Gender Roles In Christianity

Gender roles have always been a constant controversy in the world of religion. Women, more so then men, have been trying to gain religious power for the past several decades. Many religions already have gender equality, while others fear the change of gender roles.

Gender roles in Christianity vary considerably in today’s age, as they have during the last two millennia. This is especially true with regards to marriage and ministry. Certain roles in Christian religious groups have been restricted to males or females only. For example, in the Catholic and Orthodox churches, men may serve as priests and only males serve in senior leaders positions such as bishop, patriarch, or pope. Women may serve in positions such as abbess. Christianity emerged from patriarchal societies that gave men the power of authority in marriage, society and government.

The status of women in early Christianity has been debated in recent years, no doubt driven by interest in the women's movement in Western countries today. Evidence in the New Testament clearly supports women doing many things and having many roles within early Christianity. "Nowhere in the Bible is it clearly and unambiguously stated that women and men are of equal dignity and worth, that women should never be treated as men’s inferiors, that the domination of one sex by the other is a sin, or that the divine takes female form." (Linda Woodhead Professor in the sociology of religion in the Department of Politics, Philosophy & Religion at Lancaster University). “The rule remains with the husband, and the wife is compelled to obey him by God’s command. He rules the home and the state, wages wars, and defends his possessions … The woman, on the other hands, is like a nail driven into the wall...

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...avior. Women, on the other hand, tend to be more caring and more sensitive to others’ discomfort and pain. Although men and women have the same potentials for aggression and warm-heartedness, they differ in which of the two more easily manifests. Thus, if the majority of world leaders were women, perhaps there would be less danger of war and more cooperation on the basis of global concern – although, of course, some women can be difficult! I sympathize with feminists, but they must not merely shout. They must exert efforts to make positive contributions to society.” (Dalai Lama, University of Hamburg 2007). He has very clearly stated that “if the majority of world leaders were women, perhaps there would be less danger of war and more cooperation on the basis of global concern…” , this reinforces Buddha’s idea on how a society based on equality can benefit everyone.