The persistent stained-glass ceiling

[cbayer]

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/08/22/commentary-the-persistent-stained-glass-ceiling/

A. James Rudin | Aug 22, 2013


Palau de la Musica Catalana skylight of stained glass designed by Antoni Rigalt whose centerpiece is an inverted dome in shades of gold, on June 2, 2012 in Barcelona Photo courtesy Vlad G via Shutterstock


(RNS) More than 40 years have passed since Sally Priesand was ordained as the first female rabbi in the U.S. Since then, more than 800 female rabbis — including 647 in the Reform movement — have graduated from several seminaries, including my daughter Eve.

Even so, Jewish and Christian clergywomen still face visible and invisible obstacles in their careers. Call it the persistent stained-glass ceiling. Some barriers are major in nature; some minor.

A male rabbi, minister or priest might be praised for being “assertive” and “ambitious” as he climbs the slippery ladder of success in American religious life. But women who possess similar qualities are dubbed “brash” or “arrogant.” Male clergy can be “dynamic,” while women with the same qualities are often termed “strident.”

Good sermons delivered by men are “eloquent” or “expressive.” A woman delivering a well-crafted sermon is often dismissed as “talkative” or “shrill.” Males may have a “commanding presence,” while strong women clergy are “overbearing” and “pushy.”

more at link

[shenmue]

1. Don't know about this

There are plenty of denominations which ordain women nowadays. I can think of very few that don't. Chiefly, the Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox.

Why should they have women ministers if they don't want them?

[cbayer]

2. I think this is more about how it is hard for women to reach

certain levels of achievement, even if their denominations have no issue with ordaining the.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, Southern Baptist Conference,

Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Presbyterian Church in America ... plus plenty of smaller ones, do not ordain women.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordination_of_women#Christianity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordination_of_women_in_Protestant_churches

And that's just in Christianity. There's Islam too.

[NCarolinawoman]

4. Presbyterian Church (USA)as opposed to Presbyterian Church of America, DOES ordain women.

So similar in name that it is confusing. The former is naturally very liberal and also has more members. There are many kinds of Baptist churches as pointed out in your second link. The extremely conservative and judgmental South Eastern Baptist Convention gets all the publicity, much to the dismay of the other churches.

One of the very liberal Baptist churches is in downtown Raleigh where the Moral Mondays group meets with the NAACP before their protests. I believe they have a female minister. Its congregation is mostly white.

Thanks for the links.