Resources & Publications
History
A list of resources to help navigate the history of the ordination of women
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In this presentation conducted online and uploaded to the WATCH Committee’s YouTube channel, Heaton outlines findings from her doctoral research on the Movement for the Ordination of Women. She covers its origins, its campaigns – successes and struggles – and its legacy; particularly how gender equality was not granted with the 1992 vote, and how it is – and is not – remembered by those within the Church and the Academia.
Citation: Grace Heaton, ‘Woman’s place is in the House of Bishops’, YouTube, 1 December 2023
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An overview – with photographs – of the campaign for women’s ordination from the 1970s to 2015, drawing on the archive
that LSE library houses on the topic. It does not go into detail on the arguments proposed from those who supported female ordination and those who did not, but provides a good timeline of events and introduces key figures.
Citation: LSE Library, ‘“A Woman’s place…?” A story about the campaign for women’s ordination in the Church of England’, Google Arts & Culture
Presentations
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LSE library houses the archive of the Movement for the Ordination of Women (MOW) which campaigned for women to become priests in the Church of England. This online article summarises some key points in MOW’s history and progress towards the ordination of women in to the CofE priesthood – which arguably underpins later movements and campaigns pertaining to women bishops. It also directs readers to an online catalogue of the LSE archive and official papers of the General Synod in this topic.
Citation: Fabiana Barticioti, ‘Archive of the Movement for the Ordination of Women’, LSE (2016)
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Written before women were able to become priests, Aldridge explores the notion of women’s roles being limited to deacon – outlining arguments for and against this system, and highlighting women’s frustration with it and the “language-games” they are forced to observe.
Citation: Alan Aldridge, ‘Discourse on women in the clerical profession: the diaconate and language-games in the Church of England’, Sociology, 26.1 (1992), pp. 45-57
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“Of all the professions none has proved more resistant to the inclusion of women than the Christian ministry.” Writing in 1983, Heeney explores the issues preventing women’s ministry in the CofE, showing that this issue has long been discussed and debated – it is not a particularly new feminist desire. He details the many ways in which women were heavily involved in church life around the turn of the 20th century – “dominating” many congregations, outnumbering men there and formulating church life into a “woman’s domain”, “womanizing” charity work and taking increased responsibility for “the real life and welfare of the church”. He then traces how women’s roles advanced, particularly during wartime, and the controversies/opposition that this sparked. Minor incursions into traditional male domains do not seem to have “aroused much controversy” but others did – an especially heated debate occurred in 1916 around the role of women in the National Mission of Repentance and Hope; many clergy and laymen were “scandalized” that women would have authorised place as speakers in this mission, claiming that there was a “conspiracy” or “feminist plot” underfoot, intending to open-up the priesthood to women. Many feminists ultimately avoided the “priesthood” issue in the first quarter of the 20th century after having little success on this front, focusing on more attainable goals, but it would be picked up again later-on.
Citation: Brian Heeney, ‘Women’s Struggle for Professional Work and Status in The Church of England, 1900-1930’, The Historical Journal, 26.2 (1983), pp. 329-347
Articles
Books
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This book provides an overview of the debates and events that contributed to General Synod voting to ordain women to its priesthood in 1992.
I could not access this full book though it appears to be for-sale online. This summary is based on blurbs published online.
Citation: Susan Dowell and Jane Williams, Bread, Wine and Women: the ordination debate in the Church of England (Virago, 1994)
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Margaret Webster was Executive Secretary of MOW (Movement for the ordination of Women) from 1979 -1986, and was one of the key organisers of the campaign for legislation to allow women to be ordained as deacons and priests. In this book Webster provides an account of MOW and takes the reader through key stages of the campaign, including set-backs, highlighting women who had been role models and those who had attempted to introduce change through church organisations. She explains decisions made and the opposition faced very clearly, but also describes the emotions among those campaigning.
Citation: Margaret Webster, A New Strength, a New Song: Journey to Women’s Priesthood (Mowbray, 1994).
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Liz and Andrew Barr outline the struggles and campaigns that underpinned the 1992 vote in favour of women’s ordination to the priesthood, and, importantly, give voices to these first female priests, exploring the ways that they have changed the Church. However, they also note that the fight is far from over – there is still much hostility, suspicion, and fear towards women priests.
I could not access this full book though it appears to be for-sale online. This summary is based on blurbs published online.
Citation: Liz Barr and Andrew Barr, Jobs for the Boys? Women Who Became Priests (Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, 2001).
Theology or misogyny?
These resources look into the motivation behind the struggle for equality – was it / is it theology or is it sexism?
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Alex Frost, Theology or Misogyny
Presentations
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This article draws upon interview and questionnaire data and argues that opposition to women priests in the Church of England cannot be justified by reference to scripture or theology, but instead, they are rooted in a “more pervasive conservative sex role ideology” – general sexism – and religion is simply the channel throughout this opposition is communicated. The article first explores the level of opposition, indicated in their interviews and questionnaire responses, to female ordination into the priesthood. Some interesting findings include the fact that many clergymen and clergywives who rated their position on women’s ordination as “neither strong support nor strong opposition” held the view that “the time was not yet ripe for a vote in favour of women priests” – that is, they held a “yes, but not yet” opinion, reducing the number who could be said to be against women priests, and supporting those who argue that the large proportion of Synod members who are reluctant to accept women into the priesthood is not reflective of broader opinion. Furthermore, many deaconesses who participated stated that it was not “in their best interests” to state open support of female priesthood, and so also remained silent on the issue, highlighting that lack of overt support does not necessarily mean lack of support. After this, it moves on to explore the nature of opposition as indicated by participants, concluding that “opinions on the rights and responsibilities of women in general society provide more explanatory power in accounting for divergent attitudes among clergymen and their wives on the issue of female priesthood, than do either their personal theological persuasion or view of Scripture.” Finally, Nason-Clark states that “based on the sexism evident among the clerical profession, it is not surprising that the Christian Church continues to deny women an equal place in its ordained ministry.” She states that women’s overall position in English society would be improved by the Church adopting an egalitarian stance towards them due to the church being such a major institution and it currently so-blatantly discriminating against the female sex.
Citation: Nancy Nason-Clark, ‘Ordaining Women as Priests: Religious vs. Sexist Explanations for Clerical Attitudes’, Sociological Analysis, 48.3 (1987), pp. 259-273.
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This article presents the debate within the CofE about female priesthood as a struggle between “two competing models of the church” – the accommodationist Vs the exclusivist. He opens by quoting some arguments put forward by those who opposed the 1992 decision to open the priesthood to women – some saw this as part of a broader “siege” on orthodoxy along with the perceived abandonment of the Prayer Book, denial of the virgin birth, doubt cast on the resurrection, the rise of interfaith services with non-Christian religions to name but a few examples of the Church breaking from what had been historically taught. He introduces sociological concepts of “grid” and “group” boundaries as useful for analysing social structuring and different reactions to propositions for including women in church ministry roles.
Citation: Alan Aldridge, ‘Women Priests: From exclusion to accommodation’, The British Journal of Sociology, 45.3 (1994), pp. 501-510.
Articles
The Impact
These resources look into the impact the past and ongoing inequality is having on women
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The article reports findings from the 2005 English Church Census, which suggested that while women historically predominated in churches, this was no longer necessarily the case.
It notes that the greatest loss occurred among women aged 15-44 – when they are particularly busy juggling education, employment, relationships, and family life. The declines may also be due to differences in values – research indicates that younger women “tend to express egalitarian values and dislike the traditionalism and hierarchies that they imagine are integral to the church.” Other factors thought to be involved in women turning away from the church are fertility levels, feminist values, paid employment, family diversity and sexuality.
Citation: Kristen Aune, ‘Why Women don’t do church anymore’ The Church Times, 20 August 2008
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Rev Dr Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, interim principal of Durham University’s Ustinov College, labelled the church “an abusive institution” and “questioned whether women should stay or flee” in a blog post published online. It was later withdrawn but Threlfall-Holmes has been an overt supporter of women’s ordination for some time. A spokesperson from the WATCH committee said that they supported Threlfall-Holmes’ words “wholeheartedly” – “women in the church are being treated in an abusive way and it contributes to the way some people view women in society and reinforces that negative view.”
Citation: Rosa Silverman, ‘Female priest says the Church is like ‘abusive husband’’, Independent, 24 May 2012
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Dyer was ordained priest in 1994 – one of the first wave to do so – and in this article, written 5 years later, she reflects on what – if anything – has changed in the church’s perception and treatment of women since that time. She recounts many positive experiences but also negative – “in some places…those opposed to the existence of women priests, through formal and informal actions, add to the burdens of ministry carried by women who are priests”
Citation: Anne Dyer, ‘Reviewing the Reception: Five Years of Women Priests’, Anvil, 16.2 (1999), pp. 85-93.
Articles
Articles referencing clothing
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This article outlines themes arising from interviews with 17 Anglican clergy women concerning their relationships with clothing, scrutiny they are subjected to regarding their clothing choices, and their experiences of professional dress which, in the CofE, is traditionally associated with male figures. Here, Page argues that clothing has been “a vehicle for women’s exclusion, as well as acceptance” (p. 297). Clothing is crucial to the identity of a priest and therefore women being allowed to wear the same dress as male priests signals their invitation into the priesthood, but they often feel that their clothing choices “come under increased scrutiny and can be used as a determinant of whether women can convincingly enact a professional and sacred identity (p. 297). Many interviewees mentioned being encouraged to favour neutrality in their clothing choices – nothing too bold or different from what men usually wore – and these choices are not ultimately just about clothing, but about how women are able – or not able – to display their gender freely.
Citation: Sarah-Jane Page, ‘The Scrutinized Priest: Women in the Church of England Negotiating Professional and Sacred Clothing Regimes’, Gender, Work and Organization, 21.4 (2014), pp. 295-307.
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Newspaper article reporting that a small group of women had “set up what is thought to be Britain’s first suppliers of “clergy couture”.” When one of the women was preparing for ordination, she realised there was “a distinct lack of shapely outfits she could slip her curves into.” Apparently, this is a common problem experienced by female clergy as their robes etc. are created for male bodies, and so “Collared” was created; an online boutique specialising in clothing for female clergy. They argue that the issue goes deeper than simply a lack of attractive clothing – “women need to be recognised fully as women in ministry. By wearing men’s clothing, it felt like an add on – like a man in drag in reverse if you like.” This notion of being ignored or at least not fully welcomed and accommodated for is not new.
Citation: Vickie Oliphant ‘Woman priest sexes-up clothing for female clergy fed-up of looking like ‘men in drag’’ The Express, 23 May 2016
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Despite 40% of the Church’s clergy and 70% of its laity being women, toxic views about women are still prevalent – some she quotes from the 1992 debate over women’s ordination, others, she suggests, are evident in the legislative package pertaining to female ordination and women bishops, which allows parishes to opt-out of ministry from women and offered compensation to male bishops who left the CofE – giving up their livelihoods – due to conflict of conscience over female ordination, to name but a few issues. The implicit message here, according to Rees, is that women’s ministry is invalid – or less-valid than men’s but there is also a sense that “women are somehow to blame for the ills in the Church of England; for example, Rees notes that when the compensation scheme came to an end 10 years after female ordination was allowed, headlines stated “women priests cost the Church £26m in payouts” despite it being the priests themselves who were costing the church, and many of them returned shortly after without repaying. This combination results in widespread discrimination against, and harm to, women in the Church.
Citation: Christina Rees, ‘Yes to Women Bishops – Yes to Women?’ Women’s History Review, 23.6(2014), pp. 996-999.
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Jagger states that the campaigns taking place from the 1970s onwards about women’s ordination were not just about equal employment opportunities; this was a “veneer” over a more philosophical undertone relating to “women’s access to sacred space, their symbolic representation and recognition of their full humanness.”
She goes on to claim that although the General Synod voted to allow female ordination in 1992, this matter has not wholly been resolved.
Citation: Sharon Jagger, ‘Pollution and Witchcraft of Female Clergy’, Discover Society, 1 March 2017
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In the midst of the #MeToo movement, where women began to openly name and shame individuals and institutions complicit in covering up and allowing sexual harassment to occur, some turned attention to the Church of England where similar stories were being uncovered.
Citation: Sharon Jagger, ‘As #MeToo harassment claims hit the Church of England, it’s an institution still steeped in sexism’, The Conversation, 6 November 2017
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Oborne details the difficulties that women have in securing positions as diocesan bishops – “this un-level playing field is evidenced by the fact that the church of England has appointed three times more men than women as diocesan bishops.”
Citation: Martine Oborne, ‘Why only 1 diocesan bishop in the last 10 appointments in the CofE has been a woman’, ViaMedia.News, 26 September 2023
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This article reported that the then archbishop of York, John Sentamu, would consecrate the Anglican Church’s first female bishop by laying hands on her, but then the following week when he consecrates Reverend Phillip North, he would not lay hands on him because North does not accept the ministry of women. Sentamu was criticised for promoting a theology of the ‘taint.’
WATCH commented that they were “saddened” by the “unprecedented” decision that would emphasise the division currently within the Church.
Citation: Rose Troup Buchanan, Archbishop of York will not ‘lay hands’ on new male bishop during consecration after touching first female bishop’, Independent, 24 January 2015
Books
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A collection of over fifty accounts of the moves towards women being fully included in the ministry of the Church of England and the impact and effects of this. Many of these accounts are by ordained women, but some are by men (eg Donald Barnes, Christopher Hall). The women include those who were campaigning for decades, such as Una Kroll and some whose call to ordination and priesthood was recent, such as Gulnar Francis-Dehqani, and ends with a chapter written by Bishop Penny Jamieson. The accounts are introduced by Christina Rees, setting the context, both through a brief history of events from 1992 when the Measure to enable women to be ordained priest was passed, to the small beginnings of legislation to allow women to be bishops. The beginnings of WATCH and GRAS, and early criticisms of the effect of the Act of Synod are also included in this introduction.
Citation: Voices of This Calling: Women Priests – The First Ten Years, ed. by Christina Rees (Canterbury Press, 2002).
A list of publications commissioned by WATCH
September 2023
September 2024
2024
2024