Overview

The pastoral office is one of the most critical in Christianity. Historically, however, Christians have not been able to agree on the precise nature and limits of that office. A specific area of contention has been the role of women in pastoral leadership. In recent decades, three broad types of arguments have been raised against women's ordination: nontheological (primarily cultural or political), Protestant, and Catholic. Reflecting their divergent understandings of the purpose of ordination, Protestant opponents of women's ordination tend to focus on issues of pastoral authority, while Catholic opponents highlight sacramental integrity. These positions are new developments and new theological stances, and thus no one in the current discussion can claim to be defending the church's historic position. Icons of Christ addresses these voices of opposition, making a biblical and theological case for the ordination of women to the ministerial office of Word and Sacrament. William Witt argues that not only those in favor of, but also those opposed to, women's ordination embrace new theological positions in response to cultural changes of the modern era. Witt mounts a positive ecumenical argument for the ordination of women that touches on issues such as theological hermeneutics, relationships between men and women, Christology and discipleship, and the role of ordained clergy in leading the church in worship, among others. Uniquely, Icons of Christ treats both Protestant and Catholic theological concerns at length, undertaking a robust engagement with biblical exegesis and biblical, historical, systematic, and liturgical theology. The book's theological approach is critically orthodox, evangelical, and catholic. Witt offers the church an ecumenical vision of ordination to the presbyterate as an office of Word and Sacrament that justifiably is open to both men and women. Most critically Witt reminds us that, as all Christians are baptized into the image of the crucified and risen Christ, and bear witness to Christ through lives of cruciform discipleship, so men and women both are called to serve as icons of Christ in service of the gospel.

Full Product Details

Author:   William G. Witt
Publisher:   Baylor University Press
Imprint:   Baylor University Press
Weight:   0.333kg
ISBN:  

9781481316668

ISBN 10:   1481316664
Pages:   447
Publication Date:   30 April 2021
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
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Table of Contents

"Preface Part 1. Introduction 1 Preliminaries 2 Non-Theological Arguments against the Ordination of Women 3 The Argument ""from Tradition"" Is Not the ""Traditional"" Argument Part 2. Protestant Arguments 4 Hierarchy and Hermeneutics 5 Beginning with Genesis 6 Disciples of Jesus 7 Mutual Submission 8 Women in Worship and ""Headship"" 9 Speaking and Teaching Part 3. Catholic Arguments 10 A Presbytera Is Not a ""Priestess"" Old Testament Priesthood 11 Women's Ordination and the Priesthood of Christ Biblical and Patristic Background 12 Women's Ordination and the Priesthood of Christ In persona Christi 13 The Argument from Symbolism God, Priests, Incarnation, and Apostles 14 The Argument from Symbolism Transcendence and Immanence Part 4. The Ministry of Women in the New Testament 15 Women's Ministry in the New Testament Office 16 Women's Ministry in the New Testament Bishops, Presbyters, Deacons Conclusion"

Reviews

Witt is to be commended for his groundbreaking methodology that exposes how both Catholic and Protestant theologians support male leadership by interpreting key passages in ways that esteem women as inferior to men--a view at odds with the entire canon. In doing so, Witt also reveals how this longstanding, but failed interpretative path also promotes a distorted worldview that devalues women simply because they are born female. --Mimi Haddad CBE International

Witt's presentation of the confessional divide that emerges in these debates is his greatest gift and the most innovative thing about the book as a whole. His insight that Protestant and Catholic resistance to women's ordination does not take the same form or come from the same place, and is even contradictory on a fundamental level, is valuable and important for women, and particularly for women clergy, to understand. --Hannah W. Matis Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology Witt is to be commended for his groundbreaking methodology that exposes how both Catholic and Protestant theologians support male leadership by interpreting key passages in ways that esteem women as inferior to men--a view at odds with the entire canon. In doing so, Witt also reveals how this longstanding, but failed interpretative path also promotes a distorted worldview that devalues women simply because they are born female. --Mimi Haddad CBE International

Author Information

William G. Witt is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Ethics at Trinity School for Ministry.

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