Colin Williams (Perth,Australia) very kindly translated the original French paper for MaryMartha. It was another very generous contribution by Colin for the journal, and the Editor is very grateful for his work. Thank you/Merci beaucoup!

None of the comments and thoughts which follow is the expression of any hierarchical authority whatsoever. They come from a woman member of the Russian Orthodox Church, and involve no-one but her.

The problem of the ordination of women to the priesthood is not new. It confronted Orthodox Christians this century in the middle of the sixties, when the Orthodox Church entered the Ecumenical Movement. But, in contrast to events in Europe and America, little has been written on the subject in Greek or Russian. However, it is a source of delight that it is no longer kept out of sight. It was in the eighties, in particular, that references to this question began to appear in various Orthodox articles and publications.(1)

Attitudes vary considerably depending on whether the question is put to people in the 'diaspora' or in Metropolitan Greece or Russia. And in the very heart of the 'diaspora'. they are by no means homogenous: responses vary from country to country, indeed from parish to parish. To be precise, it is desirable to quote the biblical texts well-known to theologians and on which they rely for their argument, but which less informed church members do not always recognise.

The creation story reference is Genesis 1:27 (God created man in his own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female created He them) and for man's power over other creatures - Genesis 1:28 (And God blessed them: Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it) for the creation of woman during man's sleep - the story is in Genesis 2:21-24. The texts from Paul are 1 Corinthians 14: 34-35, on the gift of prophecy and the idea of a 'natural' hierarchy. It is from these isolated verses that people usually draw the most absurdly misogynous conclusions.

The most commonly quoted text to justify the equality of men and women in the Church and the way in which Christ transcends all distinction of race, nationality, social status and gender, is from Galatians 3: 28. The 27th verse speaks of baptism, and the 28th continues: 'There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus'. 1 Timothy: 1-11 provides a sort of hierarchy of the sexes by exhorting men to pray for all 'mankind', and women to modest conduct; 'Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection'.

In 1 Corinthians 11, it is not really a question of the superiority of men over women; having defined all the privileges of men, the apostle finishes the chapter with an about-face, for, if woman was drawn from man, for his part, man is born of woman and both come from God. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 speaks of the only mediation, that of Christ:
'For there is only one God and a sole mediator between God and mankind (sic), Christ Jesus Himself, a man who was sacrificed as a ransom for all'. (2)

Quite happy to refer once again to things that interested parties know only too well, I would like to refer to some facts that go well back in history and which have given rise to the current situation. It must be pointed out that the problem of women priests has had only minor repercussions depending on whether one is dealing with Middle-Eastern countries, Russia or Greece, or those in Europe and America. The problem of the place of women in the Church has been put before the Conference of Agapia (1976), organised by the WCC where the concluding session recommended further investigation of how women can serve in the Church in new ways more in tune with the needs of the world of today.(3) It must also be remembered that discussions were held on this subject during a meeting of the WCC in Sheffield in 1981, after three years of preparatory discussion. They led to a fairly open-minded final report, but also to a "Letter to the Churches" whose authors said "it was inspired by the Holy Spirit", while Orthodox Christians in particular, saw it as a scandal. All things considered, this 'Letter' did considerable disservice to the ecumenical dialogue on the subject.

Let us also quote from the publication of Father Thomas Hopko (4), in which he listed the theological position against a priesthood of women, with the argument of Monsignor Kallistos. (First - Tradition: 'it has never been done"; second - the iconic value of the celebrant at the Eucharist - he represents Christ, therefore it must be a man) and that of Fr. Hopko himself ('the natural order"), in other words, the link between the masculinity of Christ on one hand, and the specific relationship between Mary and the Holy Spirit on the other, which establishes beyond doubt the difference between the sexes, in some ways made sacrosanct by the Holy Trinity.

A significant date is that of the Orthodox meeting of Rhodes (1988). Officially, the question of women priests was put aside, the subject of the conference being the place of women in the church. Its aim was to draft a document which would sum up the Orthodox theological argument against the ordination of women, but the discussion was very frank and open, and numerous women took part. (5) In his introduction to the English text, G.Limouris pointed out that there was no major theological opposition to the possibility of ordaining women to the priesthood but rather a great variety of opinions expressed. (6)

Curiously, if we look closely at the text itself of the Conclusions, we see, in the items listed, a great deal of diversity, if not contradictions. In Section A, devoted to the place of women in the Orthodox Church, parts 1,2 and 3, which recognise the equality of all the faithful ("chosen race"; "royal priesthood";"holy nation"; "people apart"; are very beautiful. but, already in the third and fourth sections we encounter examples of typology: 'Adam-Christ' and 'Eve-Mary' - parts which are unclear because of the argument in favour of the masculinity of the priesthood. The fifth part, and, in section B, the 6th, with which Orthodox Christians would easily agree, have the merit of affirming, not the identity, but the equality between men and women in the Church, the distinction not denoting any form of superiority of one or other sex before God.

But with hindsight, these days, such phrases sound, in certain far-flung corners of the Orthodox world, a bit like pious wishful-thinking. Again, in section B, parts 7,8,9 and 10 sum up the uneasiness felt by Orthodox Christians when they come face to face with other churches on this subject. Paragraph 36 suggests that women could be allowed to accede to the lower orders by imposition of hands (assistant deacons, readers, precentors, instructors).

This rapid description reveals many contradictions and confusions, and shows that reflexion on theological matters not yet sufficiently profound. However, the Rhodes forum included about 15 bishops, nearly all Orthodox Churches were represented, and its final report could rank as an official text. But at the current stage it can be stated that these are avenues of thought, and not conclusions, which is perhaps better.

An important milestone was Elisabeth Behr-Sigel's book on The Ministry of Women in the Church (see note 1). In his preface to the book, the Metropolitan Anthony of Sourouzh wrote 'the question of the ordination of women to the priesthood has only just been raised. For us, Orthodox Christians, it comes to us "from outside". It must become for us, "internal"'. It demands of us liberation within and a deep communion with the vision and Will of God, in a prayerful silence (op.cit. p.11) It is known that the Metropolitan has since held conferences on the subject. Doubtless, it is not because he lives in England that he is in favour of the ordination of women, but rather because he supports the anthropological argument that will be covered later in this publication.

Nearer to home, certain articles show that the discussion is continuing. An American Orthodox theologian who specialises in patrology, Verna Harrison, places much emphasis on certain dangers posed by the Orthodox line of argument against the ordination of women priests. (8) One of her preliminary observations seems very accurate to me : Orthodox position can be extreme, for or against women priests, but general indifference, or an individual's need for peace of mind, can arise, no doubt, from a desire to avoid, at any cost, discussions about problems that might cause serious disagreement or division.

In particular the author insists on the fact that the patristic texts on the subject are often linked to a specific cultural context, in which masculine leadership was the norm. She puts aside also the argument about male and female charismata, insisting on the disastrous social implications and consequences of this type of statement which 'legalises', with the help of religious convictions, a sort of socio-political system for the oppression of women. She speaks also about the dangerous argument based on the natural order, which tends to apply destruction of gender in the Holy Trinity. .

Let us quote from her concluding warnings : 'It is perhaps possible to highlight differences in the nature of men and women, as between cultural groups, but we must not let our problems of gender become neo-phyletic and cause division in our ecclesiastic life".The theologian's conclusion seems full of common sense, charitable spirit and yet open mindedness: "The masculine character of the priest, occupies an important place in Orthodox community prayer. But let us not forget that this aspect operates in a much wider context. It contributes to the unity of love and fulfilment of life in Christ, to participate in which all men and women are called. Unlimited love and life are given to us by God, we can all receive anything through humility and repentance, whatever our circumstances or our human limitations." And late on: "Life within the Church must never become a legitimate instrument of oppression.When that happens, we must repent". (9) This last idea seems to finally purify the discussion of the notion of superior masculine power based on any inferiority of the 'weaker sex'.

Finally, let me refer to a recent, as yet unpublished thesis on feminist theological matters, which devotes an entire chapter to the subject under the title "The Orthodox Church and the Ordination of Women". (10) The author considers the 'Conclusions of Rhodes' as legally binding, and expresses surprise that no steps have been taken to restore the female diaconate. We will return to this point.

Even if it can be said that order is lacking in present day thinking, or that it is not systematic, it does exist, and no-one can just disdainfully sweep aside arguments brought forward by various other parties. It reflects a new and sometimes painful concern. Indeed, the Church body of Christ always feels the pain of its incarnation in the world.

Let us not forget that the question is also relevant in general, a comparatively recent arrival, is a destabalising phenomenon for human beings, and the question of a female priesthood, whether one wishes it or not, is caught up in it, and plays a part in it. When it is expressed as 'women's liberation', feminism is put in a bad light, indeed becomes unacceptable particularly for the Orthodox woman who often simply has no need of it. Most frequently, she can fulfil a vocation as a 'priest's wife', choir-mistress, or an active member of the congregation, conscious of her membership of the Church, without seeking another form of specific power.

The problem of women priests is often a source of discomfort among those Orthodox Christians who now oppose ecumenical work, violently or discreetly.This applies in particular to a whole sector of the Russian Church, resistant to changes in the outside world, closed, anti-West, where people go so far as to denounce ecumenism as a form of modern heresy, and the WCC as a sort of syncretic super-church open to all sorts of compromises. Now, it is these contacts with sister churches which bring the priesthood face to face with the problem of the ordination of women, So,without ecumenism, the problem would be unknown or irrelevant. But, what is new is that the situation has turned inside-out and, influenced by a good understanding of ecumenism, it is now up to the Orthodox Christians themselves to justify why their church does not ordain women priests.

Moreover, as the Orthodox clergy are married, the woman occupies within the ministering couple, a well-defined traditional place. The Russian 'matushka' and the Greek 'presbytera' give great support to the priest, particularly in his pastoral role. Let us not forget that the priest married before being ordained, and it is often a joint vocation that is expressed at the time of his ordination. As for Russian society, it must be acknowledged that, through its history, it has been, and remains antinomian- simultaneously patriarchal and matriarchal. Numerous are the families where women (wives, grand-mothers or older sisters) enjoy clandestine powers that they prefer not to define openly. Perhaps this aspect of the national character explains the indifference some Russian women feel towards the concept of women priests. But, on the other hand, especially in many cases of mature-age conversions, couples reveal a desire to restore the dignity of the Russian male, and set up totally mutual relationships of love and respect.

In some alert and informed sectors of Russian society, one can see a return to traditional and historic Orthodox values. Unfortunately, this return is not free from the danger of fundamentalism which expresses "itself in certain grassroots communities, or new associations" with charitable vocations. Some females still do not accept that the power of decision-making or organisation can be vested in women. Some priests and bishops continue to base their priestly authority on the power that it gives them over congregation members in general (and the second-class members that women are, frequently, in their eyes). Yet, in fairly remote parts of Russia, we see some inverse situations: the need being very urgent, women are sometimes given educational and pastoral responsibilities, and not just charitable tasks.

Attitudes vary considerably in the diaspora of Western Europe, depending on the parishes and reactions of priests, bishops and members of the congregation. The question of 'female impurity' seems to have been put into the background, since, in some places, when there is a baptism, the newly baptised girl is brought into the sanctuary, sometimes even when the baptism involves an adult. It is only a detail, but we know the role that rites play in the intimate religious practices of each one of us.

In other parishes, although being neither conservative nor ranking among those who feel the running of the State should be according to religious principles, the bishop is simply thoughtless in all procedures: among his parishioners, the leaders are all men, they are the decision-makers while women serve the coffee and do the housework.

The attitude of members of the congregation is equally variable. In French parishes, in particular, there are lots of members recently converted to orthodoxy. For those people, the Orthodox rites and traditions are often confused with the Tradition. Because of their lack of experience, they are unable to distinguish what is peripheral from what is central. The learning process is long, and they often see nothing in the Tradition but the ritual with which they devoutly involve themselves. As novices, they cannot understand the meaning of Vladimir Lossky's statement "tradition represents the critical spirit of the Church'.(11) Ecumenism does not interest them in general, or only as a source of information or for its cultural value, and the challenges that arise out of discussions between Christians can only trouble or hurt them on rare occasions: whether they come from a world of non-believers or from another creed, Orthodoxy supplies all their needs.

These various examples, along with the quotes from theologians to which we referred earlier, bear witness to the fact that in the Orthodox Church, women are, to a greater or lesser extent, honoured and respected.The standpoints from which men claim superiority and power seem to be gradually losing their relevance, and it may be hoped that the few bishops mentioned above are annoying exceptions. This would mean that the refusal by the Orthodox Church to ordain women priests would no longer be linked to the idea that women are inferior. This, it seems, is a significant step towards getting rid of the psychological element and clarifying the problem itself.

All Orthodox exegetists agree in emphasising the extremely responsible roles that Jesus gave women in the Gospels. In Christ's time, in the Jewish society of the day, no-one could have glorified women more than He did. In our times, it is the social environment that has changed. A woman may teach, be a scientist or manage a company. These criteria make patristic writings look out of date.

1) The state of the matter can be summed up by coming back to the diaconate, to anthropological and 'natural' explanations, and to examples of people exercising various charismata in the Church. But, on one hand, whereas in his article on patristic positions relevant to the priesthood, John Erickson explains that nothing is found in the writings of the Fathers which justifies drawing any conclusions anout women priests (12), the Fathers always highlight the cultural role of the priests at a given period of history. Well, this role has changed. Culture and intellectual authority are no longer a masculine preserve. The present-day social functions of women, in the Western world at least, give them access to jobs, they would never have hoped to hold previously, in the patristic days, in the Middle East. The female diaconate doubtlessly existed in the Orthodox church from the 2nd century and lasted until approximately, the 11th century. (13)

But there is some confusion in the description of it that we are given by present day theologians. There continues to be a disagreeable grey area around the very definition of the diaconate : 'Major order', 'minor order'? In the traditional order of service for ordination, the invocation of the Holy Spirit is the same for both priest and deacon. The moment of ordination is during the liturgy, before the ceremonial entrance, then the functions differ: the deacon is ordained to proclaim the Gospel, the priest to preside, with the bishop, at the Eucharist. (14) E. Theodorou seems to suggest that the female diaconate was, in reality, a service designed for women and only women. One might even think that those known as deaconesses were really the wives of deacons, just as 'priestesses' were wives of priests, etc. (15) In certain texts, one would also find included widows, and old ladies of great wisdom, if they operated in the field of pastoral care of women so that the division is further perpetuated, and theological conclusions about a possible female priesthood remain impossible to define. Arguments in favour of re-establishing a female diaconate can conceal a real trap in the form of 'ordaining' women in a 'minor order' to make it easier to prevent them from gaining access to any 'major order'.

It is clear that in the BEM Document in the third section, dealing with ministry, part IIC, "Ministry of men and women in the Church", adopts a very cautious position on the subject, saying "The Church must find ministries that can be performed by women as well as those that can be performed by men", and we read in paragraph 31, in the "Functions of bishops, ministers and deacons" - "deacons represent, in the heart of the Church, its vocation as a servant of the world". (16) In this evaluation, it is hard to see what the diaconate could add to women's situation : are they not already, in many parishes, the servants who do the organising, catering, conmorting, who keep an eye on the material side of parish life, willingly playing the role of Martha, while still assuming fully that of Mary? In this sense, "the theory of charismata" risks giving rise to another form of subjection, and, for certain societies, a legal basis for oppression in the church, such has been already denounced (see above the analysis made by Verna Harrison).

Moreover, a recent conference, held in Moscow at the initiative of Aid to the Christians of Russia, clearly showed that the male diaconate and women's social involvement were one and the same in Russian thinking on the subject. "The aim of this conference was not just to have an intellectual and theological debate. It was also an attempt to provide a direction for diaconal action, and to make it more suited to address the sufferings of humanity" (17). All the articles highlight, in a fair and equitable way, the charitable work done by various groups of men, whether deacons or not, and women, but it never deals with the ordination of female deaocns.

2. The line of argument expressed by the Metropolitan Anthony of Sourouzh (18) is based on the Genesis story. Human beings were created man and woman before sin. There was, therefore, a harmony in the difference of the sexes. It is sin that introduces conflict and concepts of inferiority and power. And it is not right that, in the service of God, represented by the priesthood, this conflict based situation should be seen as legitimate. It follows that the need for harmony between the sexes can only encourage the idea of a priesthood of women, as for men, in the service and glory of God.

The point of view by Fr. Hopko takes up with rather more precision P. Evdokimov's theories (19) on the hypostatic motherhood of Mary. Since woman conceives by the Holy Spirit, the male-female distinction is in some ways hypostatic : men and women are created in the image of God, with a sexual difference. Woman forms part, therefore, of the image of God. Dividing humanity into the categories with radically distinct roles is in the image of the Trinity : man through Christ, woman through the Holy Spirit. By extending this argument, you can, if you accept this distribution, assume different forms of salvation according to one's sex, and at this stage, you reach the point where you transpose these human categories within the Trinity itself, sounding totally heretical! We must repeat here what several female theologians have said pertinently over and over : "The Church is a communion of people- not of sexes, genders, or hierarchies".

3. The history of the Church records many cases of wise, strong nuns or abbesses of large monasteries, and we can expect a renewal in this tradition with the current liberalisation of religious life in Russia. The tradition of choir-mistresses is very much alive there, although this in not a part of Greek parish practice.

4. However, it is from within the circles of enlightened women theologians, in Russia, Greece and in the East, that we might hope to see the appearance of some serious consideration of the very nature of ministry, whether it refers to priests or bishops. The iconic value of Christ is, for the moment, a real stumbling block : when you discuss with competent people. theologians and historians, the fact that priests are male, they explain that the priest who presides at the Eucharist represents Christ and that Christ became incarnate as a man. Such thinking does not usually go any further. Now, we are well aware, when listening to the words of the epiclesis, which quote the words of Christ at the Last Supper that Christ calls all Christians, men and women. to take part, and if He does this through the intermediary of the man-priest, it is because, at the last Supper, women were also absent from the meal (perhaps they were in the kitchen!).

However, at Pentecost, the Holy Virgin was present and, like all the apostles, she received the Holy Spirit. Our salvation is through the Resurrection of Christ, born of the Virgin, and all of us, men and women, are called to this. If one thinks that the priest cannot be other than a man because he represents Christ in the Eucharist, could one not go further and assume that Christ, who came to save men and women, represents all of them in His humanity? The question is difficult, and I do not feel that this point has been studied in much depth, whereas, since the start of discussions about women priests, people have wondered why Christ chose the male to incarnate human nature.

The fairly precise BEM text is not really seen the same way by all Orthodox Christians. We read there, in the part which deals with the ministry, in paragraph 17, "Jesus Christ is the only priest of the new covenant. He gave his life as a sacrifice for all. It follows that the whole Church can be seen as a priesthood". And further on "Ordained ministers participate simultaneously, as do all Christians, in the priesthood of Christ and the priesthood of the Church". And the commentary adds "The New Testament never uses the terms 'priesthood' (sacerdos) or 'priest (hiereus) to designate the ministry as ordained or the ordained minister. In the New Testament, these terms are reserved - on one hand for the unique priesthood of Jesus Christ, and on the other hand, for the royal and prophetic priesthood of all who are baptised. (20)

To conclude, we must emphasise St Paul's text "There is neither Jew nor Greek... neither male nor female", which inspires the individual towards new reading of history and of our current daily realities in the light of the message of Christ and His Resurrection.

It is undeniable that Orthodox Christians have made a considerable effort to clarify matters and to develop theological study since the moment when the question of women priests came up in the sister churches. However: if the credit for having raised the problem of the ordination of women priests belongs to the WCC, we have to qualify this by saying that, for a large number of Orthodox Christians, the WCC is a group of people cut off from the concrete world and the concerns of daily life in the Orthodox Church.

Nevertheless, from now on the question "no longer comes from without:, as Metropolitan Anthony put it a few years ago. He spoke also of "internal liberation". It seems that this has been happening in many places, even if psychological resistance remains sometimes very stubborn. For, indeed, in the wider Orthodox Church, the sense of one's person is sufficiently keen to transcend sexual differences, however important they might be. It is much more important for an Orthodox woman, for any Christian woman I think, to be a recipient of God's love, to respond to His call, to be among the chosen ones, and to be saved, than to hope to be one day a woman priest or woman bishop. Also, liberation here, does not have any connection with its meaning, in well-known phrases relating to 'liberated women'. We know when to act with gravity and respect.

Metropolitan Anthony's statement also involves the vision of God. It is towards this vision that we, men and women, are called. It is a vocation and a task which occupies one's whole lifetime. But 'vision' must not imply 'division'. Despite its abstract and excessive administrative structures, the entire theological work of the WCC is aimed at going beyond divisions, and making everyone aware of what remains to be done in order to achieve unity among Christians. Can we not accept a certain degree of diversity in our notions of the problem of women priests, instead of always threatening to slam the door on the matter?

We Orthodox Christians cannot, and must not, give in to any form of pressure from outside. It is not the case that the time will come when all the churches in the world will have women priests and the Orthodox Church will have to follow suit. But neither can we give in to the rampant fundamentalism which threatens Orthodoxy today, and which seeks to rekindle the argument that we cannot envisage female priests because no-one has done so before. We Orthodox christians are just as wise as others: while waiting for decisions to be made, and especially without any inappropriate step being immediately practiced to be a 'prophetic act', our theologians have started studying the problem, a task which deserves to be seen through to its final result. Doubtless, this is the reason why decisions are slow- they are not delayed, they are made patiently.

A priest is ordained in a specific location to fulfil a tangible function, a well-defined task. An explicit demand is put upon him, and he has the vocation to become the minister of a parish. If the need is felt, if God so wishes, if it is inspired by the Holy Spirit, it will be understood by everyone, and Orthodox women of Russia, Greece and other parts of Europe or Africa will be ordained to the priesthood.Let it only be on condition that it is not a cause of psychological shock, scandal, or even of division, but rather a new expression of a need for the consent and co-operation of the Church.

Veronique Lossky, Bangkok, January 1996. Article pulished in Contacts, Paris, No. 174, 2nd trimester 1996. (Bible quotes in English from Authorised Version - trans. CJW)

References:

1 Following E Behr-Sigel's book : The Ministry of Women in the Church", Le Cerf 1989, we must emphasise that the Orthodox magazine Contacts often covered views relevant to the subject. Numbers 100 and 146 (1989) were entirely devoted to the problem of women in the Orthodox church; No.150 (1990), E Behr-Sigel "Women and Priesthood"; No.156 (1991) France Quere (+), "Women in the Church"; Eva Catafygiotou Topping, Metropolitan George Khodr; No. 159 (1992) Veronique Lossky "Women in the Orthodox Church"; No.168 (1994) Maryse Dennes "Russian Concepts of Women", etc. We must add, by Verna E F Harrison (1992) in Sobornost, No 14:1, "Orthodox arguments against the ordination of women as priests" and recently, by E Behr-Sigel, "Communion and Reunion" , Miscellania J M R Tillard, 1995 Vitgeven Peeters, Leuven. Of course, this list is not exhaustive.
2 The article by France Quere is particularly enlightening about 'misogyny' and St Paul's contradictory arguments. See her article on St Paul and the couple, op.cit.note 1.
3. E Behr-Sigel, "Communion and Reunion", p.378.
4. Women and the Priesthood, SVS: New York, 1983.
5. Contacts, No.146 1990.
6. Gennadios Limouris (ed), Editor's introduction in "The Place of the Woman in the Orthodox Church and the question of the ordination of Women", Katerini 1992, p.12; quoted by E Parmentier in an unpublished thesis, p.412 (see below, note 8).
7. The English text is valid (St Vladimir's Theological Quarterly 33, 1989) the French translation having been falsified at the time it was made.
8. Orthodox arguments against the Ordination of Women, Sobornost 14, 1992.
9. op.cit. p.22
10.. E Parmentier, 'The Prodigal Daughters'. For a dialogue between feminist and traditional theology, pp.409-423. Strasbourg, Faculty of Theology January 1996.
11. In the Image and Likeness of God, Aubier 1967, p.154.
12. J Erickson, The Priesthood in Patristic teachings', Contacts no.146 1989.
13. See, on this subject, the article by E Theodorou "The Institution of deaconesses in the Orthodox church", Contacts, no. 146 1989.
14. See texts, for example, in the new translation by Denis Guillamme : Grand Eucologe et arkhieratikon' 1992, for the ordination of deacons, pp.748-751, and for the ordination of priests, pp.752-754.
15. See, for example, in the book by J M R Tillard, The Parish Church, Le Cerf, Paris 1995, pp.213-228. An instructive and comprehensive study, the account of recent past events is provided by The Ordination of Women to the Priesthood. A second report by the House of Bishops of the General Synod of the Church of England, London 1988. The ideas are classified under five headings: (1) Priesthood and representation of God in Christ; (2) Priesthood, direction and exercise of authority; (3) Priesthood, unity of the Church and authority of ordained ministers; (4) Scripture, tradition, reason : how sources of Christian authority are used in the current debate (5) Decision-making when the universal church is divided. The conclusion, while defining the powers of priest and bishop, state that the ordination of a woman bishop would put the unity of the Anglican Communion in great jeopardy, op.cit p.124.
16. Baptism, Ministry, Eucharist, WCC" Geneva 1982
17. See The dossier in the latest Bulletin of Aid to the Christians in Russia, no.80 Paris, winter, 1995.
18. This cycle of lectures on the subject is still unpublished.
19. Women and the Salvation of the World, Paris 1958.
20. BEM, op.cit.