Women in Western Religion Today

Women in Western Religion Today By Leslie Kincaid, John Michael Reyes, Max Altshuld, & Subhan Ayoubi

Presentation Content • Rules of different branches of Judaism, Christianity, & Islam • Specific women in western religions today • Scriptures and how they relate to change in each religion

Women in Judaism Today Different branches different rules: • Reform/Reconstructionism: • Not uncommon to see female Rabbis or female Cantors. • Women can have equal roles in leading prayers and reading Torah. • Conservative: • Uncommon to see a female Rabbi/Cantor, but not unheard of. • Men and women may be separated.

Women in Judaism Today • Orthodox: • Women are not allowed to be rabbis/cantors, • Cannot read Torah, or even be on the Bima during services. • Women and men sit separately.

Advancement for Women in Judaism • Esther 1: 12 – 20 shows how women were treated in the biblical days. • How has this changed for each Jewish denomination today? • Orange on the Seder Plate • 2 Kings 22:14 - 17

Jewish Women in Leadership Today • Rabbi Melanie Aron of Congregation Shir Hadash in Los Gatos relayed a much more heartening story about a lay-led Reform community in Eastern Europe. Worshippers had grown to the point where they felt they needed a rabbi, so they selected one member of their community and sent her to rabbinical school.

Women in Christianity Today • Protestant • Different branches, different rules: • Conservative Branches • Still have ALL male clergy • Liberal Branches • Women can be pastors • Women are treated equal to men in almost every aspect of the church

Women in Christianity Today • Eastern Orthodox • Do not allow women to enter the priesthood • Currently cannot be ordained as a deaconess • Cannot be priests or any type of clergy

Women in Christianity Today • Roman Catholic • Today have more leadership than before the Second Vatican Council • Women cannot be priests • Women can hold offices that are nearly equal to that of a priest • Because of the decline of priests, lay women (religious or laity) have stepped up to lead communities and organizations.

Women in Catholic Leadership • Paid, Professional Minister. • Administrator pro tem for Sacred Heart Parish, Saratoga CA in 2002 • - City-wide (“Diocesan”) commissions • Faculty for the Institute for Leadership in Ministry • National speaker – • Founded lay leadership group for Diocese of San José in 2001 • - Minister of Parish Life (2005-2006) • Elizabeth Lilly

Some Statistics… • U.S. federal labor statistics indicate that the number of women who describe themselves as "clergy" increased from 16,408 in 1983 to 43,542 in 1996. As of 1996, 1 in every 8 clergy is female in the U.S. • The percentage of female graduate students at 229 North American Christian schools of theology has risen from 10% in 1972 to 30% in 1997. 1 In some schools of theology, over 50% of the students are women. (http://www.religioustolerance.org/femclrg6.htm)

Advancement for WomenHow Far Have They Come? • Christianity • Ephesians 5:21 – 32 & 6:1 – 9 • What is the Bible trying to say about the way people should treat one another? • Has this changed over time? How so?

Women in Islam Today • Fully emancipated • Enjoy all rights and privileges that men have • Are not second grade members of community • Entitled to all rights on the basis of equality • Women have played a vital role in all times, in peace and war. • “Today, the modern Muslim woman is like any other women in the world, striding shoulder to shoulder, with man” (Jacket).

Women in Islam Today • Women, as well as men, are encouraged to become as educated as they can • Women becoming scholars • Right to have an official position in a mosque is disputed by many • How about Women Imams? • Surah 24:31 • Surah 4:34

Advancement for Women in Islam • Recent events • On February 20, 2007 a female Pakistani minister, Zilla Huma Usman was shot dead by a Muslim man Mohammad Sarwar who stated, "I have no regrets. I just obeyed Allah’s commandment," adding that Islam did "not allow women to hold positions of leadership.“

Leadership of Islamic Women • Ingrid Mattson • - New president of the "Islamic Society of North America" • Professor of Islamic Studies and Director of Islamic Chaplaincy at the Macdonald Center for Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, CT. • Dr. Mattson earned her Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from the University of Chicago in 1999. Her research is focused on Islamic law and society.

Questions: • In your opinion, in the three western religions today how have women become the more involved? • In which branch of Christianity are women allowed to become priests? • Why do people debate over women not being Imams?

In which more traditional practices are women kept separate for prayer today? • In which branch(s) of Judaism are women allowed to be on the Bima during prayer? • In which branch of Christianity can women and men hold equal leadership positions? • Can Jewish women be Rabbis or Cantors?

What did you find interesting about women in the three religions today? • According to Islam are women fully emancipated? • Are Muslim women allotted equal rights as men?

Other Questions?? The End

Women in Western Religion Today