One of the legendary practitioners of Celtic Christianity
I have encountered in my class with the Oates Institute is St. Brigid of Kildare. An early leader of the church
in Ireland, much of her history is based on hagiography (writing that testifies
to the saintly lives and actions of its subjects) and her accomplishments have
been embellished by bringing into some of the attributes of the pagan goddess
with that name. Beneath all of that,
however, is the story of a strong and intelligent woman who ranks beside St.
Patrick as a symbol of Irish culture and faithfulness (and, unlike Patrick, she
was born there). She was an abbess in
the fifth century C.E. who performed some of the functions of a bishop, the
founder of several abbeys in Ireland, a patron of the arts, and a person of
common sense and wisdom.
As the influence of the Roman church became preeminent in
Ireland over the following centuries, the role of women in such leadership
roles was no longer tolerated. Women
took on subservient or, at least, background roles. At the same time, the Irish clung to the stories
and traditions of Brigid, and she is highly regarded even today.
Reading about Brigid caused me to think about the role of
women in the church. What would have
happened to the Christian faith if women had not been excluded from positions
that shaped the faith—clergy, theologian, teachers?
Where women have been allowed to serve, they have made significant
contributions. They have been at the
vanguard of care for the sick, the poor, and the orphaned. Women have been willing to undertake the
caring tasks that men often rejected. They
have taught the youth, prepared the meals, and cleaned up after the
infirm. Often, women took on other roles
in remote areas where men were not available as leaders (think about Baptist “saint”
Lottie Moon). From time to time, the
contributions of women to spirituality and worship practices were recognized,
but these were the exceptions to their accepted roles.
If women had been ecclesiastical leaders, would monarchs
have been less inclined to use force to convert people to the faith? If women had been trained and encouraged as
theologians, would we have a richer heritage in areas such as creation theology,
the theology of children, and the theology of the Spirit? Would more resources have been put into the
service of the poor and needy rather than ecclesiastical monuments?
There are no answers to these hypothetical questions. We do know where we are today, however. In our contemporary context, are we providing
adequate opportunities for women to lead, to think, and to teach? Women make up much more that half of our congregational
membership. The women in our churches
are trained as educators, caring professionals, artists, and
administrators. Our seminaries are
forming gifted, intelligent women for ministry.
Called and skilled women are ready to assume more responsibility in the life
of the church. If we do not encourage and provide places for
women in leadership roles, we will be a poorer church with a limited mission. This would be a tragic continuation of our
historical error.
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