Case Study: Women in the Clergy
Stephanie Milligan and Katie McIntosh
A body
or order of persons specially trained and ordained to perform religious
services. For example, ministers,
pastors, priests, and rabbis are members of the clergy.
All the
persons commissioned or otherwise designated for religious duties, including
deacons, lay ministers, etc.
A womans occupation could be a leadership role in the church.
There would be an increase in the number of people attempting to obtain clergy positions.
Certain religions would create more denominations because of the opposing views on this issue.
People could convert to another religion or change to another denomination if they didnt like the decision that had been made.
If a religion or denomination decided to prohibit women in the clergy, protests and debates may take place among woman activists.
There is no clergy for Islam.
Although men and women are considered equal in Allah's eyes, Muslim women are restricted from being imam (religious leaders).
In the mosques, the men must worship in the front as the women worship in the back. This is to prevent evil thoughts and temptations by the men, which may exist if the women bow down and prostrate in front of them. This must be avoided during prayer.
This is the reason why women can't be imam because imam lead from the front.
A woman may lead a prayer service in her own home, among only family members, or if the congregation is purely female.
Women cannot lead Salat specifically since Salat is a very fixed and formalized type of prayer. Introducing a new style in Salat is prohibited, so since it has always been led by men, it always will be led by men.
A rabbi is the key member of the Jewish clergy. Rabbi means teacher and this person is a trained scholar, counsellor, and performs special ceremonies.
A cantor leads the
congregational services, chants prayers, and sings hymns.
Women are not allowed to be a part of the clergy, as rabbis or cantors, in Orthodox Judaism. Women and men have different roles that complement each other.
In Conservative Judaism, women
are allowed to become rabbis and cantors.
In Reconstructionist and Reform Judaism, both women and men
can become rabbis and cantors.
Sikhism
There is no clergy for Sikhism.
The person who organizes daily
services, teaches, and leads from the Guru Granth Sahib is called a granthi.
Women can fully participate in
religious services and become granthi.
Any male or female Sikh that is
competent to lead worship can do so.
Sikh women may also perform
kirtan-singing of religious hymns and even solemnize marriages.
I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. - 1 Timothy 2:12
Orthodox and Catholic Christianity: consists of deacons, priests, and bishops
-Women are not allowed to be leaders, but they may
participate in all other areas of the church.
-They follow their scripture (seen above) and follow the
example of the twelve apostles and other leaders who were all male.
Protestant
Christianity: consists of pastors and ministers, except for Anglicans who have
deacons, priests, and bishops.
- Most Protestant denominations allow women
in the clergy.
- Anglicans allow women to become deacons
and priests, but few are allowed to become bishops.
- Several Conservative Protestant
denominations do not allow women in the clergy, such as the Southern Baptists. They believe that the bible does not support
women as pastors, and that the bible teaches that women cannot teach in
authority over men.
Although female priests were written about in the sacred
Vedic texts, for a long time, priests could only be males from the Brahmin
caste.
Recently people realized that women are equally entitled to
be priests.
Hindu women have always been responsible for religion in
the home and training the children.
Some Hindus in rural
Female Hindu priests are relatively common now.
Bibliography
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(
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expert. <http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20050322.A07>
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Geldart, Anne. Exploring Religions-
Judaism.
Grohol, John M. Clergy.
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Islam, Sayf ul. Women
Imam Leading Men and Women in Salat. <http://www.islam4you.co.uk/news/articles/8/1/Women-Imam-Leading-Men-and-Women-in-Salat> (
Ramoutar, Paras. Criticism and Acclaim Greet
Robinson, Bruce A. Women as Clergy: Priests, Pastors,
Ministers, Rabbis...
Quinlan, Don. Exploring World Religions.
Don Mills:
Wikipedia. Clergy.
Author unknown. An
Introduction to Sikhism. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/faith/sikhism.shtml>
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