Articles outlining the arguments against the ordination of women

This archive of articles and links, hosted on my web site, has been created because of the difficulty of finding in one place the key arguments against the ordination of women as priests and bishops. Of course, inclusion here does not mean that I regard every argument as being equally valid or useful.

The archive is constantly expanding. If you have resources to suggest for addition to this list, please SEND ME AN EMAIL.

A BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY OF TEXTS
questioning the ordination of women
to the priesthood and episcopate

A.M.I.A ORDINATION OF WOMEN REPORT
submitted by Bishop John H. Rodgers, Jr.,
Chairman and the Women’s Ordination Study Team, July 31, 2003

BENEDICT XVI & THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE CHURCH
by Dr Pia De Solenni

BISHOPS, PRESBYTERS AND WOMEN
by Gerald Bray

CONCERNING WOMEN'S ORDINATION
by Alexander Schmemann

ADAM & EVE — EAST OF EDEN - Woman's Authority in the Church
by Monica Miller

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN CANTERBURY & ROME
ON THE ORDINATION OF WOMEN 1975-1986

ESSAYS ON THE ORDINATION OF WOMEN FROM FORT WORTH
Four essays explaining the orthodox position

FORMER EPISCOPAL (USA) WOMAN PRIEST'S ARTICLESProfessor Alice C. Linsley argues against the ordination of women

FORMER LUTHERAN PASTOR DEBUNKS THE ORDINATION OF WOMEN
by Jennifer Ferrara

THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF WOMEN PRIESTS
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
- his review of Inter Insigniores

INTER INSIGNIORES
(Declaration on the Question of Admission of Women
to the Ministerial Priesthood)
The Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

JOHN RICHARDSON'S ARTICLES
collected from his blog and other sources

MAN, WOMAN, AND PRIESTHOOD
Collection of papers edited by Peter Moore

MY REASONS FOR VOTING AGAINST the Women Bishops Measure
Tom Sutcliffe explains why he and others who are in favour of women bishops voted against the legislation at the Church of England's General Synod in November 2012.

THE ORDINATION OF WOMEN
by John W. Kleinig

THE ORTHODOX PRIEST: AN ICON OF CHRIST
by Fr Alister Anderson

PRIESTESSES IN THE CHURCH
by C.S. Lewis

REASONS FOR QUESTIONING WOMEN'S ORDINATION
in the Light of Scripture
the Rev'd Dr Rodney A. Whitacre

RECOVERING BIBLICAL MANHOOD AND WOMANHOOD
A Response to Evangelical Feminism
edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem

A SERIOUS ARGUMENT AGAINST THE ORDINATION OF WOMEN
TO THE PRIESTHOOD AND EPISCOPATE
by the Rt Rev'd John Rodgers

SISTER SARA BUTLER 
Articles by a scholar who changed her mind

TESTING THE SPIRITS
Quotes from Deborah Malacky Belonick's article. (This is followed by her article, "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" - What's in a Name?")

UNFINISHED BUSINESS –
ʻWOMEN BISHOPSʼ, THE WORD AND THE WAY FORWARD
Fr Robbie Low, writing in New Directions, 2004

WHAT ABOUT JUNIA?

WOMEN BISHOPS - THE FINAL DIVIDE?
Dr Claire Smith, writing in the Forward in Faith (Australia) Newsletter, 2004

WOMEN IN THE CHURCH
by Archpriest Lawrence Farley

WOMEN PRIESTS?
by Professor E.L. Mascall

WOMEN PRIESTS IN ANTIQUITY?
- debate by Torrance & Reardon (and an article by Hutchins) 

from TOUCHSTONE Magazine

WOMEN'S ORDINATION AND THE ECUMENICAL IMPERATIVE
by Fr Victor Novak

WOMEN'S ORDINATION DENIES THE INCARNATION
by Sheldon Vanauken