in the parishes, and house churches may be influenced in their teaching and thinking.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, March, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

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.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Bowling Green State University, 2010. / Document formatted into pages; contains xiv, 291 p. Includes bibliographical references.

<p><p>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.</p></p>

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.

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.

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.