Many inside and outside of the
Church believe that women had and have a minimal role within the Church. This
is an idea not accepted by everyone. However, we do recognise a rise of
feminist theology or the theology of women within the Church. Their role is
being understood and questions are being asked. Should we have, for example,
women priests? Should we re-establish the deaconesses as a renewed reality?
Elisabeth Behr-Sigel, in her book The
Ministry of Women in the Church, writes, briefly, about women in the New
Testament. There she claims:
‘Women had profound personal
relationships with Jesus of Nazareth: Martha and Mary, Lazarus’ sisters, the
Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, with whom the Lord had a “theological”
conversation, Mary of Magdala of the “Easter garden” story. Jesus allowed women
to touch him, in both the physical and spiritual meaning of the world. He was
not afraid of being in contact with them even when one was a prostitute. He had
compassion for their suffering. . . His disciples were surprised by this
attitude which contrasted so sharply with rabbinical principles (Jn 4:27 and Lk
7:39). Such an attitude indicated a spiritual direction: any notion of women’s
ritual impurity is for ever abolished.’[1]
[1]
Behr-Sigel, Elisabeth, The Ministry of
Women in the Church, (California, Oakwood Publications, 1991), pp. 114-115.
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