Academic

Church of England Endorses Women as Bishops

By Caitlin Borgmann

Via the New York Times:

The governing body of the Anglican Church in Britain voted on Monday to approve the appointment of women as bishops, a step that appeared to risk a schism in the church in its historic homeland as the Anglican church worldwide faces one of the most serious threats to its unity in its history, over the ordination of gay clergy members.

After a debate late into the night in the city of York, the General Synod of the Church of England, an assembly that holds ultimate authority on church doctrine in Britain, voted by comfortable margins within each of the synod?s three houses ? bishops, clergy and laity ? to approve the consecration of women as bishops in the face of bitter opposition from traditionalists.

Women in the Episcopal Church in the US are allowed to become bishops. Why do some object so vigorously to women bishops? This seems to stem from a sort of Anglican Church version of originalism:

Opponents of female bishops argue that Jesus, in choosing men for his 12 disciples, intended that men alone should have the responsibility of ministering to his followers.

-Caitlin Borgmann

Full post as published by Feminist Law Professors on July 08, 2008 (boomark / email).