Examine the theological arguments for and against the ordination of women to the priesthood

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Zachary Swabe

Examine the theological arguments for and against the ordination of women to the priesthood

" Women should be kept silent in the churches, for they are not allowed to speak, but

should be subordinate, as even the law says .'' (Corinthians 14: 34-35.)

Does St.Paul give an interpretation of the culturally conditioned views of his period, or that of Jesus Christ, the Son of God? This question emphasises the ongoing debate over women's ordination within the Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox churches. 'A person ordained to act as a mediator between God and human-beings administering the sacraments and preaching' is the more simplified definition of a priest. For the purposes of this essay a far more complex understanding of the term 'priest' is required. In Catholicism the priest's ministry is associated firmly with the idea of the Mass as 'sacrifice'. As a result the Church has developed a three-fold conception of priestly ministry: bishop, priest and deacon.

In the 21st century it still stands firm within Church dogma that women are not to be priests, despite nearly all other denominations having allowed women's ordination. This viewpoint has risen from theological support