Published: 2015-12-31

Ordination of Women in the Documents of Theological Dialogues between the Churches

Tadeusz Kałużny
Studia Oecumenica
Section: Dialogi ekumeniczne i międzyreligijne
DOI https://doi.org/10.25167/so.3314

Abstract

In the article, the author has presented the positions of Churches and Church communities concerning priestly ordination of women which are included in the documents of theological dialogues between the Churches. The presentation has been divided into four parts. The first part is a general presentation of the dialogue texts in which references to women’s ordination can be found. The next part is a discussion of the arguments presented in the dialogue texts which underlay either rejection or acceptance of women’s ordination practice. The arguments of the opponents are the following: for the first, the continuous Tradition of the Church evidenced by the Holy Scripture, for the second, anthropology, for the third, liturgical symbolism, for the fourth, negative social and ecumenical implications of such a decision. The proponents point to the Holy Scripture and Tradition/tradition, God’s call, liturgical symbols, sufficient reasons missing to question this practice, and the necessity to consider the social and cultural transformations and the new needs of the Church. In the final part, the author points out the problems and difficulties in coming to terms the solving of which will have essential influence upon further dialogue on the issue. The problems men- tioned in the dialogue documents concern interpretation of Biblical texts, understanding of Tradition/tradition, understanding of the Holy Spirit in the Church, relation to cultural and social determinants and the role and place of the investigated issue in the theological reflection of the parties in dialogue.

Keywords:

ordination of women, priesthood, woman, ecumenical dialogue

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Kałużny, T. (2015). Ordination of Women in the Documents of Theological Dialogues between the Churches. Studia Oecumenica, 15, 265–289. https://doi.org/10.25167/so.3314

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