Stained-glass ceiling
Encyclopedia
The stained-glass ceiling is a sociological phenomenon in religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...

 communities similar to the concept of the "glass ceiling
Glass ceiling
In economics, the term glass ceiling refers to "the unseen, yet unbreachable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or achievements." Initially, the metaphor applied to barriers in the careers of women but...

." This concept revolves around the apparent difficulty for women who seek to gain a role within church leadership. The use of the term "stained-glass ceiling" is metaphorical, indicating a certain level of power or authority within church structures that women tend not to rise above within church hierarchies. This could range from a group's de jure
De jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....

 barring of women from positions like priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

, bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

, pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....

, rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...

, or similar clerical figures, to gender discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...

 at the level of local congregations that prevent women from rising to any role of particular status or power.

The stained-glass ceiling is a particular aspect of a broader trend of gender segregation
Sex segregation
Sex segregation is the separation of people according to their sex.The term gender apartheid also has been applied to segregation of people by gender, implying that it is sexual discrimination...

 and discrimination in religious communities, by use defined social roles and barriers typically justified by either tradition, dogma, or doctrine of the church group.

The phrase "stained-glass" refers to the frequent placement of stained-glass artwork in places of Christian worship.

Relevant Statistics

Among the most significant examples of resistance to clergywomen has been in the position of Senior Pastor in large church settings. For example, in the United Methodist Church only two clergywomen have ever led churches with membership numbers within the top 100 of United Methodist Churches in the U.S. The most recent national data (2005) indicates that there are no clergywomen currently leading top 100 membership UMCs. Resistance has eased more rapidly for the position of Bishop in the United Methodist Church. For 2004-2008, 15 of the 50 (30%) United Methodist Bishops serving the U.S. are clergywomen.

Notable Persons

  • Bishop Marjorie Swank Matthews - Elected Bishop in the United Methodist Church in 1980. She was the first clergywoman elected as bishop by a U.S. mainline Christian denomination.
  • Rev. Julie Pennington-Russell - Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church (Decatur, Georgia)(8/2007-date). The largest church affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention
    Southern Baptist Convention
    The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...

     with a clergywoman as Sr. Pastor. (Weekly Worship Attendance of 483/ 2,696 members "1,804 resident and 892 non-resident").
  • Bishop Barbara Clementine Harris
    Barbara Clementine Harris
    Barbara Clementine Harris was the first woman ordained a bishop in the Anglican Communion.-Education:...

     - the first woman ordained a bishop in the Anglican Communion in 1989.
  • Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori
    Katharine Jefferts Schori
    Katharine Jefferts Schori is the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States. Previously elected as the 9th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada, she is the first woman elected as a primate of the Anglican Communion...

    - the first woman elected as a primate of the worldwide Anglican Communion in 2006.

External links

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