I write as a woman of the Orthodox tradition who lives in Australia where my Church is a minority presence. A "migrant" church still unable to relinquish past memories and 'homeland' culture, and feel it is the time to put roots down in Australia's psyche and history. My comments reflect the context and my experiences within the Greek Orthodox church in Australia. I do not speak of other jurisdictions or other places. We, that is, Orthodox women, seldom speak at such forums as this, and if we speak, generally offer rock solid defence of the structures, hierarchy and patriarchy with little if any self-criticism, self-challenge or self examination. We contribute nothing of feminist thinking to the theology of the Church universal. To my thinking, whilst this tradition continues the Orthodox will be dismissed or ignored by many as an exotic and mysterious historical aberration of the Christian faith, frozen in time, but marvellous to visit for weddings and Easter. It will continue to be the last bastion of hope for many disaffected Anglican priests escaping the 'heresy' of woman's ordination to the sacramental priesthood, or fundamentalists who believe they have discovered where they should be then insist we all agree with what they preach. My own observance is that the too ready acceptance is a surely a questionable 'ecclesial situation' ?

The reticence of Orthodox women to not only speak out, but also be committed or involved in feminist theological scholarship is well known to many Christian feminists. Unlike past examples in the history of women in our church, this century has produced too few voices questioning either church teaching, the prevalent anti-woman rhetoric of the church fathers and theologians, or the negative, demeaning or woman-denying practices in church Tradition and tradition.

There are such voices of the past who now wear the holy crowns of martyrdom and sanctity, whilst the few voices of today are either ignored, publicly criticised or dismissed as misguided proponents of modern herecies. However, I offer in my comments the possibility and evidence of a very few miniature building blocks being created on emerging questioning foundations, which may provide some hope for the few women, and their daughters, who seek inclusivity and changed structures for community, in a church which constantly speaks of its faithfulness to believers as the one true Church!

For the Orthodox, we are constantly reminded that 'the distinctive characteristic of the Church is its changelessness in its loyalty to the past, and its sense of living continuity with the Church of ancient times' When reminded that 'we do not change the everlasting boundaries which the fathers have set... but we keep the Tradition just as we received it' and that always the Holy Tradition of the Church is made up of Scripture, the Councils, the Fathers, Liturgy, Canons and Icons, it is little wonder that it is only in the last decade that a very few women have challenged the traditional private sphere of place and the participation of women in the Orthodox Church, even raising the words 'feminist theology'.

Raising questions on centuries of Church doctrine and dogma, to which women have been excluded from participating equally with men, is almost beyond the strength or spirit of most women. Modern biblical exegesis, historical scholarship and new ways of thinking and writing theology are not seen in my tradition as the signs of prophetic voices of our times. Culture and tradition are like invisible bands of iron across the mind, they hold all that has ever been in static solid blocks of patriarchal rules and expectations. The greatest threat to the few voices challenging the past and the present, is the seduction of a few crumbs of praise or approval. If you're not in, you're out, and that can mean complete isolation. Without an Orthodox feminist network for support, one is isolated not only from Church and practice, but also family and friends. An Orthodox feminist is perceived as a contradiction in terms, and a threat to the two millenia of the True faith.

The history of the Orthodox church is a history of the home-church, 'which provided equal opportunities for women because traditionally the house was considered women's proper sphere, and women were not excluded from activities in it' ; and the traditional church of martyrs; and the patriarchal church which finally emerged in the fourth century with 'structure and policies of a Church based on the ethos of the Roman Empire.' An ethos wherein the Church developed a hierarchical organisation, and defined all the fundamental doctrines. A nineteenth century woman wrote in an article 'Womanhood and Religious Mis-Education' :

'the true spirit of Christianity was issued its death warrant with the decrees of Constantine, the anti-woman statements of the early Fathers, and the various councils from which woman was excluded, which met only to wrangle over points of doctrine...'

And in what ever form we now proclaim ourselves, that process of development is a common tradition for all of us. In that common tradition we look together on the deeds and words of women of scripture, we honour their presence in our calendars, we speak admiringly of their work and discipleship, their missionary travels, their martyrdoms, and indeed the women not known, but who have bequeathed to us, the church of the late twentieth century, their legacy of faithfulness through the centuries. At this time, we are encouraged to broaden our understanding of the women who lived and questioned during the two millenia of the Church, by the scholarship contributed by feminist theologians throughout the Church universal. Regardless of tradition, all their questions are valid. They build on the work of those early women, in a manner appropriate for these times.

The voice of the Church has been powerful for the two millenia with the Gospel of Jesus Christ the guide to the way in which we are encouraged to live our lives. If we, as women, reflect on the life and purpose of Christ during the three brief years of his ministry, we know that He walked amongst the ordinary- those who became his apostles and disciples; and the poor- the widow and her tiny gift to the Temple; and the unclean-the lepers and the woman who flowed with blood; and the despised - the Samaritan woman at the Well, known as St Photeine,'the enlightened one', the first evangelist who recognised and discussed theology with the Messiah, and ran to spread the Word amongst her people. (John 4 : 7-28) The Orthodox Church celebrates St Photeine on 26 February :

And we use these examples from scripture to raise a feminist consciousness on the same issues in the Church of the present. Our biblical reflections observe the very close presence of women in all aspects and challenges of the ministry of Christ. From the time he was birthed in humble surroundings by a young courageous God -centred Jewish woman, who triumphantly obeyed the request of God to so bring to life His son; to Anna, the aged prophet in the Temple, who awaited her time with fasting and prayer (so often lost in the shadow of Simeon) knew the Christ and praised Him mightily. (Luke 2 : 36-38) to remember the many women who not only offered love and hospitality and abiding faith, but were also steadfast at the Cross, were first to proclaim His Resurrection, although the full impact of such an empowering role is still lost on many in the Church. The Church today has considerable difficulty walking with those same people.

Those women continued their ministry alongside the apostles and other believers through the early Church, they also suffered martyrdom and were apostles and evangelists. in the ensuing centuries. Their commitment was continually strengthened and renewed by faith. The stories and witness of those women are well known to modern Christian women, whether feminists or not, and are a source of constant admiration and challenge, as they reveal evidence of the participatory role of women in the 'royal priesthood of believers.' (1 Peter 2:9).

The first centuries of the history of our Church are filled not only with the history of the early Fathers, the great monastics and theologians, but also the graphic stories of the martyred women, women monastics and saints and great women rulers who bring to us in the late twentieth century their example of faithfulness. And in this time of searching for a fuller and more equal participatory role in our Churches women can do no better than search for the women of our past, particularly those who have been hidden from us, either relegated to anonymity, remembered more for their sins than their sanctity, or their uncleanness rather than their worthiness. The denial and exclusion of most of today's women from the pastoral, preaching and inclusive roles women assumed in the early church, has become both the focus and the evidence for critical exposition by feminist scholars in the present times. For Eva Topping, a Greek Orthodox writer in America, the 'exclusion of women is based on custom, convention and tradition created by the pride, fears and prejudices of fallible human beings.' It is now our task to reclaim them and proclaim them.

In her book 'Saints and Sisterhood', Eva Topping connected her women saints with the history of women in the church. She writes ' unless we retrieve and claim our past in its entirety, Orthodox women will never enjoy full dignity and equal participation in Orthodoxy's sacramental and liturgical life'. However, it seems to me, that there must also be a reality in what we seek. We are not women of the early church, although we absorb their history into our traditions; women today share bitter memories of our cruelty and oppression towards each other; we live in complex societies, within communities that are violent to each other in the name of religion, we struggle each day to maintain civility, compassion and extend love towards those who seem anathema and a threat in all we hold precious in our own lives. To yearn for the model of early church to return, is in my view, an impossible dream for even in itself the early church manifested hierarchical problems in gender relationships very early in its beginnings. We can only hope to emulate the qualities of community we read and understand existed in the early church.

Two millenia later, we are part of a global family, not only local community; we come from complicated structures weighed down with theology, hierarchy and patriarchal bricks, that are so heavy there is little space to breathe even the freshness of the Gospel message. In order to survive , we have looked for ways to free ourselves from that oppression. Women have left the structured church - either relinquishing all faith in Christ and His Church, or have sought to establish and belong to communities working for social justice in which the Gospel commandments can be lived. Many women have neither the strength or the knowledge to challenge the Church. All they know is that the Church has failed them, and what it offers bears little resemblance to what they seek. For the Orthodox leaving the Church is seldom an option, for life at home continues as 'the little church'. The cultural and traditional life and expectations of an Orthodox woman, is well entrenched during her upbringing, the home is her power base and her role is exemplified by the church. An Orthodox, no matter where, always returns to the Church for Pascha, to the home with the Paschal Light. Understand the limitations an Orthodox feminist has to affect any change in the Church.

So how come we women are able to stay.? We stay in structures, whether, Catholic, Protestant or Orthodox. We are here, because somehow we have a commitment to truth, to ecumenical dialogue with its vision of the Church in Unity, and as members of our particular church tradition. We have stated our claim to be Church, as ones 'baptized and taking on Christ' (Galatians 3:27) And no matter how rewarded we are, even gaining authority and ordination, recognition of our ministries, I remind you, all our churches carry their own style of patriarchal oppression, and a style of hierarchy that even women have yearned to belong to and participate in.

We all have women in the Church ( and often in our own parishes) who have faithfully committed their lives to the Church. They find what we write, what we say and what we do, as an offence within the Church, and totally against the scriptural admonitions concerning woman's behaviour and status. Many of these same women do not meet in ecumenical friendship and are bound entirely to their own small part of the Church. They are also a growing number in the fundamentalist movement, and have vocal and critical voices about the role of women in Church. They cannot be ignored in any tradition,for their numbers continue to grow.

We, the (ecumenical) women at this seminar, cannot be deluded that the way in which we think and write and act, is a common occurrence amongst the women of the church. We are also privileged women, with education, ability to read and discern; from some section of our society, no matter how disruptive it may be, that enables us to learn, teach and travel. We have the privilege not afforded most women, of being in dialogue with women of different race, different church, different culture and tradition. This privilege brings responsibility and discomfort, and also at times misunderstanding and anger. However, remember, our dialogue and open sharing illuminates the whole church, not just women. It is from these forums that we often move on to challenging the centuries of male-oppressing structures in Church and society that have smothered our voices, ensured our submissiveness, enforced our self-guilt and separated us into the private sphere of subservient piety.

In many of our communities, and I now focus on those of my own tradition, the knowledge of the early church and the scholarly insights into the scriptures and writings of those times, are not known. For most, what is - is as it always has been. Women do not raise questions, they continue the tradition of millenia. This is not to say that their life in the Church is diminished, nor is it ignorant. In fact, I would venture to say, that there are women of great piety, faithfulness, and have a relationship with their God, that is totally giving, without question or concern for the issues we have such passion for.

It is not my intent to dismiss them, rather, I feel it more important to find ways to understand their journey. It is to be regretted that too often the hierarchs of the Church look more to the woman of obedience and service, who may grumble at the physical tasks before her, as Martha did, rather than be challenged and excited by the new voices of women who research, read, and question, seldom fetch a cup of tea and in fact demand a place with Mary at the foot (Luke 10:38-42) and with Photeine (John 4:3-30) alongside the Teacher. The exclusion and lack of encouragement for dialogue within the Orthodox Church only serves to proffer and confirm an image of a misogynist and patriarchal church, whose women are 'seen and not heard'.

For some years I have belonged to a rather unique group of women in the Church - women committed to ecumenical dialogue; feminists seeking to find themselves and their history in the hidden stories and writings in the traditions of the Church, and women who stay in their Church in order to affect change. Women who are convinced that the Church is not meant to frozen in the past, that within the Church the Holy Spirit may still dwell freely amongst us, the Church where prophetic voices are heard from the least of us, the Church that truly believes 'that in Christ there is neither male nor female' (Galatians 3:28) and that in our lives as believers of a transcendent, personal and yet unknowable God, we dwell on this earth as an image of that greatness and purity, seeking through our life's journey, the Kingdom of God.

I am an historian; I do not have a theology degree, nor the possibility, as a female, of being a theological student at the Greek Orthodox seminary in Australia. However, I have a passion for the study of the history of women in the church, particularly their work and the too often reluctant acknowledgment of their positive contribution to the Orthodox Church given over the centuries. I am stimulated and challenged by Catholic and Protestant feminist theologians and historians who raise questions of the past applicable to us all. The emerging and continuing scholarship of women offer society and the church prophetic, challenging, exciting, and disturbing theses that support not only the positive presence of women in scripture, but also through subsequent historical evidence are able to challenge the hierarchs and conservative theologians of the present. By finding ourselves in scripture and in the early church, we can find ourselves at every other time.

Like many researchers who work with strong factual evidence, before proposing any hypotheses I needed to find out what 'biblical ecclesiology' meant in the context of the seminar and in the context of being part of the Eastern Orthodox church. The Orthodox Church is a Scriptual Church -the Bible being the supreme expression of God's revelation to humankind, the Bible lives and is understood within the Church, not set up as over the Church, and it is from the Church that the Bible ultimately derives its authority. Holy Scripture is used extensively throughout the Liturgical serves, the Psalter recited each week, the New Testament (exception of Revelations) read at the Eucharist, indeed the liturgy contains some 98 quotations from the Old Testament and 114 from the New

Whilst the Church claims that she alone can interpret Holy Scripture with authority (seemingly all completed by the Early Fathers), nevertheless, critical and historical study though not forbidden has not been given the same emphasis as within Protestant or even the Catholic churches, and certainly no credence like the biblical hermeneutics feminist theologians are now undertaking. The Orthodox claim that the approach to the faith is fundamentally a liturgical approach, that is, through the participation in worship within a church structure, that the Church is the Body of Christ, the treasury of revealed truths, holy and free of error. So what does that say to women who through culture and tradition are often alienated from the full participation in the liturgical life of the Church? Remember always, that for the Orthodox, there is no change in Liturgical services.

I referred earlier to the feminist writers of our time who reveal much of the past, and contribute learned and valuable scholarship to women in the Church. The Orthodox Church is very slow in acknowledging or considering critical feminist analysis, although there are emerging women scholars producing learned and informative papers of their research. However, I must mention two women I know personally who have begun to focus feminist questions for Orthodox women. I refer to Eva Topping from America and Elisabeth Behr-Sigel of France.

Eva Topping, author of Holy Mothers of Orthodoxy, has been attacked in church journals and newspapers, whilst at the same time her work has been eagerly read by women in her church who have been exposed to a traditional feminine and hidden feminist tradition of church. An Orthodox hymnographer, Greek and Latin scholar, Eva used the last decade to reveal much misogyny and deliberate anti-woman theology, written and reinforced by successive Fathers of the Church. She also revealed feminist women of incredible spiritual strength and faith who defied emperors and patriarchs who they were perceived as teaching wrong 'truths', and were later proven to be so. Her small collection of essays assembled in Holy Mothers of Orthodoxy challenge the Church, clergy and laity, to question its actions and attitudes towards women, both in community, society and Orthodox liturgical practice. For her work, whilst accepted as a gift by many, she continues to be attacked with considerable venom by some clergy and laity alike. Such attacks are not easy for any person to accept and yet she continues to write, and give addresses to those who wish to hear and read.

Elisabeth Behr-Sigel is known for her considerable academic and theological contribution in France where her writings are being translated into English for the benefit of 'western Orthodox'. She has been fortunate in being part of an Orthodox community not bereft of searching minds and challenging theological thought. Elisabeth Behr-Sigel, has offered the Orthodox church, her theological insights in many forums, and first raised in this present time, the question of ministry and ordination of women in the Orthodox Church. Her book on the 'Ministry of Women in the Orthodox Church.' is worth a place on any bookshelf and certainly is a guide to the questions that are emerging albeit slowly from my tradition. She also, perhaps in gentler form has raised many other issues, and has defended her findings with skill and 'right knowledge'. Behr-Sigel asks

Can we say the Orthodox have nothing to receive from the Western women's movement... can we ignore and neglect the questions being asked of the churches today? Should we not be attentive to the 'signs of the times' and to what the Spirit is saying to the churches in each generation?.... Authentic faithfulness consists in building on the foundations...

These two particular women of mature years, are not ' young firebrands tarnished with the unruly voices of western feminist secular influences'. Rather two women, of faithful adherence to Orthodox tradition and liturgical life., who through their experience and scholarship have found questions that are right and essential at this time for the Orthodox Church. Acquaintance with the writings and work of many others is luck., and only if their work is published or annotated. However, the network, whilst scattered, is growing, albeit differently to the western feminist tradition.

But the problem, as I experience it, for the Orthodox, is the deep sense of requiring permission all the time. That somehow, what women decided to do, and talk about, and question needs the careful guidance of the priest. This feeling pervades even the minds of strong wome namely the presence of the priest offers legitimacy, and prevents false teaching. Raising any questions in public has brought about criticisms in editorials of church papers, or letters suggesting to the woman that ' she might seek her spiritual status somewhere else.' We have had the experience of the presence of men at some seminars that were originally planned for women. Their presence changes the ambience, it changes the questions, it silences women, it prevents the journey beginning.

Of course, there are places where this is not quite the whole story. In America, France, Greece, Russia and Finland for instance, women have access to theological education at seminaries. They are involved in the full life of parish work and responsibilities of the laity. Many women, in growing numbers are entering monastic orders, after University education and are providing strong spiritual centres for women and men in their region. Likewise, the role of the priest's wife is increasingly being seen as a separate vocation that women offer the Church. In America a network is growing of clergy wives, many of whom have graduate degrees in theology and who wish to contribute their learning and ministry more positively to the church. An organisation WOMEN - Women's Orthodox Ministries and Education Network., though not working with a feminist agenda nevertheless will I am sure open up many opportunities for dialogue between Orthodox women, and with Catholic and Protestant women in America.

Participants of this seminar will have some knowledge or even experience of the liturgical life of the Orthodox. It carries a great richness and splendour, in its music, in icons, in the building itself, and indeed in the embroidered vestments of its clergy. It is a wondrous sight at Easter, to behold its brilliance. Let me share briefly the challenge in my community. The feminine presence is obvious though strangely quiet, the feminist presence non-existent. Certainly the majority of worshippers are women ( as in all other churches), there are many icons of women saints, the Theotokos is present in the sanctuary and elsewhere to be venerated by the faithful. And yet, there are disturbing features for a feminist entering the Church for Liturgy. In many churches, women and men sit separately, often the women upstairs away from the men, the chanters are men (only rarely do women sing in the choir - a separate entity), the male readers chant psalms and prayers, they read the epistle, process icons whenever the occasion , carry the candles, their sons serve as altar boys, and where are the women? They may not be present because they are menstruating, (an extreme exclusions), and they are certainly not visible in the Sanctuary. They are passive in the pews, though often can be heard whispering the Liturgy knowing it well from decades of faithful attendance. As so well described by Eva Topping in her book "Holy Mothers of Orthodoxy" I too stand in my Church and can see the icon of the Theotokos with her embracing arms in the dome of the Sanctuary, seen but not approached by women, for the Sanctuary is forbidden to women. She is the model put before women as the ideal, Ever-Virgin and Mother. I also see the Crucified Christ atop the iconostasis with the two faithful women at the foot of the cross, and I rejoice at the Resurrection icon to see Christ bringing forth both Adam and Eve from Death.

In the days of Holy Week, women are especially present in the Church. However, in my parish church they do not participate other than in the pews for any services, they do not chant the words of Theotokos mourning her son, on Holy Thursday evening

' today the blameless Virgin saw Thee hung upon the Cross, she mourned within herself and was sorely pierced in her heart. She groaned in agony from the depth of her soul exhausted by smiting upon her breast, hair dishevelled she cried out 'Alas My Divine Son. Alas! Light of the World'

On Holy Friday, women remain to prepare the tomb, the young girls re-enact the myrrh-bearers and the angelakia; and women sing the lamentations on Holy Friday (in the choir, led by men, of course). These women prepare for their families to receive Holy Communion, prepare the home to receive the Holy Light and to share the Table and bless it by singing Christos Anesti! This is a special time for women, for there is a feeling of actually being in control and directing the celebrations of the Resurrection. It is a powerful and moving experience to carry home the Light, to light the Paschal candle and rejoice when breaking the fast and singing the praises. At this time it seems that the Church, that is, the 'little church' is Whole and inclusive. as it was intended by Christ. We are cleansed by fasting, fulfilled by Communion, and enriched by the Liturgy.

Living in the Orthodox church in the diaspora for a non-ethnic Orthodox, is different to a woman living in Greece or Russia, where the Church is the community. In the diaspora, there is a different perspective on small 't' tradition; for myself, there is a closer relationship with other churches; there is certainly an involvement in the feminist christian and secular movement. Life experience and work cannot be ignored, for they shape our perceptions, they demand reflection and they can either call us to God, or turn our face away.

In Australia, all our Churches should be grappling with the dilemmas of its people moving into the twenty first century. The issues for women are the same: poverty, violence, discrimination, racism, sexism.... Ignoring the voices of Orthodox women and their concerns, of both secular and theological issues will be to the detriment of the life of the Church. 'The Orthodox woman must avoid the temptation to consider the Church only in static, atemporal and otherworldly terms and take seriously the challenges posed by historical change'. If the Holy Spirit is indeed free in our time, then the Church will not and cannot prevent change as challenges arise from amidst the faithful believers. Tradition, and all that is encompassed in the Orthodox Church, does not make us prisoners of our own past, rather, it reveals the Spirit at work in both past and present. Opportunities for dialogue between women of faith will always bring forth new challenges, create more questions, and enlighten the Church Universal.

For Orthodox women, we are blessed with a great richness in the liturgical life of our Church. A life that spills into the home very naturally. One is always aware of the relationship and meaning of 'the liturgy after the liturgy'. I cannot imagine it would change,. What I desire, is the inclusion of women in liturgical practice wherever laity are involved, not as a special role, rather one that is natural in the order of the church. The issue of the ordination of women to the diaconate and the priesthood is on the agenda though at this stage no woman or group, is prepared to devote their life to the cause. However, the Church has acknowledged the need for discussion and theological reflection. Whether the decades ahead will bring the changes experienced in other denominations I cannot judge. The issues raised by Orthodox women in past consultations concerning our role and participation in the life of the church were modest and expressed in moderate language, and must be taken seriously by the hierarchs and clergy and men of the church. Culture and tradition must not be kept in place by the iron bands of history and ignorance in the name of Church doctrine.

Women in all our Orthodox jurisdictions must take seriously the challenges before them, and not be prepared to have lives with two halves, having to choose between secular and spiritual within their community. Whether in the diaspora or 'at home', the feminist challenge is present in the Orthodox Churches, albeit on the edges, somewhat muted,very lonely, and often villified. When we seek the past, we take examples from the women friends of Christ, women of the early church and their discipleship, preaching and evangelical work. We seek to emulate women of leadership, the martyrs, ascetics and monastics. We Orthodox have a heritage of women worthy of recognition in the late twentieth century. If we are to be the Church of true faith and right practice, which the Orthodox Church claims to be, then only the inclusion of women as equal members of the 'royal priesthood' in all its many facets will truly make it so.

In order to proceed to such an ideal and fully inclusive participation, the tools of feminist theology with its demand for the hermeneutics of suspicion, its critical analysis of hierarchy and patriarchy, and the revelation of the hidden women of early church, Scripture, and women of our time, can only be a positive liberating influence for women struggling and questioning the structures, oppressive theology and "human traditions" of the Orthodox Church.

This paper originally presented at Women in Dialogue Seminar at Ecumenical Institute, Bossey and later published in Ofelia Ortega (ed.), Women's Visions.Theological Reflection, Celebration, Action. WCC : Geneva, 1995. Copyright: Leonie B Liveris