Article – The Role of Women in the Orthodox Church

My latest article, entitled The Role of Women in the Orthodox Church was published in Orthodoxes Forum – Zeitschrift des Instituts für Orthodoxe Theologie der Universität München, 29 Jahrgang, 2015, Heft 2, pp.177-194.

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It is apparent today that the issue of the role of women in the Orthodox Church is gaining interest, not only within Orthodoxy, but also by non-Orthodox, who wish to identify the beliefs and practices of the Eastern Orthodox Church.  What is evident in a number of publications and conferences is the fact that we need to hear not only what the Church proclaims on this issue, but how women themselves understand the theology and the tradition of their role in Orthodoxy.  Quoting the same verses from Holy Scripture such as Galatians 3:28 – “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” -, or referring to the same Church Fathers, who show a negative approach to women within the Church, can only take us so far. In order to understand the role of women in Orthodoxy we need to go further; we need to establish their role today, identify the true Orthodox Tradition and examine the history of this matter, on a practical, historical point of view and also theologically.

The fact that other Christian denominations, specifically the Protestant churches and parts of the Anglican Communion, have ordained women to the priesthood and the episcopate, has created many questions, which trouble not only them, but also the Roman Catholics and the Orthodox, who still maintain the traditional approach of ordaining only male members. This is, probably, the most important issue, in regards to the role of women in the Church, in our time. However, it is not the only problem identified. Here we will examine the role of women by looking at the women chanters according to the Byzantine Tradition, deaconesses and ordination of women, the role of women in the Orthodox Church today and the soteriological realities of the members of the Church. 

To read the article please visit: 

https://www.academia.edu/23081065/The_Role_of_Women_in_the_Orthodox_Church

and

Orthodox Metropolis of Italy and Malta

(I would like here to thank Fr Evangelos Yfantidis for posting my article on the site of the Orthodox Metropolis of Italy and Malta).