Pub. date: 2010 | Online Pub. Date: October 18, 2010 | DOI: 10.4135/9781412979344 | Print ISBN: 9781412960830 | Online ISBN: 9781412979344| Publisher:SAGE Publications, Inc.About this handbook
Chapter 49: Overview: Women as Leaders in Religion and Religious Organizations
Georgie Ann Weatherby
Overview: Women as leaders in religion and religious organizations While commonly the most faithful to worship, women have had a fractious, contentious relationship with religion through the centuries (Stark & Bainbridge, 1985). Offering a sense of stability (the hallmark of traditional religions), women have nonetheless sensed oppression via restricted, even marginalized roles and have, to varying degrees, fought back for change. Those most successful have made in-roads, but that widely depended on their particular church's overall openness to reform. Without the consistent push of women, however, the male-dominated, hierarchical status quo would have remained firmly entrenched much longer, in more domains. This chapter will outline an overview of history by examining exceptional movements, women crusaders for change, and the progression of ordination rights. Females have led the charge, to some extent, in every faith realm. They will be shown to be courageous warriors, unafraid of tough challenges and major conflicts. ...