Made for the Job? Women in leadership in the church and the world

http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/index.php/2008/04/17/made-for-the-job-women-in-leadership-in-the-church-and-the-world/

[Anglican Mainstream] 18 Apr 2008--John Richardson has raised some rather awkward but very important issues about women and leadership, power and value both in the church and across our culture. In matter of fact, one of the results of second-wave feminism (from the 60s onward) in the West has been for many women to endeavour to beat men at their own ‘game’ - money, power, status and external achievement (and now for girls and young women, sexual pleasure and conquest). They have been fed the party line: this is where the action is at and is what really counts. What women had been so good at in the past has been sidelined, downplayed, even rubbished, because it is not deemed ‘important’ now. Maternity and female nurturing of the next generation is a prime example. Funny, that one, for it is trendy for New Men to be ’stay-at-home’ dads; the same does not apply to their female counterparts who are often consigned to the Dark Ages of the 50s. And notice that even here, in PC world, what is actually happening is a privileging of the male and a denigration of the female. I believe hard questions need to be asked of both sexes: in the light of eternity what is crucially important? how can I know? and what role does gender play?