Postfeminist, engaged and resistant: Evangelical male clergy attitudes towards gender and women’s ordination in the Church of England

Despite the introduction of female bishops, women do not hold offices on equal terms with men in the Church of England, where conservative evangelical male clergy often reject the validity of women’s ordination. This article explores the gender values of such clergy, investigating how they are expressed and the factors that shape them. Data is drawn from semi-structured interviews and is interpreted with thematic narrative analysis. The themes were analyzed with theories on postfeminism, engaged orthodoxy and group schism. It is argued that participants’ gender values are best understood as postfeminist and that the wider evangelical tradition, as well as a perceived change in Anglican identity with the onset of women’s ordination, shape their postfeminism. Moreover, whilst evangelical gender values possess the potential to foster greater gender equality within the Church of England, gender differentiation limits this possibility, a limitation that could be addressed by increasing participants’ engagement beyond the Church.

Justifying Gender Inequality in the Church of England

Fieldwork in Religion ◽

10.1558/firn.39231 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 8-32 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alex D. J. Fry

Keyword(s):

Narrative Analysis ◽

Church Of England ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

System Justification Theory ◽

Female Clergy ◽

The Family ◽

Church And Society ◽

Theologically Conservative ◽

And Control ◽

Despite being a national institution, the Church of England is legally permitted to discriminate against its ordained female clergy in a number of ways, a phenomenon that is at odds with wider societal values in England. It is argued that this makes the gender values of this institution’s representatives worthy of examination. This article explores the gender attitudes of theologically conservative male clergy and the psychological processes that shape these attitudes. In order to do so, semi-structured interviews were conducted with fourteen evangelical priests in one diocese within the Church of England. A thematic narrative analysis was employed to interpret the data using descriptive, focused, and pattern coding. Three themes in particular emerged from the data, namely: “Theological parallel between the Church and the family”, “Created order of male headship and female submission”, and “Separation between Church and society”. The content of these themes reveals significant overlap with the contents of system justification theory, and so this was used to interpret the themes further. In light of this it is concluded that a perceived loss of social privilege and control shape participants’ traditionalist gender values.

Bonds of Discord: Alternative Episcopal Oversight Examined in the Light of the Nonjurring Consecrations

10.1017/s0956618x00000405 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 3 (17) ◽

pp. 398-409

Author(s):

Roger Turner

Keyword(s):

Church Of England ◽

17Th Century ◽

The Body ◽

Women's Ordination ◽

Ordination Of Women ◽

In this paper I offer some warnings regarding the scheme for alternative episcopal oversight now embodied in the Act of Synod passed by the House of Bishops and published as Appendix B to Ordination of Women to the Priesthood: Pastoral Arrangements. These arrangements provide sacramental care as well as oversight for opponents of the ordination of women to the priesthood. Furthermore, the scheme is intended to serve two purposes: first, to safeguard the position of bishops and other clergy opposed to women's ordination; secondly, to ensure a continuity of such bishops and clergy. That the scheme is flawed becomes apparent when one examines it in the light of an arrangement devised at the end of the 17th century. The arrangement had been intended to secure the episcopal oversight of the body, both clerical and lay, which separated itself from the Church of England in 1690–91. The separation stemmed from its members feeling themselves unable to take the oaths of allegiance to William and Mary; hence the term ‘Nonjurors’.

Women Bishops: Equality, Rights and Disarray

10.1017/s0956618x13000185 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 158-174 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rob Clucas ◽

Keith Sharpe

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

Gender Equality ◽

Church Of England ◽

The State ◽

Recent History ◽

Equality Rights ◽

History Of ◽

Ordination Of Women ◽

In this article we discuss the recent history of the failed draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure, situating this within the broader context of the ordination of women and debates around the Equality Act exceptions for an organised religion. We aim to provide an account of the ways in which equality rights have been implemented in the relevant law; how the Church of England is responding to these rights; and how broader society understands the importance of gender equality and reacts to Synod's rejection of the draft Measure. We analyse these with reference to theories of heteronormativity and scholarship of human rights. In doing so, we aim to explain what is happening in the Church of England and broader society, and draw some conclusions about the current opportunities open to the Church and the state in matters of rights and equality.1

‘Then You Will Know the Truth, and the Truth Will Set You Free’: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the Career Experiences of Gay Clergy in the Church of England

Sexuality & Culture ◽

10.1007/s12119-020-09779-5 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Adam Connell ◽

Julia Yates

Keyword(s):

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽

Church Of England ◽

Academic Research ◽

Phenomenological Analysis ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Career Experiences ◽

And Bisexual ◽

Using Data ◽

The Church ◽

Practical Recommendations

Abstract The career choices of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB) employees are increasingly under the spotlight in academic research, but the experiences of LGB employees called to devote their careers to faith organisations remain largely unexplored in the literature. The Church of England does not fully condone same-sex relationships and this may pose a challenge for LGB people working for the Church, as they look for a way to reconcile their sexuality with their faith and their employer’s beliefs. This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of six gay clergymen in the Church of England, using data gathered through semi-structured interviews and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Three master themes were identified: tensions between sexuality, calling, and career; coping strategies; and the institutionalisation of homophobia in the Church. The findings are discussed with reference to Work as Calling Theory and we offer practical recommendations.

African Journal of Gender, Society and Development (formerly Journal of Gender, Information and Development in Africa) ◽

Customary Marriages and Gender Equality : Zimbabwean and South African Perspectives

10.31920/2634-3622/2021/v10n2a3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 41-58

Author(s):

Leah Gwatimba ◽

Nanga Raymond Raselekoane ◽

Anthony O. Nwafor

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Health ◽

Gender Equality ◽

South African ◽

Narrative Analysis ◽

Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

And Gender ◽

Health Rights ◽

Negative Health Outcomes

Patriarchy continues to place limitations on women’s rights in many societies. This is manifested by the unequal gender power relations between sexes, which also adversely impact women’s sexual and reproductive health rights. Using the key human rights principles of non-discrimination and gender equality, the study aimed to analyse gender equality within the sexual and reproductive health domain in customary marriages from the Zimbabwean and South African perspectives. The study was qualitative, conducted in Makwarela (South Africa) and Concession (Zimbabwe) with 16 participants using semi-structured interviews to collect data which were analysed using narrative analysis. The study established that there are restrictive gender norms that negatively affect the interaction of women with the health system, thereby producing negative health outcomes. The study recommends that women be empowered educationally, politically and financially so that they can make their own decisions regarding their health and well-being.

The Implications of Women's Ordination to the Priesthood in the Church of England

Journal of the European Society of Women in Theological Research ◽

10.2143/eswtr.3.0.2003011 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 3 (0) ◽

pp. 59-72

Author(s):

Penny JONES

Keyword(s):

Church Of England ◽

Women's Ordination ◽

The problem of the female priesthood in foreign Protestantism

Ukrainian Religious Studies ◽

10.32420/2009.50.2043 ◽

2009 ◽

pp. 145-152

Author(s):

O. Vynnychenko-Boruh

Keyword(s):

Gender Equality ◽

Church Of England ◽

Religious Life ◽

Anglican Church ◽

Protestant Churches ◽

Women's Participation ◽

Worship Services ◽

The World ◽

Radical Revision ◽

One of the tendencies of modern transformations in the religious sphere, in particular in the world of Protestantism, is the desire for gender equality. The problem of "woman and religion" has become extremely urgent over the last decades, especially on the issue of women's priesthood. There is evidence that the proportion of women in the religious life of only Christian denominations has increased from 10 percent in the early twentieth century. to 40 at the beginning of the XXI century. The theological justification for the idea of women's participation in organizing and conducting worship services was first formulated at the beginning of the 20th century in the Church of England. And it was the discussion around this provision that went beyond the Anglican Church that led to a radical revision of the traditional position of some Protestant churches, both as a motive and a reflection of profound changes in Christianity.

What is the Theology of Women's Ministry?

Scottish Journal of Theology ◽

10.1017/s0036930600018366 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

pp. 421-436

Author(s):

Ruth B. Edwards

Keyword(s):

Church Of England ◽

Roman Catholic ◽

Eastern Orthodox ◽

Women's Ministry ◽

Church Of Scotland ◽

Women Ministers ◽

Pressure Groups ◽

Ordained Ministry ◽

Women's Ordination ◽

The theology of women's ministry is a comparatively new item on the Church's agenda. It is less than two decades since the Church of Scotland took the historic decision to open its ordained ministry to women. At the time it seemed a controversial step, and many must have wondered where it would lead the Kirk. I think that we can truthfully say that it has not led to any dire disasters, but rather to the enrichment of the ministry. That has also been the experience of many other Churches which in recent years have opened their ordained ministry to women. But controversies remain. The 1985 General Synod elections in the Church of England were dominated by the issue of women's ordination, with feelings running high in pressure-groups on both sides. In some Churches the introduction of women's ordination has exacerbated divisions already existing among members. Some of the major Christian denominations, including both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, do not permit any form of ordination for women. Even within denominations like the Church of Scotland, where the introduction of women ministers has occurred without disruption, there are still members who have doubts about whether it is really right. In many small Christian groups women are debarred from all but the most informal ministry, because it is considered unbiblical for them to preach, address assembled Christians publicly, or presume to teach men about spiritual matters.

Women Bishops—The Task Ahead

10.1017/s0956618x00000557 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 6 (29) ◽

pp. 95-96

Author(s):

Michael Nazir-Ali

Keyword(s):

Church Of England ◽

Working Party ◽

Natural Progression ◽

Women's Ordination ◽

Theological Study ◽

Ordination Of Women ◽

For some, the possibility of women bishops in the Church of England is to be resisted. For others, it would be a natural progression from women's ordination, first as deacons and then as priests. Last year, General Synod called on the House of Bishops to initiate further theological study on the episcopate in preparation for a debate on the ordination of women as bishops. The resulting working party, which I am to chair, will report during 2002. But what are the theological issues with which we have to grapple?

Women's Ordination in the Church of England: Conscience, Change and Law

10.1017/s0956618x1900067x ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 289-311

Author(s):

Jane Steen

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

Church Of England ◽

Roman Catholic ◽

Legal Framework ◽

The North ◽

The Enlightenment ◽

Parliamentary Debate ◽

Women's Ordination ◽

Emotional Category ◽

Women's ordination raised issues of conscience across church traditions. The Church of England's statutory legal framework prevented these issues being confined to the Church; they were also played out in parliamentary debate. The interface between law and conscience has, however, considerable historical and contemporary resonance, as well as sound theological pedigree. This article therefore considers the place of conscience in legal and philosophical thought before the Enlightenment. It looks at norms of conscience in Roman Catholic and Church of England liturgical use. On a broader canvas, it looks at the interplay between thought, conscience and religion in human rights case law. The article suggests that a consensus of thought which sees the dictates of conscience as founded in, and inseparable from, the teachings of religion begins to break down in the early seventeenth century. Yet human rights courts find themselves deciding cases of conscience or religion where conscience and religion are often intertwined and where the external manifestation of one is governed by the inner promptings of the other. Such difficulties are not limited to the human rights courts but also play out in debates pertaining to ordination. While the North American churches sought to deal with issues of conscience head on, the Church of England very carefully avoided the language of conscience in its early discussions of women's ordination, conscious, it seems, of a lack of consensus around its meaning and source. As the women's ordination debates developed, arguments of conscience were often deployed more by those opposed to the move than those who supported it. Conscience became as much the locus of pain caused by another's action as it was an inner faculty for self-guidance. Its valence shifted from an intellectual to an emotional category.