Where are the world's female religious leaders?

[shcrane71]

This article focuses on fundamental Judaism and Islam, but other than Tammy Faye Baker, I can think of no other female Christian religious leader. I'm woefully ignorant on other religious faiths, and I can't think of any leading Buddhist or Hindu female religious leader either. Maybe Pagans are more inclusive of women in their leadership????

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/273-40/9733-the-religious-rights-problem-with-women

[edited for grammar error as I'm a horrible proofreader]

[Chorophyll]

1. There are lots of female regligious leaders, but they are only employed by

the most progressive churches and synagogues. Women have been rabbis in Reform synagogues for several decades. There are women ministers in the Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Congregational churches (and probably a few other churches as well.) Can't speak for anyone else, because I don't know. But in general, the more conservative the denomination, the less likely that there will be a woman in a position of power.

[hifiguy]

11. A couple of the Zen centers around Mpls have

women in teaching and leadership roles. But that's Buddhism after all.

[Chill Keney]

2. Religion discourages female initiative

In all areas of life.

[JackRiddler]

5. Is this inherent in religion or a consequence of patriarchy?

[cliffordu]

6. Didn't religion spawn and enforce the patriarchy??

[JackRiddler]

7. I beg to differ...

No major development in human history went unaccompanied by a religious shift of some kind, but whether or not there was ever a "matriarchy" (more or less a myth, or a question of definitions) there were ancient goddess religions that preceded the crop of androcentric "great religions" we have today.

[shcrane71]

26. Ain't that the truth! nt

[MicaelS]

3. There is a strong belief in many Conservative Christian sects

That the Bible states that women should be silent in the church. That has a lot to do with lack of female leaders in this sects.
[link:http://www.minthegap.com/2006/09/29/should-women-keep-silent-in-church/|
Should Women Keep Silent in Church?]

http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=1Cr&c=14#34

1Cr 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but [they are commanded] to be under obedience, as also saith the law.

1Cr 14:35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

Correctly Interpreting 1 Corinthians 14:33b-35

[shcrane71]

4. I've often heard Christian women say that they don't believe in women should be preachers.

Catholicism doesn't even ordain women as priests. I do hear that there are some special lay clergy for Catholic women.

[The Genealogist]

18. I did my whole master's thesis on 14:33b and where it goes in the text

My conclusion was that 14:34-35 is very likely a later addition, very early in the history of the text, based on manuscript evidence and context.

[MicaelS]

19. Fascinating... what grade did you get? n/t

[The Genealogist]

23. I finished the degree program with a 4.0

It was suggested at one point by my thesis adviser and a few others that I see about getting it published. Not trying to brag, but it wasn't too terrible of a study. It was originally a paper did for a class, and I expanded it.

[MicaelS]

24. Congratulations n/t

[JI7]

8. does Dr. Laura count ? there is that hugging "saint" or whatever among hindus

i don't really consider any of these people to be "leaders" in a positive sense. but more like owners or ceo of a company.

that one lady who gives hugs and goes around the world. i think they have a lot of money. i find the whole thing creepy but a lot of people go there.

[avaistheone1]

9. Tons of female religious leaders in the Unitarian Universalist Church.

Perhaps they even outnumber males at this point.

[Poll_Blind]

10. If I belonged to any religion, UU would be it. They rock so hard it's not funny.

Once I was in a UU church and opened what I presume was a hymnal. Riffing through the pages, I came across a hymn, an ode to science and empirical thought.

Now that's the kind of religion I can go for!

PB

[avaistheone1]

12. Me too.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

28. UUs worship the Giver of Life --

The Coffeepot.



And pray To Whom It May Concern.

[xchrom]

13. The arch bishop of the episcopal church USA is a woman

I think think the suffragan bishop is as well.

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. Indeed: Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/15/women-religious-leaders_n_924807.html#s327351&title=Rev_Dr_Katharine

and she has a PhD in oceanography, not just theology. That's from a list, last year, of 10 women who are leaders in religion, but she's the one who stands out as a leader of an established hierarchy.

[xchrom]

20. +1 nt

[shcrane71]

27. Thank You!

[white_wolf]

14. Off the top of my head I can think of a few religions founded by women.

The Seventh Day Adventists were founded by Ellen G. White. The Christian Scientists were founded by a Mary Baker Eddy. There is a sect of Shintoism founded by a woman, but the name escapes me.

[Brother Buzz]

15. Mary Baker Eddy founded The Christian Scientists

[Donald Ian Rankin]

16. Most religions are based around attempts to conserve standards centuries or millenia old.

In those days very few women were leaders, and hence most religions try to perpetuate that.

[eShirl]

21. Quakers

[karynnj]

22. Maybe the reason they are missing them is that they are looking in the wrong place

Maybe they should look at Dorothy Day, who started the Catholic Workers program that still exists helping the poor in many countries. They could also have considered Mother Teresa.

In Judaism, they should have looked at the reconstructionist synagogues, where there are many influential women rabbis. Not to mention, if you consider the power of inspirational music in services, Debbie Friedman has written songs that I have heard in many Reform and reconstructionist services.

( A few years ago, the synagogue I belong to did not have a building and were guests in an Episcopal church. Our rabbi and the priest were both women)

[Manifestor_of_Light]

30. If you think you know Mother Teresa, you haven't read Hitchens.

She did not help people or provide any medical care. She gave them a bed to die in, and that was all. Had millions of dollars in Swiss bank accts that never helped anybody, while she flew around the world in private jets and hung out with the rich and famous.

Mother Theresa's House of Illusions:
http://www.holysmoke.org/sdhok/shields.htm

[Bluerthanblue]

25. here is one-

http://www.amritapuri.org/

she's someone I admire.

[shcrane71]

29. Thank You! I went through a stage where I read only female authors in order to balance out my

worldviews. I'm just coming to realize that my religious education has solely been come from a male paradigm.