In some religions, women can't take on the same tasks, responsibilities or authority as men. For others, the religion would simply not work at all if there were no women leaders. Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of argument presented for and against women’s leadership in religions. One is based in history, the other in ideas about gender.
Read and watch more information about these areas in the following content, then vote in our poll below, and share your views using our comments facility above.
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Would all religions benefit from having women leaders?
Read now to access more details of Would all religions benefit from having women leaders?Does history show us that the greater participation by women as leaders could enrich some or all religions?
Level: 1 Introductory
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Video Interview: Rabbi Dr Deborah Kahn-Harris
Watch now to access more details of Video Interview: Rabbi Dr Deborah Kahn-HarrisRabbi Dr Deborah Kahn-Harris talks to the Open University's Graham Harvey
Level: 1 Introductory
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Video interview: Hindu leader, Ano Rao
Watch now to access more details of Video interview: Hindu leader, Ano RaoIn this video, executive representative at the Hindu Council UK, Ano Rao, discusses her role and the general role of women in religion with The Open University's Graham Harvey
Level: 1 Introductory
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Course reviews
As a Christian I believe that gender equality is important. As I belong to the Church of England, I feel this particular arena of Christianity is right in accepting equality.
I cannot however speak for other Christian arenas or religious faiths. That is best left I feel to followers of those faiths.
Rachel Buckley - 21 January 2014 11:06am
I have just watched the BBC2 Programme ‘Divine Women’ where Bethany Hughes after having interviewed Joanna Bogle and stating to camera that she did not agree with her views on women’s roles in the RC church, then travelled to Rome to speak to a Priest who teaches seminarians.
The Priest agreed that women did have important roles in the early church, but, and it’s a big BUT, if Ms Hughes had asked him the outright question about the role of women being Priests in the early church, I'm 110% certain he'd have answered her with a resounding NO!
Women in the early church did have roles in helping the Priests and Deacons form the early church and many where martyred for their efforts along with the Priests at the time, especially under Diocletian. They are mentioned in the Roman Canon – Felicitas, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Anastasia, and Cecilia.
Mary Magdalene also was thought to have travelled to France in her efforts to establish Christianity there.
But let’s get this straight - women have NEVER participated in the actual transubstantiation at Mass. Reason being, to do this you have to be PERSONA CHRISTI i.e. in the Person of Christ, who was/is a MAN.
Holy Mass is a re-enactment of the last supper, where Jesus turned the bread and wine into his own body and blood.
I was dismayed that this extremely important question of transubstantiation was not asked directly to the RC Priest by Bethany Hughes.
It came across as sloppy journalism and one sided on her part.
Quite a shame because she seems to do a fairly decent job on Britain’s Secret Homes (ITV)
It was pretty obvious, the programme was edited in this way because she did not agree with Dame Joanna Bogle's explanation on why the Roman Catholic Church does not accept women as Priests.
Women have their own roles within the church, and to be perfectly honest I have never in my lifetime come across a Nun or Sister who would even contemplate becoming a woman Priest. There is just no such thing in the RC church.
I was somewhat dismayed by the lack of Ms Hughes journalistic skills and research on this subject.
It seemed the programme was based around her own opinions and thoughts.
After interviewing the RC Priest Ms Hughes then proceeded to enter the catacombs and went directly to an ancient fresco of Priscilla with her arms open as though preaching with one person and three people to each side of her.
Bethany Hughes turns to camera with a glint in her eye and stated that early women did have preaching roles. Well Ms Hughes, yes, they could preach all they liked, but women could not do the transubstantiation and therefore could not be priests!
Fabrizio Bisconti, the superintendent of the Vatican's sacred archaeology commission, has already stated quite clearly in November 2013 that such a reading of the frescoes referring to Priscilla as being a Priest was “pure fable, a legend." Even though the catacombs' official guide says there is "a clear reference to the banquet of the Holy Eucharist" in the fresco, Bisconti said the scene of the banquet wasn't a Eucharistic banquet but a funeral banquet. He said that even though women were present they weren't celebrating Mass.
Which brings me to the picture of the mosaic here on this site from the Basilica of San Vitale - this mosaic shows the Empress Theodora solemn and formal, with golden halo, crown and jewels, and a train of court ladies. She is almost depicted as a goddess. As opposed to the V formation of the figures in the Justinian mosaic, the mosaic with Empress Theodora shows the figures moving from left to right into the church. Theodora is seen holding the wine. Justinian himself (picture not shown on this site) stands in the middle, with soldiers on his right and clergy on his left, emphasizing that Justinian is the leader of both church and state of his empire – enough said! And one final thought - If Christ wanted to establish women Priests, would he have not made his own Mother one of the first Priests? No, he made Peter the first Priest and Pope! "And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it!" (Matthew 16:18)
Rachel Buckley - 21 January 2014 11:06am
I have just watched the BBC2 Programme ‘Divine Women’ where Bethany Hughes after having interviewed Joanna Bogle and stating to camera that she did not agree with her views on women’s roles in the RC church, then travelled to Rome to speak to a Priest who teaches seminarians.
The Priest agreed that women did have important roles in the early church, but, and it’s a big BUT, if Ms Hughes had asked him the outright question about the role of women being Priests in the early church, I'm 110% certain he'd have answered her with a resounding NO!
Women in the early church did have roles in helping the Priests and Deacons form the early church and many where martyred for their efforts along with the Priests at the time, especially under Diocletian. They are mentioned in the Roman Canon – Felicitas, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Anastasia, and Cecilia.
Mary Magdalene also was thought to have travelled to France in her efforts to establish Christianity there.
But let’s get this straight - women have NEVER participated in the actual transubstantiation at Mass. Reason being, to do this you have to be PERSONA CHRISTI i.e. in the Person of Christ, who was/is a MAN.
Holy Mass is a re-enactment of the last supper, where Jesus turned the bread and wine into his own body and blood.
I was dismayed that this extremely important question of transubstantiation was not asked directly to the RC Priest by Bethany Hughes.
It came across as sloppy journalism and one sided on her part.
Quite a shame because she seems to do a fairly decent job on Britain’s Secret Homes (ITV)
It was pretty obvious, the programme was edited in this way because she did not agree with Dame Joanna Bogle's explanation on why the Roman Catholic Church does not accept women as Priests.
Women have their own roles within the church, and to be perfectly honest I have never in my lifetime come across a Nun or Sister who would even contemplate becoming a woman Priest. There is just no such thing in the RC church.
I was somewhat dismayed by the lack of Ms Hughes journalistic skills and research on this subject.
It seemed the programme was based around her own opinions and thoughts.
After interviewing the RC Priest Ms Hughes then proceeded to enter the catacombs and went directly to an ancient fresco of Priscilla with her arms open as though preaching with one person and three people to each side of her.
Bethany Hughes turns to camera with a glint in her eye and stated that early women did have preaching roles. Well Ms Hughes, yes, they could preach all they liked, but women could not do the transubstantiation and therefore could not be priests!
Fabrizio Bisconti, the superintendent of the Vatican's sacred archaeology commission, has already stated quite clearly in November 2013 that such a reading of the frescoes referring to Priscilla as being a Priest was “pure fable, a legend." Even though the catacombs' official guide says there is "a clear reference to the banquet of the Holy Eucharist" in the fresco, Bisconti said the scene of the banquet wasn't a Eucharistic banquet but a funeral banquet. He said that even though women were present they weren't celebrating Mass.
Which brings me to the picture of the mosaic here on this site from the Basilica of San Vitale - this mosaic shows the Empress Theodora solemn and formal, with golden halo, crown and jewels, and a train of court ladies. She is almost depicted as a goddess. As opposed to the V formation of the figures in the Justinian mosaic, the mosaic with Empress Theodora shows the figures moving from left to right into the church. Theodora is seen holding the wine. Justinian himself (picture not shown on this site) stands in the middle, with soldiers on his right and clergy on his left, emphasizing that Justinian is the leader of both church and state of his empire – enough said! And one final thought - If Christ wanted to establish women Priests, would he have not made his own Mother one of the first Priests? No, he made Peter the first Priest and Pope! "And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it!" (Matthew 16:18)