...Roles, the job of a person or thing in a particular situation. It is a responsibility or a job depending on one’s position. In addition to roles, women of the early church had roles as well. The roles of women in the early church can be understood in the Acts. The roles of women in the early Church included worshipping, being gifted with prophecy, being influential and prominent, and practicing almsgiving. Women of the early Church practiced in worshipping by praying. They participated in praying with the apostles. Proof of this can be found in the Acts of the Apostles. Women also worship the apostles. In acts 1, women are said to have been incited by the Jews. This led to the expulsion of Paul and Barnabas from the city. Through this act,...
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...Pope Francis said, “Women have much to tell us… Women are capable of seeing things in a different angle. Women can pose questions that we men cannot understand” (Quotesberry n.p.). Pope Francis understands how important women are to the Catholic Church. There are many different powerful women in the Church. Even from the beginning of life women have played an important role in the Church. This is evident in women from Eve to Mary, to the woman that lives down the street, every single one of them is essential to the Church! Mary plays a major role in the Church as the mother of God. She is the one who brought Jesus Christ. She agreed to allow God to intercede in her life. Matthew 1:23 says, “The virgin will conceive and give birth...
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...traditions and rituals. Even though these traditions and rituals are performed in different ways and for different reasons, they are the foundation that holds our religions together. Finally the last similarity between the Christian, Jewish, Islam and Catholic faiths is that they originated from the same genealogy. In the Bible the reader gets to the story of Abraham. It is during this story that two faiths emerge, Jewish (Hebrew) and the Islam religion. The rest of the Bible focuses on the Jewish history and leaves behind Islam. However, it is during the time after Jesus’ death that the reader is introduced to the Christians that formed the Catholic (universal) faith. After several hundred years people became disgruntled with the Catholic Church and broke away to form many other religions with their own doctrines. In today’s world, religion is not as focused on. With the growing number of Protestants, non-believers and atheists, plus the continuous shift of morality and world challenges, the...
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...The role of women in Canadian society has changed dramatically over the past two centuries. These roles, which had been defined in various cultures for centuries, were based both on natural instinct and on necessity. When Canada was first settled, it was natural for immigrants to maintain traditional roles for men and women. By the eighteenth century, these distinct roles were strongly established in Canadian society. During the nineteenth century, views on women’s role began to change, as urbanization and industrialization progressed. These changes reflected the many social, political, economic and technological changes that were occurring at that time. Aware of the many inequalities in society, some women began to challenge the existing conditions and questioned the definition of a “proper woman”. In “The Cult of True Womanhood”, Barbara Welter explains that the virtues by which a woman judged herself and was judged by society were piety, purity, submissiveness and domesticity. These were the standards of True Womanhood in Victorian Canada.1 Fortunately, social reformers eventually challenged the alleged status quo of Canadian women. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Church, the medical profession and the arts all tried desperately to maintain women’s sexual passivity in Canadian society. During the Victorian era, sexual passivity was seen as both natural and necessary for women. In fact, the Canadian society was based on the ideology that it was natural...
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...female subordination in religion; They are male dominated and in Orthodox Catholicism and Judaism women are forbidden to become priests. Also Christianity teaches that men made in ‘the image and glory of God’ and women made ‘for the glory of man. This is supported by the Old Testament which states ‘...for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church.’ There are many female characters in the biblical texts and some are portrayed as acting charitably or bravely, however the primary roles are reserved for males and most female roles are either evil (Eve) or subordinate (Mary). Similarly in the Quran, the sacred text of Islam contends that ‘men are in charge of women’. Even Christianity and Buddhism are dominated by a patriarchal power structure in which the feminine is mainly associated with the secular, powerless, profane and imperfect. Even women’s bodies and sexuality are felt to be dangerous by many religious. Because women menstruate and give birth, they are considered to have the capacity to ‘pollute’ religious rituals. The presence of women is seen to distract men from their important roles involving worship. Even though there is evidence to suggest that religious institutions have patriarchal values, it should not be assumed that all religions are equally oppressive to women. Gender-neutral language has been introduced in many hymns and prayers and the requirement in the Christian marriage ceremony for the bride to promise to obey her husband is now...
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...5. Why did the Franco regime seek to reverse gains made by Spanish women in the early twentieth century? Indisputably, General F. Franco’s dictatorship in a “Nationalist Spain” truncated both social and political progress made by women throughout the period of the early 1900s. In order to discuss the crucial motives for the totalitarian regime’s reversal of such developments, a brief historical background of European stances on the roles of women must firstly be examined. As established by H. Graham, attempts at preserving socio-cultural conservatism to uphold political ideologies during this era were geared primarily towards the reiteration of traditional gender roles in society. The influence of existent policies in a Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany at this time were, undoubtedly, of great influence on Franco’s regime. Earlier legislation enforcing this conservative perspective in Spain confirms such views, in that under these laws women could only conduct certain economic affairs, make purchases and sign contracts under supervision of a dominant husband - “el permiso marital” being required. This concept of subordination to men permeated Spanish society, restricting women to lives of exclusive domesticity. As ‘queen of the home’, the majority of middle and lower class women were uneducated illiterates, generally ignorant and uninvolved in political affairs and indoctrinated by traditions of Catholicism supremacy. However, several feminist organisations formed in the early...
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...Assess feminist views on the role and function of religion (33 marks) Feminists regard religion as a main component in the perpetuation of patriarchy in contemporary society, it perpetuates oppressive gender roles, marginalises women and ensures male domination is retained. In terms of the structure of religious organisations, feminists point to the fact that they are male dominated, even though women often make up more of the attendees, often men will occupy the more central and sacred positions in places of worship. This reinforces the subordination of women, and their exclusion from sacred practices mirrors their continued exclusion from high ranking careers, specifically in politics, via the glass ceiling effect. Armstrong identifies women’s exclusion from priesthood in most traditional religions as undeniable evidence of marginalisation, such as in the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church. This argument is credible, the marginalisation of women is rife in religion, Islam for example, in which female Muslims are not allowed to touch the Quran whilst on their period. Holm describes this as the devaluation of women in contemporary religion. Disregarding the blatant sexism in religious structures, feminists point to the patriarchy reinforced by monotheistic religious texts, Judaism and Islam for example. The sacred texts, The Bible, Torah and Koran for example, are all written by men, featuring male gods and male prophets. On top of this male domination, the female sex is...
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...SHORT PAPER 1 Women’s Role in Medieval Society Southern New Hampshire University SHORT PAPER 1 Discussion Sadly in Medieval Ages women had a secondary role to men. A women in medieval time life was torn between marriage, religion and family. A women’s forced concern during these times were procreation. In medieval times a person’s family was so large that the role for a woman was to be a good mother and a good wife. If a women attempted emancipation they were shunned by the church for betraying the man which in turn control public opinion (The Role of Women, 2009). Also for women that attempted to fight back against the conditions that there husband and society placed on them would fall victim to chastising by the church and would be victims of abuse from not only their husbands but also their society. Sadly the only way for a women to be safe was to please the husband. The women during these times always been made to look inferior and weak compared to men for the status quo could remain in effect which was created by the church. The women during these times were taught to provide meals, clothes for husband and children, and tending on the house. Some women during these times would be forced to sell products to provide extra income for the household and on top of providing extra income they would still be forced to do all the work they require of a wife. Women during medieval times had little to no rights if they were...
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...to associate with God are similar to typical masculine and feminine values e.g. Power and control is stereotypically a male trait. In the majority of religions, males are given the more significant roles. An example of this is Christianity which is seen as inherently patriarchal with men made in ‘the image and glory of God’ and women made ‘for the glory of man. This is supported by the Old Testament which states ‘...for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church.’ There are many female characters in the biblical texts and some are portrayed as acting charitably or bravely, however the primary roles are reserved for males. All the most significant Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah and Moses are male, while in the New Testament all the apostles are men. The most prominent females in the Bible, Eve and Mary mother of Jesus can be interpreted as reinforcing patriarchal idea regarding, on one hand, the dangers of female sexuality and on the other, the virtues of motherhood. Similarly in the Quran, the sacred text of Islam contends that ‘men are in charge of women’. Even Christianity and Buddhism are dominated by a patriarchal power structure in which the feminine is mainly associated with the secular, powerless, profane and imperfect. Even women’s bodies and sexuality are felt to be dangerous by many religious. Because women menstruate and give birth, they are considered to have the capacity to...
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...The Role of Women in the Church – SE3 Within the church and throughout church History, there has been a question as to the women’s role in the church. Can a women be a pastor? An elder? Or a deacon? In light of the debate of egalitarianism vs. complementarianism, we will take a look at what the bible says biblically. Equalitarianism is the right of all men and women to have the same rights and responsibilities and complementarianism holds the view that only men should have such pristine positions. What does the bible say? The Old Testament law makes it very clear that women have no place in authority. The men served as the master of their household. The topic of women serving in ministry is of much debate – even in today’s culture. My belief as a reborn again Christian is that Jesus came to break the barrier between men and women and that we are all equal in the body of Christ. Galatians 3:28 backs up my belief by stating, “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Also, the church I am part of, Assemblies of God teaches that women can have a role in ministry. The term “deacon” and “elder” are New Testament terms and came forth after the church established in Antioch. The definition of an elder is someone who is highly esteemed within the church. An elder is a spiritual leader. A pastor, church leader or overseer. The position of elder should not be taken lightly. James 3:1 says, “Dear brothers...
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... This is reflected by the Church Census records as it shows that participation in churches and denominations in England and Wales between 1979 and 2005 women were consistently more likely to attend. There are various reasons why females are more religious than men ranging from socialization, exploitation to patriarchy in traditional religions. Women’s sexuality has always been a dangerous factor in religion; this is because women menstruate and give birth they are considered to have a great capacity to pollute religious rituals. This can be seen in the Adam and Eve story in Christianity as Eve has ‘seduced’ Adam in order to eat the apple which God had forbidden to do so. This shows that the presence of a female can distract men from performing religious rituals and worshipping God. Bird argues that sexuality is an important factor in many religions. In Roman Catholic churches priests are expected to be celibate meaning they have to deliberately refrain from sexual activity while in other religions such as Islam are opposed to homosexuality. This means that in order for priests to carry out their duty appropriately there needs to be a degree of policing of the body; and the presence of women makes it more difficult. Due to patriarchal ideologies women have refrained from serving as priests in many of the traditional and great religions – until recently. Religious organisations such as Islamic groups, Orthodox Jews and the Roman Catholic Church maintain to exclude females...
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...differences in religious belief and practice however these tend to focus on the reasons for women’s relatively high levels of participation rather than men’s lower levels. While the priesthoods of most religions are male, more women than men participate in religious activities and believe in God. For example, in 2005, 1.8 million women in England were churchgoers, as against only 1.36 million men. Miller and Hoffman (1995) identify two main theories explaining women’s greater religiosity. Firstly there is differential socialisation where women are taught to be more submissive and passive than men and these characteristics are associated with being more religious. Traditional religions tend to expect their followers to be passive and obedient. The second theory is structural location where women take part in religion because of their social roles. Men are more likely to take on the instrumental role whereas the women take on the expressive role. This gives women more time for church-related jobs. However as sociologists go on to quote this research and take these factors into account they have criticised it for no fully explaining why women are more religious than men. Greeley (1992) argues that taking care of other family members increases women’s religiosity because it involves responsibility for their ‘ultimate’ welfare as well as their everyday needs. Similarly, Davie (1994) argues that women’s closer proximity to birth and death brings them closer to ‘ultimate’ questions about...
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...Modern Religion Christianity has evolved in many ways over the centuries. When you look back from when Christianity was first discovered until now it has gone through many changes. Over time the world has become more technologically advanced and people in the world have gone through many changes as well. It is very important that churches adapt and keep up with the modern day ways of life. A few decades ago when the Christian churches wanted to go and minister to people they traveled by car or even foot and went and knocked on people’s doors. In today’s world if a church wants to minister to the community all they have to do is get online and they can reach out to millions of people at a time. The Christian churches today that are still very traditional and still do things by the book are the churches that aren’t really growing as fast. When you look at the Christian churches that have advanced technology and have made changes to accommodate the modern world those are the churches that are thriving. For example, there are Christian churches today that have applications that you can download and donate money online or even download a bible directly to your phone. In today’s world, convenience is the key. People in the modern world want things to be instant and easily available to them. That is the way that the world is and if the Christian religion is going to continue to grow then it has to move at the same speed the rest of the world is moving. As the world grows...
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...Here are notes on the role gender played on making colonial religion modern religion. You can use gender as a basis for how the colonial past led our future in one direction. The part I think would be most helpful to you is in red. Open with, “After Adam and Eve, there was Anne Hutchinson and john Winthrop.” Because as you know she was expelled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony By John for preaching something different. Gender: If you happen to be someone who participates in jewish/Christian services? How many men/women attend? Usually more women. Why? Protestant is the most dominant until 1860 As you move into the early 19 century, Baptist and Methodist Predominant is protestant Women in Colonial Society: -Adam’s rib - women is a “helpmeet” for man. The side, to be content with equality. -Equality function - Were on equal terms in the value and their degree of their participation on the development of the colonies. But only men could have leadership roles. Think of a farm. Women were managers of household economy, feeding the family, cultivating and producing the food. Own economic system of home production. Most women would live out their lives as junior partners in the household economy, but denied the control of the land. Yet colonial women were unlikely to feel useless or alienated from their family by the subsistence economy because they conducted the education and discipline of the children and extended family. If her husband died, she would be the sole person...
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...1. FEMINIST THEORIES OF RELIGIONFOR A2 SOCIOLOGY:BELIEFS IN SOCIETY 2. • Feminists see society as patriarchal- based on male domination.• Many feminists regard religion as also patriarchal that reflects and perpetuates this inequality.• Religious beliefs function as a patriarchal ideology that legitimates female subordination. 3. EVIDENCE OF PATRIARCHYRELIGIOUS ORGANISATIONS• They are mainly male dominated despite the fact that women often participate more than men in organisations. For example, Orthodox Judaism and Catholicism forbid women to become priests. Armstrong sees women’s exclusion from the priesthood of most religions as evidence of marginalisation. View slide 4. PLACES OF WORSHIP• They often separate the sexes and marginalise women, e.g. seating them behind screens while the men occupy the central and more sacred spaces.• Women’s participation may be restricted, for example, not being able to preach or to read from sacred texts. Taboos that regard menstruation, pregnancy and childbirth as polluting may also prevent participation. For example, in Islam, menstruating women are not allowed to touch the Qur’an. Holm describes this as the devaluation of women in contemporary religion. View slide 5. SACRED TEXTS• They largely feature the doings of male gods, prophets ect, and are usually written and interpreted by men. Stories often reflect anti-female stereotypes, such as that of Eve who in the Judaeo-Christian story of Genesis, caused by humanity’s fall from grace...
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