Response 1 to Rosemary Radford Ruether: ‘Should Women Want WomenPriests or Women-Church?’

Abstract

This response to Rosemary Ruether’s ‘Should Women Want Women Priests or Women-Church,’ an article published in this issue of Feminist Theology, is written by a Roman Catholic Womanpriest and pastor of a non-canonical Catholic parish. Jane Via finds more support in the New Testament for women in leadership roles than does Rosemary Radford Ruether. Via argues the impact of Aristotelian philosophy on Christian thought and the precedent it creates to use contemporary philosophy to interpret Christianity begs popularization. Ruether’s historical summary of women’s roles in Protestant churches enlarges feminist awareness. Via addresses the positive contributions of Women-Church and RCWP and the limitations of each. She concurs with Ruether: women need both.