Friday, December 17, 2021

Special series on women's evolving influence in male-led faiths

Special series: Women in religion

Aziza Moufid, 40, a female Muslim religious guide, or mourchida, poses for a portrait in Lalla Soukaina mosque, named after the daughter of the late King Hassan II, in Hay Riad neighborhood of Rabat, Morocco, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. During the pandemic, Moufid has been using WhatsApp to explain sayings of the Prophet Muhammad to children, to help women learning to memorize and recite the Quran and to counsel teenage girls. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Editor's note:

Around the world, women have been making notable advances in many realms, serving as heads of government, leading corporations and universities. Yet in several major religious denominations, women are barred or limited from serving as clergy and excluded from the uppermost leadership roles.

Nonetheless, hundreds of millions of women are devoted to these male-led faiths, and some – often breaking barriers along the way – have found leadership roles they can play. The Associated Press, Religion News Service and The Conversation have teamed up to produce a series of reported stories and scholar commentary portraying some of these women and the faiths they embrace.

A picture of David Crary, Religion Team Leader at The Associated Press
 

Religion News

Women breaking through to top roles in Black churches

Most major Black Christian denominations in the U.S. have no doctrinal bar to ordained women leaders. Yet denominational leadership remained all-male until the 21st century, and women are still the exception in the top rungs. By Adelle Banks/Religion News Service and Peter Smith/The Associated Press

In Hinduism, women create space for their own leadership

While there aren’t a lot of women priests, women in Hinduism globally continue to take on leadership roles in other ways - building communities, taking on positions in organizations, passing on knowledge. By Deepti Hajela/The Associated Press

Women’s roles are growing in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Still, some want to see a faster pace for progress. By Lindsay Whitehurst and Holly Meyer/The Associated Press

Women seek diverse paths to leadership in Islamic spaces

From religious courts to spiritual care and Islamic scholarship, here's how some Muslim women are carving out space and paving the way for others. By Mariam Fam/The Associated Press and Aysha Khan/Religion News Service

From left, Bhikkhuni Dhammavanna, Bhikkhuni Dhammaparipunna and Bhikkhuni Dhammasumana walk to collect alms from devotees in Nakhon Pathom province on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021. Women are banned from becoming monks in Thailand, where over 90% of the population is Buddhist. Historically, women could only become white-cloaked nuns often treated as glorified temple housekeepers. But dozens have traveled to Sri Lanka to receive full ordination. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

In Buddhism, women blaze a path but strive for gender equity 

Buddhist women have made progress — from education through advanced degrees and the creation of nunneries to seeking full ordination. But many at the movement's forefront say more needs to be accomplished. By Luis Andres Henao/The Associated Press

Barred from priesthood, some Catholic women find other roles

A growing number of women hold consequential positions in the church and at the Vatican. By Claire GiangravĂ©/Religion News Service and David Crary/The Associated Press

More Orthodox Jewish women are ordained; change is uneven

While the larger Reform and Conservative Jewish movements have ordained women rabbis for decades, the Orthodox fold has only recently begun tapping women to leadership roles. By Yonat Shimron/Religion News Service and Ilan Ben Zion/The Associated Press

Amid tension, Southern Baptist women lead where they can

Few congregations could function without the work of female members. Still, there is tension in the Southern Baptist Convention over the role of women. By Bob Smietana/Religion News Service and Holly Meyer/The Associated Press

 

Commentary and Analysis

Traditionally, Buddhism has been opposed to women taking on leadership roles. However, nuns in many Buddhist majority countries are challenging the patriarchal rules. By Jue Liang for The Conversation

Many Southern Baptist women who left the denomination took leadership roles in other churches, educational institutions and organizations. By Susan M. Shaw for The Conversation

Religious leadership roles for Orthodox Jewish women are expanding, including community scholars and guides on Jewish law. By Michal Raucher for The Conversation

LDS leaders still stress that men should 'preside' over their families. But in recent years, messages about marriage have stressed more equal partnership. By Caroline Kline for The Conversation

 
Catholic faithful participate in a procession in observance of the feast of the Immaculate Conception in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Catholic faithful participate in a procession in observance of the feast of the Immaculate Conception in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Did a friend or colleague forward this to you? Click the button below to subscribe.

 
 
  • This Week in Religion is a publication of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, a collaboration among the Religion News Service, The Associated Press and The Conversation U.S.
  • The three news organizations work to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith.
 
 

No comments:

Post a Comment