Gender Equality; Women in Worship

Religious Studies: KS3, topic 3.4.9

Gender Equality: Women in Worship

What role should women play in the leadership of religious worship?

Women have been excluded from the leadership of many religions in the past.
Attitudes are now changing slightly.
The Church of England, for example, now have women priests and bishops.
However, there are religions, such as the Catholic Church and Islam, where little has changed.

At Catholic Mass, the priest is an 'alter Christus', meaning he stands 'in the place of Jesus Christ'.
As Jesus was a man, it is argued, the priest must also be a man.
Priests, and especially Bishops, are considered successors of the apostles.
They must ensure that Catholic teaching is in line with the teaching of the twelve disciples.
Jesus had women followers, but he only chose men as apostles to guide and lead the Church.
This argument rules women out of leading the Church.

There are movements for change within the Catholic Church.
Eg. The Catholic Women's Council argue for a more inclusive Church.
These are some of the possible arguments for change:
Is the theology of apostolic succession a true reading of the Gospel and Jesus' intentions?
The policy is out-dated, out of step with modern attitudes towards gender.
The policy denies the full contribution of women to the spread of the Gospel. Female leadership could help reform the Catholic Church.

In Sunni Islam, male Imams usually lead worship in the mosque, and guide the local Muslim community.
Islam appoints different roles to men and women in society.
Men lead the Muslim community and the family, and women raise children at home.
Some contest that this means women cannot lead worship.
Some argue that the word for 'home' could mean 'neighbourhood' or 'village'.
One Hadith says women can lead prayers at home.
In Denmark, women can lead prayers for other women.