WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 37, 7 November 1919, Page 7

WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

CLAIMS UNDER REVIEW. Tlie growing desire that women should not lie excluded from actual religious service (e.g.. as preachers) is being deeply considered by the Church of England.' For religious as "well as for social progress the influence of women has long been waxing—and their work in the war, which can be viewed as a spiritual factor, has given .1 great impetus for the wider and more definite recognition bv the Church of woman's genius for religion, which is, perhaps, stronger on the emotional than on tho intellectual side.

The decision of the Church in regard to the actual ministry of women will be (largely determined, no doubt, on the historic facts collected and collated by the committee appointed ad hoc by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The committee consisted of the Dean of Westminster (chairmai)V the Bishops of Winchester. Routhwark, and Stepney, the D»an of Wells, Dr. W. 11. Frero. Miss Alien Gardner, Dr. A. .1. Ma«on. Dr. U. IT. Weitbrecht Stanton, Dr. -I. P. Ecles, and Dr. A. C. Ileadlam. of whom the last-named resigned owing (0 pressure "f oMier ii'i'l tciuallv vi'al work. "Tho Ministry of Women" (Pic'ety for Jlromnting Christian Knowledge, I:'s. 6d. net). which has just been published, contains the historical evidence for a ross/med judgment. The contributors include Dr. A. -T. Mason, who deals with "The Ministries of Women in the New Testament," Dr. Armitage Robinson 011 "Deaconesses in the Apostolic Constitutions," and Dr. C. H. Turner on "Ministries of AVnnien in tho Primitive Church." The root of lh° matter lies in the.™ dissertations, which aim at a simple statement of the chief facts— n full and exhaustive treatment of innumerable controversial points was not, of course, to be expected. _ In a number of annelid ices well-qualified deal with" other ohases of a difficult subieet (the history of female ministry during the Middle Ages is especially ob-«-urel bii.t the suewstioin.madc therein 'do not commit tho committee Hieing given on the resnons>bilitv of the various writers A number of collotype illustrations, such as I he' frontispiece portrait of a Cir-tcrcian Abbess, add 10 the interest of a work which d«o< not claim f.\ be exhoiislive. lwt "".U load up, fl. the committee hopes, (o the production ot a srhnlarly and complete treatise 011 t ho whole, subject.