PREFACE
PREFACE
Why a history of women in the church? Why not a history of men in the church? The vast majority of published church histories are histories of men. This was very apparent to us as we perused history books in our research. We considered ourselves fortunate when the index contained the subject “women.” How absurd it would have been, however, if the same index had listed the subject “men,” which in most cases would have included virtually the entire subject matter of the book.
In many instances the role of women in the church has not been as noteworthy as that of men. After all, it is mainly men who have preached, led church councils, and written theology. But frequently women have been overlooked even when they made outstanding contributions. “As so frequently happens in the writing of history,” writes Patricia Hill, “the women have simply disappeared.”1 Their role in religion down through the ages has been flagrantly neglected. And it continues to be neglected, despite longstanding appeals to historians to do otherwise. Indeed, in 1922 Arthur Schlesinger, Sr., called on historians to discard their blatant sexism and take the role of women seriously—an appeal that has yet to be heeded by the vast majority of historians. Perhaps the consciousness-raising that has occurred in recent years will change that, and a book such as this will become obsolete. But until that happens, separate volumes on women in the church are the only means of telling their story.
This is not a feminist history of women—nor is it a “traditionalist” interpretation. Any history suffers when it develops out of a personal philosophy, be it feminist, Marxist, or liberationist. We have tenaciously striven to present an objective account, not only in our effort to represent the truth as accurately as possible but also in our effort to avoid the tendency to magnify our subject. This tendency is particularly acute when a subject has previously been denied a fair coverage.
Because of the varied interpretations of the biblical position of women in ministry—particularly as found in the statements of the apostle Paul—the evaluation of the role of women in ministry has varied considerably. One example is that of Catherine Booth, who was a cofounder of the Salvation Army. She wrote in her book Female Ministry: Or, Woman’s Right to Preach the Gospel:
Judging from the blessed results which have almost invariably followed the ministrations of women in the cause of Christ, we fear it will be found, in the great day of account, that a mistaken and unjustifiable application of the passage, “Let your women keep silence in the Churches,” has resulted in more loss to the Church, evil to the world, and dishonour to God, than any of the errors we have already referred to.2
On the opposite extreme was the evaluation of John R. Rice, fundamentalist radio preacher and evangelist, as he expressed it in his book Bobbed Hair, Bossy Wives, and Women Preachers: “Feminism in the churches is a blight that has grieved God and made ineffectual His power and it has disillusioned the people and lost their confidence. I have no doubt that millions will go to Hell because of the unscriptural practice of women preachers.”3
Another reason for studying the subject of women in the church is to discern the differences between men and women—particularly in their response to spiritual values. Although this volume does not approach the subject from a sociological or psychological perspective, it does seek to shed light on such issues. The question of whether or not women are more inclined to be emotional than men will be touched on, as will the fact that women constitute a higher percentage of church members than do men. Sociologist Peter Berger has attempted to explain this by suggesting that “the impact of secularization has tended to be stronger on men than on women.”4 Because men have traditionally been more involved in the workplace and the public arena than women have, they have been more quickly exposed to new ideas—especially secular thought. Women, on the other hand, who have traditionally been the “keepers of the home,” have had fewer challenges to their religious values and have had a greater concern to maintain the religious traditions that uphold domestic stability.
Certain questions repeatedly present themselves to anyone who surveys this history. What cultural factors influenced the role of women? How has biblical exegesis influenced that role? What restrictions and opposition did women face? How did women balance their dual responsibilities for ministry and family or how did they deal with singleness? Are there any discernible trends such as increasing restrictions, increasing opportunities, or growing acceptance followed by reaction?
Such questions reveal that our task is not only to inquire about the actual life and ministry of women in the church but also to observe how they were perceived by men throughout the course of church history. As such, this study is not only a history of women in the church, but also a history of changing perspectives about women.
Before definitive conclusions can be drawn regarding women in church history, much more study needs to be done, but even at this point there are many patterns and trends that have emerged. One obvious generalization that can be made is that women were very prominent in church history. The history of religion is probably the only field of history where women have had such an influential role—even though they were systematically denied positions of authority.
Another pattern indicated by our research suggests that women often had significant leadership positions during the initial pioneering and developmental stages of a movement, only to be replaced by men as the movement became more “respectable.” Although this trend has been particularly characteristic of the twentieth century, it was identified a century ago by Frances Willard. In her book Woman in the Pulpit, published in 1888, she said essentially the same thing: “In the proportion that any church approaches the dimensions of a hierarchy, the admission of women to the priestly class becomes difficult.”5
Still another discernible pattern is that throughout the history of the church different views on women have coexisted within the same culture or religion. It is incorrect to assume that leaders or representatives of a particular movement (e.g., the ancient Jewish rabbis) had a monolithic understanding of women. Likewise, we have found that women have been very active in a wide variety of ministries within the institutionalized church despite pronouncements and official decrees to the contrary.
There are many other generalizations that can be made about women in ministry. For example, a personal religious “call” (sometimes accompanied by visions or trances) has been an important factor in justifying ministry for women historically, as it has been for justifying the ministry of lay men who sought preaching roles in the church. It is also true that women appear to have been far more concerned with social needs and the unity of the believers than with doctrinal issues—particularly the “nonessentials” of the Christian creed. As such, we have found that they were often more eager to seek unity across denominational lines. Indeed, women have had a significant influence on ecumenical activities in the church.
We have challenged a number of popularly held assumptions regarding women in the church. The so-called liberal churches, for example, have not always been more open to the ministry of women, nor have the so-called conservative churches been consistently more closed to it.
Another myth that needs to be dispelled is that women are more easily deceived than men and are thus more often the founders of cults and authors of heresies. This view is not supported by historical fact. On the contrary, it appears that women have traditionally been slower than men to adopt unorthodox theology and to accept the kind of biblical criticism that undermines the faith.
Nor is the charge substantiated that it is because women are more emotionally inclined that they turn to sectarian ecstatic religion in larger numbers than men. Many of the leading charismatic “visionaries” throughout history have been men, and the evidence does not appear to indicate that all charismatic religious movements have had a larger percentage of women than noncharismatic mainline churches have had.
One of the most widely held views on women in the church—and particularly on those in leadership positions—is that they have manifested a feminist impulse. Both feminists and traditionalists have lent their support to this view. To the contrary, however, we have found that most women seemed very hesitant to challenge the “rightful” leadership of men. Rarely did they manifest purely feminist qualities; rather, they were cautious about seeking a place of prominence in the church. When they did strive for positions in ministry, their motivation appeared to be to serve more effectively.
The fact that this book has been coauthored by a man and a woman is, we believe, an asset. Approaching the subject from similar backgrounds but “opposite” perspectives has given us a fuller understanding of the role and ministry of women throughout church history. Our religious heritage has been largely in churches where women have not been allowed leadership positions. One of us grew up in Baptist churches with all-male leadership and has since ministered for some thirty years among the Plymouth Brethren, a group whose worship services are often distinguished by their veiled and silent women. The other’s early experience was in a male-dominated Christian and Missionary Alliance Church (founded by two women) and her later experience was as a pastor’s wife in two independent Fundamentalist Bible churches where women’s preaching was anathema.
The vast subject encompassing women in the history of Christianity would be impossible to cover fully in a single volume. The scope of the subject is virtually limitless, considering that it covers two millenniums, has a world-wide geographical breadth, is denominationally pluralistic, and has an endless cast of characters. In numbers, women have dominated the church, and the source material relating to their ministry and status is simply overwhelming. Therefore, any effort to summarize the story must be an exercise in careful selectivity.
Some women or events that have been been previously lost in obscurity will be featured, while others that have achieved a prominent place in the annals of history may appear to be short-changed. Countless others will not find a place at all in this volume; some of them may have made lasting contributions to the church, but, as is the case with many outstanding Christian men, they are not recognized or even mentioned in the annals of history.
What relevence does a history of women in the church have for the church of the late twentieth century? Above all else, it places the current trends of the church in historical perspective. This is crucial for a proper understanding of the church today. Recently a colleague of ours commented that the efforts women are making to enter the pastorate and obtain positions of church leadership are a direct result of the modern feminist movement and that such efforts are thus “of the world, not of God.” This is a widely held position in Evangelical churches today. While the feminist movement has had a significant impact on the more liberal churches that have in recent decades granted full equality to women in ministry, it has not necessarily been the motivating force behind the Evangelical women who have sought ordination and leadership positions. Women in Evangelical churches have a long heritage of seeking (and sometimes obtaining) meaningful positions in the church for the purpose of serving God more effectively.