This article explores the gendered history of Norwegian deacon education. We look at the case of the Deacons' Home ("Diakonhjemmet") in Oslo, established in 1890 to train male nurse deacons. The aim was that they would complement female deaconesses' work with their physical strength and male character traits. 1968 marked a turning point…

Clergy sexual abuse is happening in faith communities. Particularly, Korean immigrant churches, though playing crucial roles in empowering immigrants' agency and providing support networks, often fail to support survivors because of both a dysfunction of culture and a fragmented educational ministry. Along with the #ChurchToo movement, young women…

The Anglican Church congresses sought to foster relations between clergy and lay people. They promoted the Church as part of the social fabric of the nation with parades, civic receptions, services and public talks. Women were a presence at the congresses as platform speakers, organisers, hostesses and members of the audience. Congresses provided…

This article responds to the two articles by Sister Catherine Droste and Roy Bourgeois ("ISCE" Vol 7. No. 1 2015) by putting the issue of the Ordination of Women into a wider ecclesial context. Building on Pope Francis's bringing Liberation Theology into central focus, seeking justice for the poorest and vulnerable people, the article…

The Word of God is 'the true light that enlightens everyone who comes into the world' and is the driving force behind the charism of the Immaculate Heart Sisters (IHM). Charles Heerey wanted the Sisters to be 'the fairest of the children of God'. Their life must be modelled on Jesus Christ, the great teacher and master to humanity. In view of this…

Vatican authority is being challenged as Roman Catholic women act upon their vocations to the priesthood, receive ordination, and openly serve their faith communities. Since 2002--when seven women were ordained by male Roman Catholic bishops--190 women have been ordained to the priesthood, including a dozen women bishops. Vatican officials dismiss…

Though the Catholic Church explicitly teaches that women cannot receive priestly ordination, opposition from within and outside the Church continues. The magisterium relies heavily upon the argument from Tradition, claiming that the action and teaching of Christ and his successors verify that he did not bestow upon the Church the power to ordain…

This volume brings together the work of a wide range of scholars to explore the long and complex history of the relationships between churches and education. Christianity has always been involved in education, from the very earliest teaching of those about to be baptised, to present-day churches' involvement in schools and higher education.…

African-American women experience higher rates of obesity compared to other racial/ethnic groups. High levels of reported church attendance among African-Americans have led to the proliferation of faith-based health programs. Pastors can influence success for faith-based programs. The purpose of this study was to assess pastors' perceptions of the…

This phenomenological study explored student value perceptions of religious participation among nontraditional South African distance learners who persisted in theological distance education. Nontraditional students were defined as age 25 or older. Thirteen current or prospective Anglican church leaders, whom identified themselves as Black South…

Effective leadership is important in all organizations, and the Baptist church is no exception. Strong spiritual leaders can make a difference in the life of the institution and its members. Today, a growing number of African American women are answering the call to the Baptist church ministry; but the preparation, training, and mentoring are…

This project design incorporates three Aramaic phrases enhancing an existing ministry model for women victimized by trauma. "Talitha Cum-Woman Arise," "Ephpatha-Be Opened" and "Maranatha-O'Lord Come," serve as the foundation for a three tiered spiritual support system for female clergy. This project design serves: (1)…

This study draws on qualitative questionnaire data provided by 22 women ministers of word and sacrament serving within the United Reformed Church in England to provide a health check across the four conceptually distinct areas of physical health, psychological health, religious health, and spiritual health. Here spiritual health is defined in…

Women in many Christian cultures are told that men are strong and should lead the church. Consequently, some women rationalize that they should not assume top leadership roles in the church. When they do assume such roles, many female pastors experience challenges. The purpose of our qualitative case study was to give voice to Asian female…

Interviews with four female pastors showed how they nurtured a climate that enabled parishioners to accept their leadership ability. They fostered learning and change through mentoring, coaching, networking, and dialog with parishioners, and they integrated informal learning into daily life. (SK)